Another great story from William Boyd, does he ever write a bad book? I don't think so.

Set in the early 1960's, against a background of countries seeking independence in Africa and the Cuban missile crisis, this is a great spy novel which really sucks you into the story. There are double and triple bluffs, and twists and surprises right until the last paragraph.

The main character Gabriel Dax, is well drawn, with many flaws, but you love him and want him to win out, does he do this eventually, you are left to make your own conclusions. Throughout the story he is well supported by other characters including his manipulating boss, the turned double agent and his brother.

This is an excellent spy story, well written and up there with the likes of John LeCarre for intrigue.

Set in the Cold War of the 60s, Gabriel is a travel writer with a tragic past. He is enlisted by the Intelligence Service as an occasional courier. He becomes infatuated with his female handler as his simple tasks lead to a world of intrigue and confusion. I love the author’s writing, but was slightly underwhelmed with this one. Normally characters are so fleshed out you feel they are almost family and you are sucked into powerful and expansive stories. But Gabriel is hard to like and makes some decisions that you, as the reader, find unrealistic and distracting. Likewise the plot has aspects that don’t work and the characters are not powerful enough to balance it.

The Reluctant Agent

Set in the 1960s Cold War era of heightened tensions between the US and the West against the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc, William Boyd’s 2024 gripping novel, “Gabrielle’s Moon“, recaptures the who-do-you-trust tension of spies, double agents and bewildered bystanders.

Under President Eisenhower the US was transforming from the World War II victory over Nazi fascism to establishing democracy as the way forward for other countries. Meanwhile Britain was still reeling from the uncovering of the Cambridge Five spy ring betraying Western secrets to the Soviets.

Not all emerging nations agreed with the democracy platform.

Against this backdrop in London Gabrielle Dax, a moderately successful travel writer, fresh with a successful book, “Dictatorland: Journeys through Autocracies” is recruited to interview Patrice Lumumba, head of the newly established independent Congo. His promising article is suppressed before publication just ahead of Lumumba’s assassination - without explanation.

Shortly thereafter, Gabrielle goes on a seemingly innocent errand to acquire a painting by a painter known as Blanco in Cadiz, Spain for his brother, Sefton Roscommon, a member of the British government. Before long, he meets the intriguing Faith Green with ties to US intelligence and the British Secret Service Head in Madrid, Christopher “Kit” Caldwell – both of whom will move in and out of his life at unexpected moments for the next few years.

As a counterpoint, Gabrielle has his own issues he is beset with and seeing therapist, Dr Katerina Haas, to work through and accept. Certain memories remain out of reach for him in his quest for anamnesis – “to recollect happenings – facts – that have preceded the symptoms you are experiencing“ - as Dr. Haas explains. Their visits make a nice counterpoint to the main story.

Without going into any more detail to avoid revealing too much, the novel’s pace gains increasing momentum with its twists toward the end – a story reminiscent of the works by the great John le Carre.

As the tale’s opening epigraph by Franz Kafka states: “From a certain point on, there is no turning back. This is the point that needs to be reached.”

Undoubtedly William Boyd's best ever book. Gabriel, a useful idiot traumatised by his childhood, is the central character of this slick and sexy novel. Into his life comes the enigmatic and independent Faith Green.
It confidently moves from location to location, like the best Bond movie.
Please, Mr Boyd, let this be the first of many novels featuring the brilliant Faith Green.

'He was like a man in an ever-widening, ever-vermiculated labyrinth, he decided, but one with no exit'.

Gabriel Dax, 30 something-year-old travel writer, based in London, tragically orphaned at 6 years old, lives pretty vanilla life, when his latest article takes him to the Congo. It's 1960 and Patrice Lumumba is the newly elected prime minister, and although Dax isn't a political journalist he's been asked to tape an interview with Lumumba about Congo's newly found independence. Soon after, in fact, starting on the plane trip home, a series of odd events begin to unfold, 'How had this happened to him? How had his happy, unremarkable existence taken this swerve'? Dax becomes caught up within a web of espionage, but just like the elusive mouse, evading capture in his flat, Dax quickly sharpens his wits in this world of double-crossing, lies, and illusion, 'He wasn't going to be their useful idiot anymore'.

This was my first Boyd book, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Dax, the reluctant, whisky-loving spy and unwitting pawn. Full of Cold War fears and 60s flair, this story will keep many types of story lovers entertained.

