In Gabriel’s Moon by William Boyd a trip to Congo and an unexpected interview with the president throws travel writer Gabriel Dax into a maelstrom of espionage and counterespionage. Congo’s president is assassinated soon after the interview and Gabriel possesses, unknowingly, information that reveal the perpetrator and the sinister geo-political game that lies behind. For reasons I can’t explain, I’ve never read anything by William Boyd. It’s clearly been my loss.
Upon his return to London from Congo, Gabriel is approached by a mysterious, smartly dressed woman called Faith Green from the innocuous sounding Institute of Developmental Studies. Faith would like him to travel to Spain, buy a drawing from an artist and bring it to another person. Smelling a rat, Gabriel only reluctantly agrees, spurred on by a combination of money trouble and curiosity. Before he knows it, he’s under the spell of Faith and a runner for the MI6.
From here the story twists and turns with layers upon layers of deception and surprises. It all works as Boyd is not only a glorious wordsmith but in absolute control of the of the story. There’s a strong sense of place. 1960’s ‘dull and drizzly’ London, in particular, stands out from the page. A long-lost, slightly shabby, Chelsea with carpet clad restaurants serving ‘cod and chips’ and all-day helpings of ‘Full English’ breakfast. As in many spy novels there’s a lot of traveling going on. We visit frosty, behind-the-Iron-Curtain Warsaw with concrete housing projects painted in pastel hues and the ill-lit narrow streets of Cadiz. Boyd is a well-travelled author, and it shows.
A traumatic episode in Garbiel’s childhood runs in parallel to the spy story, setting the context for his restless, vagabond-like existence and a future series of spy thrillers which I’ll happily read.
Gabriel’s Moon by William Boyd is published by Viking, 272 pages.