Gabriel’s Moon – William Boyd

Published By: Viking
Pages: 320
Released On: 05/09/2024

Gabriel Dax is a young man haunted by the memories of a tragedy: every night, when sleep finally comes, he dreams about his childhood home in flames. His days are spent on the move as an acclaimed travel writer, capturing the changing landscapes in the grip of the Cold War. When he’s offered the chance to interview a political figure, his ambition leads him unwittingly into a web of duplicities and betrayals.

As Gabriel’s reluctant initiation takes hold, he is drawn deeper into the shadows. Falling under the spell of Faith Green, an enigmatic and ruthless MI6 handler, he becomes ‘her spy’, unable to resist her demands. But amid the peril, paranoia and passion consuming Gabriel’s new covert life, it will be the revelations closer to home that change the rest of his story. . .

*****

Thanks to NetGalley and Viking for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.

I could squeal with excitement about this book! I love William Boyd’s work and this latest book has been on my wishlist ever since I heard about it and so I am thrilled to be able to read an early copy of it.

William’s way of writing, his way of storytelling is second to none. I have read hundreds of books in my life, hundreds and hundreds, probably even thousands, from new authors to old authors, across genres. And there are some that I love, some that are brilliant, special books that I constantly recommend. But none come close to the way William depicts human feeling.

It really does start with a bang. The first chapter is set in 1936 and it’s heartbreaking frrom the off and bodes well for the rest of the book.

It’s not a thrill, it’s not a crime, not romance, not fantasy – although it does have elements of all of them – it’s very real literary fiction. And that can often mean difficult and a bit dry to read. But somehow he’s managed to make it just as addictive as a fast paced thriller novel.

It is intense, I won’t like. It’s a heavy story, but it never feels like a slog. It’s not for the faint of heart, it’s not for someone looking for a light read, because that’s not what you get. But it’s worth it for William’s expert writing.

Okay, bear with me on this point I’m trying to make. My most read genres are probably fantasy or thriller. And I’m not saying they’re easy to write, obviously they’re not. If they were, then everyone would be publishing one. So don’t think I’m belittling them at all. I absolutely love them. But I imagine that having books with dragons or elves or murder in would immediately be gripping, just for the excitement of those elements. Whereas a book about “normal” things (although you probably wouldn’t call espionage normal), can be difficult to make exciting as there aren’t twists and turns or tense crime scenes or fantasy creatures etc. And so I admire William all the more for making the relatively everyday as exciting and gripping as if it was full of romance and battles and crime and fairies.

I’ve said before how much I love William’s writing, but if it was just based on the plot I might have passed this by. Espionage, spies, MI5 etc. just aren’t really my thing. But if you’re like me, you need to ignore that. Otherwise you will miss out on reading a glorious story and a masterclass on human emotion.