Plotwise, this book does all the right things. It ticks all the right boxes. It's basically about a young man in the diplomatic service investigating the murder of the UK's Ambassador to Argentina. The author himself worked for the diplomatic service and he clearly knows his stuff. This shows and makes the book convincing.
The problem is however that I found it all a little dull. I'm not sure why but I never really felt like reading it. If I hadn't received a review copy through Net Galley, I'm not sure that I would have persevered. I just never cared for any of the characters. I just never felt invested in knowing why the ambassador was killed.
Part of this might be my problem. Throughout the book I found myself actively disliking the clubby, old boys network that the author portrayed the foreign office to be. I found myself depressed that in this day and age our diplomatic service is still made up of these slightly obnoxious public school boys. Nothing seems to have changed since the 1950s.
I will award this two stars. Perhaps other people will like it. Perhaps it was my own prejudices which got in the way. Whatever the case, I doubt I will be in much nutty to read more from this author.
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