April 2025 | Mumbai — When espionage meets ideology, and loyalty collides with survival, the result is a chilling masterpiece—Mission Frank Li, the latest thriller by acclaimed author Somnath Roy. Released this April by Evincepub Publishing, the novel is being hailed as India’s answer to the Jason Bourne and Jack Ryan sagas.
Set across five countries and riddled with intelligence leaks, nuclear black markets, and deeply human conflict, Mission Frank Li is a bold geopolitical fiction that blurs the lines between fact and fear, diplomacy and deception.
The Story: A Race Against a Global Catastrophe
At the heart of the story lies Frank Li (aka Karl Lee)—a shadowy weapons engineer believed to be neutralized in 2019, now suspected of masterminding a secret nuclear operation. Intelligence intercepted from Mossad and CIA suggests a terrifying reality: Li is alive, active, and feeding Iran’s nuclear ambitions through non-state actors like Hamas and Hezbollah.
Enter an elite, multi-nation team of intelligence operatives—from India’s RAW, Germany’s BND, Israel’s Mossad, the UK’s MI6, and the US CIA. What starts as a high-stakes manhunt quickly turns into a multi-dimensional war where one wrong move could trigger global conflict.
A Character-Driven Thriller
Roy doesn’t just build suspense—he builds people. From Kabir Suri, the hardened Indian field agent haunted by war, to Leila Abbas, the former Mossad operative with secrets of her own, the characters are flawed, brilliant, and painfully real.
“Espionage isn’t just about guns and gadgets—it’s about grey zones,” Roy says. “The mind games, the moral conflicts, the collateral damage. That’s where the real story lies.”
Why This Book Matters Now
In a world reeling from wars in Gaza, Ukraine, and a rapidly shifting balance of power in Asia, Mission Frank Li hits a nerve. The book explores:
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The underbelly of global arms trade
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The manipulation of ideology by superpowers
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The silent warfare waged through intelligence and misinformation
Roy’s nuanced take on the Indo-Western alliance, the China-Iran connection, and Middle Eastern proxy wars gives the novel a frightening relevance.
Somnath Roy: The Voice Behind the Vision
Known for fusing cultural depth with global themes, Somnath Roy first rose to prominence with his debut, Aryavrata: The Saga of Eternal Civilization. He followed it up with RINGS: The WEBS of Syndicate, a mind-bending sci-fi thriller.
With Mission Frank Li, Roy moves boldly into the international arena, crafting a story that could easily translate to the big screen or OTT platforms like Netflix or Amazon Prime.
“We’ve seen Western spy thrillers dominate for decades,” Roy notes. “It’s time for India to tell its own stories—ones that are authentic, complex, and globally resonant.”
What Critics Are Saying
⭐ “Gripping and cinematic… Roy’s vision is razor-sharp.” — Indie Reader Review
⭐ “Unputdownable. The twists keep coming like clockwork.” — Global Spy Watch
⭐ “Mission Frank Li could very well be India’s first global espionage franchise.” — The New Order Journal
