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RED217

One hidden code. Two deadly stages. A conspiracy that goes all the way to the top.

Mike Bennett thought he was leading a mission of mercy. Organised as a “Peace Convoy” to deliver water and food to the war-torn streets of Gaza, the ageing mechanic soon realises his trucks are carrying something far more sinister than relief supplies.

When a mysterious illness strikes a local village with terrifying speed—killing 140 people in thirty-six hours without a single sign of contagion—Mike and dedicated field doctor Myah Willis stumble upon a horrific truth: they have been used as unwitting mules for a new breed of biological warfare.

RED 217 is not a typical virus. It is a binary weapon system. Stage One is a harmless “cold” that primes the victim’s DNA. Stage Two is the kill switch—a lethal pathogen that only strikes those already marked. It is the ultimate tool for “genocide for hire,” and someone is about to sell it to the highest bidder.

Enter Andrew “Harry” Harrison, an ex-Marine with a shadowy past and a “toolkit” that includes more than just spanners. As the team is hunted from the desert sands of Rafah to the quiet shores of Portland, England, they must race against time to reverse-engineer the virus before a massive release on American soil.

From high-stakes escapes across the Mediterranean to a final, deadly showdown in the heart of London, RED 217 is a gripping political thriller that asks: How much is a human life worth when mass murder is just a service?

For fans of the "Golden Age" of adventure thrillers—think the rugged survivalism of Desmond Bagley, the clockwork plotting of Alistair MacLean, and the high-stakes technological menace of early Clive Cussler—Ian Burford’s RED 217 is a welcome return to form

Alan Collins

Birmingham UK

Burford channels the ghost of Clive Cussler in his ability to make complex science feel like a weapon of war, particularly with the terrifying two-stage mechanics of the Cascade virus. Yet, where Cussler often favored the glossy and the grand, Burford stays in the trenches.

Mike James

Croydon, UK

The story moves with a relentless velocity that fans of Mark Greaney will recognise, shifting from the haunting ruins of Gaza to a high-stakes extraction via seaplane. Andrew Harrison lacks the invincibility of modern "super-soldiers," but echoes the gritty, tactical realism of a Desmond Bagley hero.

Elena Weber

Birmingham, UK

MY WORK

Behind the Book: The Origins of Red217

The spark for Red217 ignited at the intersection of two very different worlds: the terrifying potential of genetic modification and the harrowing realities of the conflicts in Syria and Gaza. I wanted to explore what happens when cutting-edge science meets the desperation of modern warfare.

What began as a way to fill newfound free time quickly evolved into an obsession; once the characters took shape, I couldn’t stop writing. Now, I am discovering that the first draft was just the starting line. As I navigate the complexities of editing and publishing, I’m excited to share this journey with you.

Novel

Available May 1st 2026

Collected Stories

My Current Project

MY BOOKS

After RED217 I felt that Harry had more of a story to be told and so I started to work on Reactivated.

Andrew Harrison thought he was done with the shadows. He was wrong.

Reactivated by the Accord to investigate a series of impossible assassinations, Harry uncovers a terrifying truth: a rogue conspiracy is turning innocent people into weapons using the mind-altering drug Sereleyne.

From the streets of Berlin to the high-rises of Los Angeles, the hunt is on. But when the trail leads to the very top of British Intelligence, the hunter becomes the hunted. With a “Mandatory Kill” order on his head and democracy on the brink, Harry must expose the Founders Trust before he is silenced for good.