"From the internationally bestselling author, a thrilling novel starring the travel writer turned reluctant spy Gabriel Dax, a masterful tale of loyalty, obsession, and spy craft. 1963, Guatemala. The country is in turmoil, and the CIA is not pleased that a charismatic, left-wing ex-priest and trade union leader is poised to win the upcoming presidential election. Amid this uncertainty, Gabriel Dax arrives on orders from his MI6 handler Faith Green, who has tasked him with assessing the situation undercover while posing as a reporter. Upon arrival, Gabriel grows increasingly suspicious that the genial local CIA agent, Frank Sartorius, is more untrustworthy than he appears. Soon, a political assassination with suspicions of Mafia involvement leads to riots, and Dax escapes back to Europe and his normal life. But when Green compels him to investigate shady characters in West Berlin ahead of the arrival of the magnetic young President Kennedy, it becomes clear that an even greater danger is afoot. A gripping novel of politics and spy craft with dramatic twists and turns, The Predicament shows Boyd to be one of our most masterful contemporary storytellers"--
The author returned to the world of espionage last year with Gabriel’s Moon ... Gabriel’s Moon got off to an explosive start. The Predicament is less immediately engaging; it suffers from a low-key opening and a bland title. The reader’s patience pays off, however: Soon the plot becomes more intricate and the intrigues become truly threatening ... Mr. Boyd’s depiction of the spy world is impressive in its details ... Gabriel could have come across as a mere cipher in this environment, a faceless spook navigating smoke and mirrors. Instead, Mr. Boyd has made him a rich character with a troubling personal history and a complex emotional life.
Like his character, Boyd is much more at home in the genre than in the previous outing, and this John Le Carré-esque Cold War thriller is something rare—a sequel that surpasses the original. Full of wry humor, this is a compelling novel full of intrigue, romance, and, once again, plenty of alcohol.
Though Boyd giggles atop a successful oeuvre, The Predicament works hard so as to be read as an isolated new entity whilst smothering us all with the genre’s regular archetypes ... Judged aside from its subject matter, The Predicament bobs afloat some gainfully readable prose ... Despite the stylistic clangers and the unbelievable way in which a flimsy litterateur is said to suddenly outdo the CIA, The Predicament will definitely have both Boyd’s faithful clientele and more casual readers of his output speeding - mouth agape - to its tense conclusion.
