For a guy who made his name in one of the world’s most famous covert organisations, Chris Ryan is rubbish at keeping secrets.

The former SAS corporal was the only man to escape death or capture during the Bravo Two Zero operation in the 1991 Gulf War before becoming a writer.

His first book was The One That Got Away published in 1995 and also adapted for screen; his latest, called Black Ops, is part of a series featuring SAS hero Danny Black and just a week after its publication it was in the best-seller list – much to his surprise.

“I was delighted when I found out. I had to mop my brow,” he said.

Former SAS sergeant and author Chris Ryan
Former SAS sergeant and author Chris Ryan

So popular are his books that a review copy sent to this office was snaffled before I could get my hands on it, however after interviewing Ryan there’s no need for me to bother picking it up as he told the me the entire plot and its twist.

“But leave that bit out,” he said a little belatedly. He’s an amiable and chatty bloke with a date at Waterstones in Newcastle later this month to promote the book, and I suspect readers and fans who turn up might get a bit more than his publishers bargained for.

Now living abroad, his visit to the North East is a homecoming as he was born in Chopwell in 1961 and raised in Rowlands Gill.

“It was back in the 1960s when you could be born at home or in hospital and my parents chose for me to be born at home,” said Ryan. “My mum was in labour for five days. Imagine that.”

Chris Ryan
Chris Ryan

He joked that he had caused his parents trouble ever since. His mother passed away some years ago from cancer, ending her days in St Oswald’s Hospice whose work he could not praise enough.

“Their care are and pain management was second to none - it’s a brilliant organisation.”

Meanwhile his dad died last year and while he still has two brothers in the area, he admits he doesn’t get back to the region as much as he did.

“I really love Rowlands Gill but when your parents go it feels like there’s less of a reason to come back.”

Back to the book. A series of gruesome killings in Dubai, Ghana and Florida have left three former SAS soldiers dead, one a friend of Danny Black. All were part of an intelligence operation called MISFIT that provided valuable intelligence on IS operations in the Middle East.

Part of it was a very successful undercover officer who stopped several attacks in London then suddenly went quiet, just before the killings begin.

“Has he been flipped?” is the crux of the story said Ryan. Enter Black who is brought in to eliminate him.

Before everyone think it’s a complete macho-fest, Ryan points out that at the heart of the story is a strong woman character, and is quite candid about the inspiration for her.

“It was this time last year and I had a meeting with my editor for the next book. I didn’t have a clue. I was coming down on the train and was looking through TV listings and saw Killing Eve and The Bodyguard.”

Both award-winning series featured strong female characters and Ryan decided “maybe it will be refreshing” and followed suit.

Fast forward 12 months and now its out in the book stores, the seventh in the Danny Black series, and the latest of around 50 books Chris has published over the last 24 years in various genres including fiction, non fiction and even children’s books, which he has taken into schools – something he loves.

“You can’t beat going into schools, talking to the kids and encouraging them to read.”

Yet Ryan revealed if it wasn’t for some grief he got from a commanding officer, his tally of books would have remained at just one for ‘The One That Got Away’ which was published after he left the army with an honourable discharge in 1994.

It was controversial at the time of publication which followed the book Bravo Two Zero by Andy McNab about a secret SAS mission conducted during the 1991 Gulf War behind enemy lines to destroy Scud missiles. The mission was compromised, three of the eight man team were killed, four others shot and tortured while Ryan was the only one who escaped.

What doesn’t seem to be in dispute is that Ryan made SAS history with the “longest escape and evasion by an SAS trooper or any other soldier”, covering 100 miles to reach the Syrian border, for which he was awarded the Military Medal.

Ryan said: “The One That Got Away was very successful and I was asked to do another story but I said no. I had set the story straight about my escape.”

He was content to continue his work as bodyguard and security consultant but that changed, he said, when he heard of a ‘cross briefing’ at SAS HQ in Hereford when various units gather to talk about operations undertaken during the previous 12 months.

According to Ryan, a friend who attended told him his name had been on the agenda too and the commanding officer had vilified him for writing the book, even though he had it vetted before it was published, and generally did him down, whilst saying “he wanted to see my family on the streets”.

“When I heard his goal was to put me and my family on the street. I thought s**** you.”

In response he turned to writing thrillers to tell the stories the Official Secrets Act stops him putting in his non-fiction - Chris Ryan is his pen name not his real one. He had spent 10 years in the elite group being involved in overt and covert operations and was also sniper team commander of the anti-terrorist team, so he had a lot of experiences to draw on.

His novels inspired the Sky One series Strike Back.

However his next book, which is due out later this year, is non-fiction and called ‘A Soldier’s History of the SAS’. You kind of wonder if he’s still around what that CO back in Hereford would think today.

* Black Ops is published by Hodder & Stoughton and costs £18.99. Chris Ryan will be talking about his new book and life in the SAS at Waterstones Newcastle on September 25, starting at 7pm.