In November
2003 the British ambassador is killed just outside his home by a professional
assassin. A very dense moment during the talks between the governments about
the Falkland Islands. Adam White, Assistant Head of Security in the Foreign
Office, quickly finds traces that lead to Angus Sterling, a businessman whose
fortune is closely linked to and endangered by the talks. But there seems to be
more behind it and the longer the crisis with the South American embassies
takes, the more private connections and interests become obvious. When the
second ambassador dies, everybody comes under fire.
A classic
spy and diplomats novel in the well-known John Le Carré style. Diplomatic entanglements,
individual interests and complicated plot with many twits keep you reading on. The
characters are created in an authentic way that you can imagine they really
exist, especially the behaviour and acting of the personnel of the diverse
ministries and embassies seems to me quite logical and believable. Also the
side plots about the ambassadors’ wives had some interesting insights to offer.
It is easy to see that Alan Hunt knows what he is writing about and does not
embellish life in a foreign country as an official representative.