A 2009 response to the “war on terror”, set in Hamburg amidst the machinations of German, British and American intelligence services. A very good novel – exciting plot, and truly credible and sympathetic characters: makes you grab it at every spare moment to read a few more pages. In the night as well. SPOILER The ending is powerful and dark, but / and (choose your word depending on whether you think it’s a strength or not) lacking the complex dénouement I’d been expecting. No rabbits from sleeves, sudden unmaskings or unfairly late information – just the bloody Americans.
Update 28/8/2011: just watched “Page Eight”, a recent BBC TV film with Bill Nighy, Michael Gambon & Rachel Weisz, which shares many characteristics: the Americans as the bad-guys, and an older man on-the-way-out falling for and risking all to help a younger woman fighting for a victim of injustice.