*BEWARE OF SPOILERS*
"Ultimatum" is the sequel to Kernick's previous novel, "Siege", both of which are pretty great. Although it can function as a stand-alone novel, it is best read after reading "Siege". Else you may be asking questions such as "Why is Tina back on the force?" and "Who the hell is Fox?". These things are explained briefly, but it may leave a reader dissatisfied with the explanations, especially if they've read any other of Simon's books with Tina Boyd in them. Speaking of Tina, I felt her character was toned down somewhat, even from her appearance in "Siege". I'm not sure why this was, and I'm not complaining; it made her, to me at least, more compelling and likeable rather than some super-cop who won't follow the rules. There is still an element of that in there, but it is very much subdued. The villains of the book are pretty great and can be legitimately terrifying at times.
However, there are a couple of negatives. The name of the super-secret "evil organisation" was the oh-so cliched "The Brotherhood". This literally made me cringe, and I couldn't take it seriously without imagining either Marvel's "The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants" or DC's "The Legion of Doom". Also, the target of the terrorist attack was pretty obvious, due to the constant references to the Shard. While this can be disappointing, it does build tension really well. And the fallout of this disaster is amazing, with a section devoted to the destruction of part of the Shard and the damage control.
Overall, this is a pretty good book.
Ultimatum
+Great characters and relationships between them+Plot twists everywhere
+ Everything you expect from a Simon Kernick book
- "The Brotherhood"
- Obvious target
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