Cutting the Gordian Knot (The Final Solution)

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Two months after their disastrous holiday, Orlagh and Jerry are at home in Ireland recovering from their terrifying ordeal.

The Belgae Torc is at last on display at the National Museum and Orlagh is under increasing pressure to divide her time between her work at the museum and heading up an archaeological dig in County Meath.  She is convinced that an ancient battle between Iron Age tribes took place here and is determined to prove her theory, but as archaeologists begin to unearth the truth, they are faced with some unexpected surprises.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Atlantic, Jack Harrington is making discoveries of his own and finds himself juggling personal and professional commitments.  His organisation is still recovering from recent events in the Mediterranean and is loathed to be drawn into another deadly conflict, but like it or not, there are unresolved issues that cannot be avoided.

The Phoenix Legion is about to implement the final phase of its master plan and this time Schiffer is convinced that nothing can stop him from realising his goal.

With the past merging with the present, the elements of a deadly conclusion are finally coming together.  Will history repeat itself or can another worldwide catastrophe be avoided?   

Authors note

In Greek mythology, King Gordius of Phrygia tied a knot that defied all who tried to untie it.  An oracle prophesised that anyone who could undo this Gordian Knot would rule Asia.  Alexander the Great simply cut the knot with one stroke of his sword, hence the saying ‘to cut the Gordian Knot’, meaning to solve a difficult problem by a simple, bold and effective action.

When I began writing The Gordian Knot, I already had an idea for the title of the final book.  Cutting the Gordian Knot became my working title which I thought very apt because of the intractable problems facing my characters.

This final book is the story that concludes everything.  Like Alexander the Great, my characters will have to solve all the problems by a simple, bold and effective action.

I was a little worried that this title would be too close to that of the previous book so I decided on a change and it became Cutting the Gordian Knot (the final solution)

With book one, The Belgae Torc, I tried to establish a sense of history that would remain throughout the trilogy.  The mysterious torc and the powers surrounding it is a reminder of just how significant symbols like this once were.  I used this novel to establish the main characters and to get a feeling for their individual personalities.  I also set in motion a relationship between Orlagh and Jerry that would develop through each novel.

Book two, The Gordian Knot continues with the historical references but I wanted to bring these closer to home.  By introducing Harald and Freya, a direct connection could be made between the events of 1940s Germany and the Phoenix Legion.  I wanted to do this using the human element; this was also the first step in drawing many of the characters together.  We are all influenced in some way by our pasts and history has a habit of repeating itself.

Kevin Marsh

April 2016