'Writing stabilized thoughts; it allowed you to see connections that thoughts alone didn't'.

I am grateful to NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. 

‘Gabriel’s Moon’ is a new book by best-selling author Willian Boyd. It is a novel inspired by real events, the unseemly death of Congo politician Patrice Lumumba, in post-Colonial Belgium Congo in 1961.

As a back-story to the main plot, the book describes the difficult circumstances surrounding the upbringing of Gabriel, in the UK during the 1930s. Gabriel becomes a travel journalist and almost by chance, interviews Lumumba shortly before his death in 1961. The plot surrounds Gabriel’s coming-to-terms with his upbringing and the aftermath of Lumumba’s death which involves the participation or at least collusion and coverup by officials from various countries including Belguim, the US and the UK. The scenes in the book take place briefly in the Congo, but primarily in the early 1960s of London and Europe. As a back-drop, the Cold War casts a shadow over these events.

The author builds the scenes, Africa, Europe and in particular London with considerable detail using various descriptions and props. London in the 1960s is ‘swinging’ of course. Also carefully portrayed is the culture, the clothing and the habits of the British ‘Class’ system. After a while, these efforts become repetitive, a little tedious and distracting. British fashions from the 1960s mean little to me and may resonate even less with younger or non-British readers. A Loden coat ? A Mulberry scarf ? Wimpy ? Pretty much every time someone has a drink, and it happens frequently, we get a full brand description including glass, ice and additives. Pints of beer for lower classes and more harder drinks for middle to upper classes. Food, perfume and lipsticks colours are treated in much the same way. Over-described, certainly defining ‘Class’ but adding little to the characters or atmosphere.

The plot, or more correctly, overlapping plots, are complex, often involving the motives and actions of shadowy types from various Government agencies. Several scenes portrayed or referenced mirror real Cold War events from the 1960s. Weapon mishaps, double-agents, defections. But it’s all a little predictable, a little contrived and too fantastic. Too many colourful character who ultimately come across as well-worn clichés.

It is difficult to identify or sympathise with the main protagonist Gabriel, the journalist who interviewed Lumumba. Gabriel acquired certain knowledge from the interview which has inadvertently caused him to become embroiled in a dangerous, shadowy world which is a little more sordid and morally ambiguous that his usual occupation.

I find Gabriel to be self-centred, pompous, superior and condescending. He is especially thoughtless and seemingly uncaring towards his working-class girlfriend and another young woman character. Maybe this is intended to be related to an unfortunate childhood event ? Perhaps so, but even then, it’s really doesn’t excuse his behaviour as an adult. Otherwise it is clumsy character-building. An upper middle-class pretentious snob, who smokes French cigarettes and drinks the best whiskey. I’m really not sure if the author intended to portray him as such an obnoxious character or perhaps hoped he would come across as some sort of 1960’s ‘activist’ with his heart and head in the right place.

An obsession which leads to a brief affair between the Gabriel and a glamorous and sophisticated character doesn’t ring true, given what we know about them both. Although possible, it is an odd distraction which adds little to the plot, the characters or their actions. There is another scene where Gabriel commits an act pretty close to treason. The author attempts to imbue him with courage and morality.

“He knew he had done the right thing…”.

I suspect many readers will disagree and see this as another misguided act from a naive and impressionable young man. Someone a bit dim, a bit creepy and certainly petulant.

Ultimately, after a lot of dining, smoking, drinking and unlikely plot-twists, the story concludes. Given the author’s reputation, it is an unsatisfying read with clichéd characters, unbelievable plot twists and predictable conclusions. The author has achieved many awards and accolades for his books over the years. I intend to visit some of his earlier works as the often exotic locations and contemporary events provide a great background for an entertaining novel.

I will add a closing note. Having read ‘Gabriel’s Moon’, my interest in the Cold War has been stimulated, in particular the events surrounding the death of Patrice Lumumba, the aftermath being the catalyst driving the main plot. I recall a recommendation by The Economist as one of their best books from 2023. ‘The Lumumba Plot: The Secret History of the CIA and a Cold War Assassination’ by Stuart A. Reid.

