Heatwave

by Mark Dawson

When MI6 assassin Charlie Cooper is ordered to take a leave of absence, he uses the time to settle a personal score.

A former ally sold him out to the Chinese in Singapore. In London, he tracks her routine, finds her weakness, and sets the trap. But the explosion that should have killed her doesn’t.

Before Cooper can finish what he started, Control recalls him to duty. His Hisham Al Iraqi, a legendary bombmaker hiding among the ancient ruins of Petra. Cooper embeds himself on an archaeological dig in the Jordanian desert, waiting for a heatwave to drive the terrorist into the open. But the deeper he digs, the more enemies he unearths—one of them much closer than he realises.

And in the shadows of the red rock canyons, an old friend is waiting...

From the streets of London to the burning sands of Jordan, Heatwave is a razor-sharp international thriller of betrayal, vengeance and survival—perfect for fans of Lee Child, Gregg Hurwitz and David Baldacci.

143 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 1, 2026

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads data base.

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s hot outside.

Wow, Mark has done it yet again, he’s produced another brilliant Charlie Cooper novella. This time not only does Charlie have to find a way of eliminating an evil enemy of the state. This in itself is going to be no easy task due to the fact that the target in question, doesn’t stay in one place for long so Charlie finds himself in the Jordanian desert with one one chance to succeed but if that wasn’t enough to warm things up, then realising that a personal life or death issue with a former ally was still unsolved, suddenly increases the temperature. Happy reading.

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great Charlie Cooper thriller!

Charlie Cooper was betrayed by Vanessa. He wants revenge, but before he can accomplish this, Control is sending him on a mission to Jordan. This book is unputdownable, and I highly recommend it! Happy reading! ☺️

[Manfred · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another very entertaining Charlie Cooper novella. This time he's sent to Jordan to deal with an IS bombmaker and simultaneously has to deal with another threat closer to home. A great fun to read.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charlie Cooper gets better and better!

[carl clause · Rating 5 out of 5]

CC1

Great story with Cooper. Completed mission and got rid of Vanessa. 10 stars plus !!! Great plot story. Thanks, Carl Clause

[william shields · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always brilliant. Another high octane rollercoaster ride. My only complaint is that they always feel too short and leave me wanting more.

[marty anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

You cut your books short

So you can brag about all your books you've written. This is not acceptable. I have not run across this before.

[Karen Team-orange · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another page turner.

* DNF
** Stuck with it
*** Good, will probably read another by the same author
**** Would recommend
***** Sticks with me / page turner

[Michelle Wilson]

Very short that is very disappointing

[Steve W · Rating 3 out of 5]

The usual formula and a compelling read. However, it’s really short and from 80% through the book, its advertisements for other books. Felt short-changed on this one.

[David Patsel · Rating 5 out of 5]

must read book

If you’re a Mark Dawson fan you must read these Charlie Cooper series of books. Great action, great plots, mystery and good resolutions. Highly recommend