Novel set in ROME, WEST MIDLANDS and FRANCE
Spy novel set around the WORLD
7th September 2026
The Predicament by William Boyd, spy novel set around the world (including Sussex, Guatemala, London, New York State, The Cotswolds and Berlin)
The Predicament by William Boyd can be read as a stand-alone spy novel, but it is such an entertaining and gripping thriller that I definitely wished I had read Gabriel’s Moon first. My only real criticism would be the title, which seems rather weak considering the action-packed tale it presents. I’m still not actually sure which of the situations presented in the novel is intended to be the titular predicament! Maybe it’s the fact that Gabriel Dax, the protagonist, has got caught up in the world of MI6 and is an accidental spy, while really only wishing for a quiet life as a travel writer. The novel continues his on-off relationship with his MI6 handler, Faith Green, and introduces a few other romantic dalliances, which neatly offset the drama of some of his other adventures.
Gabriel has almost concluded his latest book, prosaically entitled Rivers, when he is approached by Faith to use his travel writing as a pretext to visit Guatemala. The idea is that he will write a chapter on the Motagua River and also interview the revolutionary leader who is set to win the forthcoming elections. It is emphasised that this is a dangerous mission. Gabriel experiences the thrill of travel alongside the danger of his role as an agent, leading to nerves and tension. Nothing like his day job!
Meanwhile, we learn early on that Gabriel is in fact a double agent, providing carefully selected pieces of information to his Russian handler and sustaining a relationship with a triple (!) agent in Moscow. Along the way, he learns some tradecraft and terms that readers of John le Carré, Frederick Forsythe and Gerald Seymour will be familiar with.
The author impeccably executes descriptions of each of the contrasting locations that Gabriel finds himself in. Boyd allows his hero some down time in the peaceful surroundings of the Cotswolds – and also giving the reader a chance to catch their breath – before moving on to the next life-or-death scenario. Gabriel’s cover story, that he is writing about rivers, allows him to travel seamlessly on to, for example, Berlin and simply explain that that is where the next river is. I loved the book’s transitions; the way the author moves from describing the geology of Guatemala in one paragraph to the tumultuous political situation and peril there in the early 1960s in the next. Boyd also dextrously incorporates historical fact into his narrative, making this an educational as well as an entertaining read – the best kind! Highly recommended (but read the books in the right order).
Sue for the TripFiction Team
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