By James Brabazon

Penguin, out now

Max McLean – sane sociopath, killer for the British Government. But what he discovers in a Western African village is not sane…

I was originally intending to include this review under the spy-fi section of this site, based on the descriptions on the cover, and some of the plaudits it’s received. Certainly the first two acts are a gritty, hard-nosed delve into the unpleasant worlds of geopolitics and those who do what is necessary for the rest of us to enjoy civilisation. Our narrator knows who and what he is and while he doesn’t revel in what he does, he knows it’s important and he carries out the wet work efficiently. When he deviates from his instructions, he knows that there will be consequences but he doesn’t expect to be brought into a mission that has effectively claimed the life of someone he knows and trusts.

We follow him through this mission in a well-researched and told foray into the realities of contemporary West Africa, where life can be cheaply bought and sold. But the story takes a sharp left turn as we discover what is behind the inhuman massacres, diving with a vengeance into The Island of Dr Moreau territory and a plotline that you wouldn’t be surprised to find in a Syfy Channel B-movie. Don’t get me wrong – I love stories that surprise the reader, but the way in which this one does it, and then pings back out into the realpolitik of the spy game afterwards, makes it feel as if Adam Hall had written a Quiller novel but handed over the manuscript to a pulp writer to provide the third act before taking back over for the conclusion.

Verdict: Excellent set up and storytelling for the most part – but let down by a tonal shift that doesn’t come off. 7/10

Paul Simpson