The Stranger by Simon Conway

 

Set in the continuing tumult of the Syrian conflict and the mayhem wrought by ISIS, this novel follows MI6 officer, Jude Lyon, as he hunts for a secretive, almost mythical, terrorist who’s skilled with explosives. The man, known only as The Stranger, is believed to have escaped Syrian government custody and is on his way to the UK to wreak his revenge after the UK authorities helped to have him kidnapped and imprisoned for torture. But is the man they believe to be The Stranger even him? Or might he be a cut-out for the real bomber?

 

Simon Conway is in my opinion one of the best contemporary thriller writers. But he’s criminally underrated and I rarely see his books mentioned. This is a real shame because all of the books of his that I’ve read have been fantastic and The Stranger is no different. Recently I spoke to a literary agent who told me that in his opinion there are too many books on the market that feature Islamic fundamentalism, and I agree with that assessment. Like the Russians during the Cold War, al Qaeda and ISIS are all-too-often the go-to baddies in fiction, and many of the works that feature them are run of the mill. But equally, it would be terrible if this novel was caught up in that dismissal, for it stands head and shoulders above the competition.

 

The Stranger is brilliantly told and brought to life and has an original plot which I won’t reveal here for risk of spoilers. Needless to say, it will do nothing for one’s faith in the intelligence services, not a surprise in a post-dodgy dossier world.  But the malfeasance and double-dealing of the intelligence chiefs in this novel rival that infamous example, and unfortunately, are all too believable.

 

What really sets The Stranger apart is the namesake villain. He’s a chilling creation and steals the show. While Conway’s protagonist, MI6 man Jude Lyon, is compelling enough, he can’t help but be overshadowed by his antagonist. If I have once minor criticism, it’s The Stranger's sexual deviancy, which he indulges in with a female acolyte who’s obsessed with him. There’s nothing graphic about it, the author doesn’t dwell on it at all, but I found this strand unnecessary and at danger of making him into a pantomime villain. But luckily Conway doesn’t linger on this and thus it doesn’t spoil what is otherwise an excellent portrayal of a terrifying adversary.

 

The Stranger is a really good book and I really hope this brings the author to more reader’s attention.

 

4 out of 5 stars