When I picked up Monarch, I was curious, perhaps even skeptical. Ted Bell’s Alex Hawke series has long been a staple of the spy thriller world, but the handover to Ryan Steck, another American writing a deeply British protagonist, posed questions about voice, authenticity, and continuity. I wanted to see if Steck could pull it off.

To his credit, he mostly does.

Following a successful but costly mission to destroy an enemy outpost in Antarctica, Alex Hawke is looking forward to some quiet time at Teakettle Cottage, his home in Bermuda, along with his family. But he’s not a man who can avoid trouble. Former Chief Inspector of Scotland Yard Ambrose Congreve calls him with stunning news. Just days away from a controversial vote threatening to tear the United Kingdom apart at the seams, King Charles has disappeared while vacationing at Balmoral Castle. The prime minister believes she can keep the news quiet for no more than 72 hours. After that, Britain will be plunged into chaos. With the fate of the kingdom hanging in the balance, it’s up to Lord Hawke to find and rescue the missing monarch before it’s too late.

Though I hadn’t read the earlier books, Steck’s grasp of the series’ legacy is obvious. In Monarch, the thirteenth book in the series, he threads in background and past events with ease, never making a newcomer feel lost. And for the most part, the British flavour is surprisingly convincing. He clearly immersed himself in the culture, with an understanding of the Troubles, events since, and a decent understanding of wider UK dynamics.

That said, a few things broke the illusion, Americanisms like “city blocks,” British characters referring to the UK as “the kingdom,” and awkward lines where one British character would use an Americanism like “a hail mary” and then acknowledge the fact by saying “as Americans would say.” And there were moments where British realism stumbled, like a police officer on the phone with a traffic control officer for several hours while she invents number plate-tracking algorithms on the fly, rather than simply using ANPR (an Automatic Number Plate Recognition system, commonly used to track suspect vehicles by UK police).

But I fully recognise it’s a difficult tightrope to walk, between writing authentically British and writing accessibly for a largely American audience. And I give Steck massive credit for having taken on this challenge and having succeeded.

Hawke himself remains the emotional core of the novel. His evolving relationship with his wife Anastasia and son Alexei was genuinely touching, especially a late conversation with Alexei that stayed with me. Around him, the usual cadre of aristocrats made their appearances, perhaps one or two too many for my taste, but given Hawke’s status as a lord, it’s contextually fair.

The plot? Delightfully outlandish in the best way. The prologue has Hawke tearing across the sea on a high-tech yacht, and soon after, the King vanishes just before a historic Scottish vote for independence. Think Clive Cussler meets Alex Rider for adults, high-octane, a bit implausible, but entirely entertaining. Steck’s prose is smooth, polished, and incredibly readable. Not simplistic, just always engaging. I enjoyed the chapters in Cuba, and Germany, bringing an international dimension to the plot.

Monarch is not Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, nor is it trying to be. It’s fast-paced escapism with a solid emotional thread, a smooth style, and enough British nuance to hold together. Existing fans will likely feel at home, and new readers will enjoy it, as long as they’re in it for the ride, not absolute realism.

This was my introduction to Ryan Steck and it was enough to have me coming back for more. Steck has a new addition to the Matthew Redd series coming out in in June – Gone Dark. I’m going to grab a copy of that and I look forward to reading something on Steck’s home turf.