Published By: Viking
Pages: 320
Released On: 03/09/2026
Gabriel Dax is on route to Russia, tasked with delivering a mysterious Blanco drawing to celebrated defector, Kit Caldwell. But Caldwell is convinced that the KGB suspects him of treachery and he wants to get out – now.
When Gabriel is ordered by his enigmatic handler Faith Green to help, he is pulled into a web of shifting loyalties and dangerous escape plans. As tensions rise and trust fractures, he is forced to confront the fine line between devotion and deception. But which will he choose?
*****
Thanks to NetGalley and Viking for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
I LOVE this series, starting with Gabriel’s Moon and then The Predicament.
The spy genre is not one I’ve ever really read much of, but this series has been a revelation. Whether it’s because of Boyd’s storytelling ability and his fabulous characters, I don’t know, but the espionage part is almost background because it’s such an exquisite study of human nature.
I love how he’s planted this fictional story in real life, in true events, as it keeps the story grounded and makes it more real. I don’t know much about this era so I can’t say how accurate it is but it feels rooted in history. I find that really impressive, especially as it still sounds like a novel and not a travel guide.
The UK/USSR connection increased the peril. The USSR fell about 18 months before I was born so I don’t have any lived experience of it. But there’s always been this undercurrent of fear around them that there just isn’t with other countries, and I think Boyd has got that just right.
What I did like about it is how much time he takes describing things, even the most mundane things, explaining every aspect of Gabriel’s outfit or what he’s eating. This might be too slow for some readers but I think it’s okay. This series is a mixture of fast paced and slower bits which balances nicely, and I think those more intimate passages bring us closer to the characters. I will say this has more slower parts than longer and whilst I think he’s managed that balance – just – it was much slower than the others.
What I like is it’s not all espionage. We go through Gabriel’s everyday routine, his relationships, and his work as a writer. He is one of those characters that I think you’ll either love or be bored by. He’s a bit haphazard, lovestruck, and yet relatable. He seems up for anything but I don’t think any of it is his choice. But I really like him. He feels normal, like the everyman who got caught up in something bigger than him. He’s flawed, he drinks more than he should, and he sleeps with whatever woman takes his fancy. He should be utterly unlikeable but it is this very human nature that I love so much.
You’ve got the old characters which adds a level of familiarity and continuity, but we also get new ones which keeps it fresh.
Some sequels can be read as standalones. This is not one of them. Each book might have a slightly different main storyline, but the undercurrent of the books and characters flow through all three and you will most definitely be at a disadvantage just reading this one.
It’s not like James Bond, it’s not full-on action from the first to last page. There are elements of that, but it’s more of a genteel spy novel, but no less tense. But it has the bits you expect from an espionage story – action, death, violence, romance, globetrotting, money.
I’m not sure how long this series will go on for – or should go on for – but it’s one of the best I’ve read and I always recommend it.
Books By Your Bedside 