A missing British diplomat and corruption to the highest levels.
The third in a series of diplomatic crime thrillers finds corruption high up in the British intelligence service.
Jess Turner turns investigator when things just don't add up when the Chinese delegation is due to visit. With events that happened back in 1984 in Shanghai weighing on her mind she tries to find out what happened to Marianne Henderson all those years ago.
Her digging doesn't do herself any favors as everyone she tries to get information out of clams up and refuses to talk.
What happens when she won't take no for an answer may surprise you.
Although this is the 3rd in a series and i have not read the previous 2 there was nothing missing. I did not feel that i needed to read the previous 2 to understand what was happening (although i will track them down and read them anyway)
It is an excellent book that based on the cover i would never have picked up (never judge a book by it's cover)
Although i did guess what would happen quite early on it did not put me off finishing or ruin the book once what i had guessed actually happened.
This is an ideal book for the pool side if you want something more gritty than a chick lit book
British diplomacy, murder, deceit, betrayal, fear, courage and a little bit of love! What more could you want? 10/10
This fascinating novel is the third in Jean Harrod’s ‘Diplomatic Crime Series’. Set in China and London it moves back and forward in time exploring the events associated with the secrecy of both China and the diplomatic service. The writing has the ring of authenticity and no wonder considering Harrod was herself employed as a British diplomat for many years. She draws a fascinating picture of life in China in the 1980s and spins a tale of murder, deceit, betrayal, fear and courage. The landscape and life in China is beautifully described and the vivid growth of tension throughout the book makes it hard to put down. The action is well paced and balanced, quietly resisting the traditional ‘spy’ clichés while gently exploring a romantic liaison which will do doubt continue in her further works. I will certainly be looking to pin down copies of her first two novels in this series and can’t wait for the next…
A novel full of twists and turns set in the diplomatic world of China and London- who is betraying who?
The locations were fascinating, and it was obvious from the author's background that she was knowledgeable about this world. I found it interesting to see little non classified glimpses into this world. Although intriguing, I found the actual story a little slow, and there were a lot of coincidences. The language was at times formal and unnatural, I felt it could be sharper, and without so many speech tags, he said/she said. What the reader sees is very much dictated by the narrator.
I didn't feel particularly strongly about the characters, and I wonder as they have been introduced in previous novels, which seem to have been very well received, maybe the author didn't feel the same need to re-establish them.
The novel certainly has twists and turns, but overall maybe this book just wasn't for me.