On the Greek island of Vidos the past lingers like salt in the air. The inhabitants - former members of MI6 - are sent here to be forgotten. Exiled. Either too damaged or too compromised to be allowed to live freely.
For years, residents make the best of their fate - old enemies reconcile, long-lost friends swim together in the warm sea and estranged lovers share a bed once more. But secrets bind tightly. And when one of their own washes up dead, alliances fracture and a tide of suspicion begins to rise.
A vivid reimagining of a real, hidden slice of the British Intelligence Service's history, A Stranger in Corfu is an exquisitely tense and masterfully spun novel about shadowy morality, unravelled secrets and the futility of trying to outrun the past.
What did I think?
It was really interesting to read A Stranger in Corfu because although it is fiction it did make me wonder what happens to spies when they are no longer active. Are they trusted to they keep their secrets or are they too much of a risk?
These former spies are exiled on the island of Vidos in Corfu and they live together rather like a dysfunctional family. The Greek police have their work cut out when one of the ex-spies is found dead. Is it an accident or was it murder? The spies know better than most that it's a dangerous world out there and you don't know who you can trust.
The timeline flips back and forth between the current setting and previous assignments and although the pacing is quite slow I was mesmerised by the eloquence of Alex Preston's writing.
Atmospheric, poignant and intriguing, A Stranger in Corfu is an enthralling literary thriller that I really enjoyed reading. It's well worth a read if you enjoy spy thrillers as it's something a bit different from the norm.
I received a gifted hardback for the Adventures With Words readalong and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
My rating:
Buy it from:
No comments:
Post a Comment