A Spy Novel in the Ari Cohen Series - Book 4 - The Journey of the Bell: An Espionage Thriller / The Ari Cohen Series (ePub)

Spencer developed a love of reading during long winter nights growing up in the UK. His favorite genre during his early youth was action/adventure, historical fiction and espionage novels.

During the 1970's and 80's Ian Fleming with his James Bond series, 007, was a favorite. As Spencer's tastes matured he developed a love for authors like Wilbur Smith and James Mitchener.

These authors had a remarkable lasting effect on Spencer from whom he developed a love for Africa that endures to this day. His favorite books "River God: A novel of Ancient Eqypt, "Pharoah" and "Warlock" all Wilbur Smith best sellers. In addition, Wilbur Smith's Courtney series led to his love of traveling.

At 21, he took off for Africa and crossed the continent North to South through the Sahara, sometimes on foot, and in an old Land Rover which was more temperamental than the English weather..

It was during this adventure, when he was holed up in an abandoned French Foreign Legion outpost, called Fort Mirabelle, that he developed the story line for his first book, "Mystery of the Dead Sea Scrolls - Revealed".

The middle of the Sahara desert in Algeria, is a great catalyst for an over active imagination. Lots of cold desert nights watching camp fires in the distance and not knowing who was friend or foe!!!

Eight months later he finally rolled into South Africa bound for Australia, determined to swim the coral of the Great Barrier Reef. But fate had a different plan for Hawke. This is where James Mitchener's influence took over! Instead of Australia he turned west where the Americas were beckoning. Mitchener's novels, "Hawaii", "Mexico", "Texas" and "Alaska" asserted their influence.

One of his proudest moments was when his second book, which has been renamed "The Arrows of Islam" was reviewed by "IndieReader". It received 5 stars with the following accolade,

"Hawke's writing excels, especially during the book's many action sequences. The dialogue in the book is both