Smokescreen (Alex Kalfas, Band 2)

In a race against time, Greek Prime Minister Alex Kalfas must confront the world’s richest man, who backed by an elite band of mercenaries, is out to take by any means necessary, Greece’s most prized asset. To protect its most valuable export and extinguish an existential threat to his country, Alex must overcome, powerful enemies, corruption, and an international conspiracy.

The stakes have never been higher as a gripping tale of power, corruption, and international conspiracy unfolds. What if you discovered that the wealthiest man on Earth had set his sights on bankrupting your country? Prepare for a thrilling geopolitical rollercoaster as the fate of Greece hangs in the balance.

When Arthur Eckersley, the enigmatic CEO of Xplore Industries, becomes obsessed with obtaining the bauxite resources nestled within the Macedonian region of northern Greece, he stops at nothing to achieve his goal. With a new fleet of space launch vehicles in the works, Eckersley plans to secure Greece’s most valuable export, no matter the cost.

Backed by the extreme right-wing Golden Dawn party, Eckersley unleashes a reign of terror against the Greek government, plunging the nation into chaos. Fuelling the flames of destruction, he forms an elite group of terrorists led by the infamous criminal mastermind known as The Fixer, leveraging his immense wealth to manipulate events from the shadows.

Amidst this turmoil, Greek Prime Minister Alex Kalfas finds himself facing an unprecedented threat to his country’s sovereignty. Only with the support of the head of the Greek elite anti-terrorist squad and Chris Horsman, the Athens CIA station chief, does he stand a chance to thwart Eckersley’s audacious plans. Together, they race against time, navigating the treacherous landscapes of Athens, Salonika, and the disputed border areas between Greece and North Macedonia.

As the action intensifies, Alex uncovers a shocking revelation: Eckersley’s affiliation with North Macedonian sponsorship. It becomes clear that the struggle for control over the Macedonian region is more than just a battle for resources-it’s an existential threat to Greece that must be extinguished forever. Alex must confront not only a man with boundless wealth but also a powerful adversary fuelled by geopolitical ambitions.

"Smokescreen" is a high-octane, heart-pounding thriller that weaves together elements of political intrigue, international espionage, and personal sacrifice. It delves deep into the complexities of power, identity, and the lengths to which individuals will go to protect what they hold dear. With its pulse-pounding narrative and thought-provoking themes, this gripping novel will leave readers on the edge of their seats, questioning the boundaries of loyalty and the consequences of unchecked ambition.

Philip was born and educated in the United Kingdom. He joined Citibank in London before moving to Athens where he worked as a foreign exchange trader for both Citibank and Chase Manhattan. He was then posted to Citibank's Middle East North African Training Centre in Athens/Beirut as the operations manager and a foreign exchange trainer.

In 1993 he was appointed Head of Learning and Education for UBS in North America. He later left the bank and went into partnership with two colleagues and set up a successful financial training company (New Learning Developments) in New York City.

In 1999 he returned to London where he worked as a training consultant to financial services institutions and the Ministry of Defense until 2003 when he moved to Greece to work on developing knowledge databases for online brokerage houses and conduct webinars on foreign exchange and online retail trading.

In 2012 he returned to the UK to write. To date, he has written several fictional short stories, an erotic romance titled Remembering Jounieh, a science fiction story titled The Old Woman of Mani, a poetry anthology titled If I Could Paint Your Picture, and a children's short story titled Sparky The Baby Green Dragon. He has also published through a New York publishing house www.businessexpertpress.com two non-fiction books, Mastering Options and Competing In The Financial Markets both on value investing in currencies and options.

He has just published his first two novels fast-paced political thrillers titled The Gladio Protocol. This novel set in Greece pulls on historical facts to weave an exciting suspense story about a government conspiracy that endangers the European Union, the peace between Greece and Turkey, and the economic viability of the whole of Europe. Its lover heroes Alex Kalfas and Gitta Lehrer battle to save their beloved Greece and restore peace and prosperity in Europe and the Aegean region. His second novel titled Smokescreen has just been published. The third novel in the Alex Kalfas series is The Broken Butterflies of Delphi - scheduled for publication in early 2024.

Philip's hobbies include movies, playing tennis, reading, travel Greece, flying single-engine planes, and quizzing.