Gabriel's Moon is a thoughtful novel which harks back to classic spy thrillers. As a reader you have no additional insight into the trustworthiness (or otherwise) of the people Dax encounters, adding to the tension as you're drawn deeper into the plot.
There's an authenticity in the telling of Dax's meeting with Patrice Lumumba and the Congo situation and as a travel writer and journalist he is the perfect "useful idiot" for this tale.
Dax's childhood trauma and his search for answers gives another interesting element to the story and leads to his sessions with a psychiatrist, his lack of commitment in relationships and possibly his heavy drinking!
Unfortunately I found that Boyd's female characters lack much depth - Dax encounters several interesting women throughout the book and it would have been preferable to have their characters fleshed out rather than just as devices to propel the plot along. I'm sure I'm not the only reader vexed by Boyd's frequent use of obscure vocabulary. I found it gets in the way of losing oneself in the plot. These are just small quibbles on what was otherwise a very satisfying read.
Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy to review.

An adventure in perfectly written form. This was a joy to read and it makes me happy that this was my first William Boyd book and I have so many more to read.

This is William Boyd’s best book yet with many storyline tentacles stretching in different, intriguing directions. I gave the book the following SCORE:
Setting: Britain, Cadiz, Warsaw, 1936 and 1961
Characters: Gabriel Dax is the perfect reluctant spy – a self-declared “useful idiot” - who allows himself to be placed in seemingly innocuous projects that quietly turn into something much more. He is surrounded by a cast of strong, intelligent women who, for better or worse, lead him into unexpected territory.
Overview of plot: Dax is a writer of travel books and, with that perfect cover, is used by MI6 operatives to perform easy, harmless communications with foreign agents. He is also haunted by the perception that his small globe moon light caused the fire that burned his house down and killed his mother when he was 6 years old. His analyst, his MI6 handler, his lower-class girlfriend, and other supporting characters lead him down multiple engaging paths and make this book a treasure.
Recommendation: 5 stars and a full recommendation
Extras: A few simple things set this book, and Boyd’s writing in general, above others: chapter titles, which are always welcome and add to the story’s enjoyment and a few words (not condescendingly introduced) sprinkled in that require looking up and possibly add to readers’ vocabulary
Thanx to NetGalley and Atlantic Monthly Press for the opportunity to provide this candid review.

Here things had been going so well for me with William Boyd’s otherwise resolutely unsentimental thriller, “Gabriel’s Moon,” when, in a final-page departure, the novel abandoned the uncompromisingly realistic tone that it had been striking earlier and ended on a note of enduring romantic love.
Or that was my takeaway, anyway, from a reunion of two characters which, with their history, I’d thought might well end not in the promising way it does but in the sort of chilling way that concludes another novel of roughly the same period, Newton Thornburg’s “Cutter and Bone.”
Granted, Thornburg’s book was situated in the post-Vietnam period and Boyd’s several years earlier, but the same sort of imperialist impulse, be it with the Congo in Boyd’s novel or Vietnam in Thornburg's, is at the heart of both books, with Boyd’s perhaps the more personally relevant for me, with its being situated in a time when I was a senior in high school and, particularly with a course I was taking in international relations, just coming to awareness of the machinations of the Cold War.
Vividly evocative Boyd’s novel was for me of that early ’60s time, and not just with the situation in the Congo, but also with the Bay of Pigs fiasco, which took the bloom off the rose for many of us of the Kennedys’ Camelot, and the Cuban Missile Crisis, which had us all saying our prayers for the threat of Soviet missiles headed our way.
Also unsparingly realistic is the novel’s registration of possible U.S. complicity in the death of the Congo’s Patrice Lumumba as well as its intimation of possible U.S. involvement in Guatemala, both of which are signaled by the novel’s most interesting character for me, MI6 operative Faith Green, whom almost despite himself the main character, Gabriel, finds himself attracted to.
Certainly much more interesting she is for him than the current woman in his life, who while sexually satisfying isn’t nearly as overall alluring as Faith. Indeed, something of a heterosexual literary male’s dreams Faith is, with her erotic charge given added voltage by her overall mysteriousness, including her having been captured and tortured during the war and her being the instigator of the novel’s action by sending Gabriel on mysterious art-buying trips to Spain and Warsaw.
So intriguing a character, indeed, is Faith that to my mind she could easily have been the centerpiece of the novel. But in the end she’s given disappointingly little yardage in an otherwise pretty standard spy novel which for all its intriguing disclosures – apparently not so dire the threat we’d thought, those Soviet missiles – suffers from the usual improbabilities and artifice of the genre.
Also, there’s a secondary plot with the main character’s mother having died in a fire which looked to be connected to the main plot, though I never did fully make the connection. And there’s an occasional excess of prose, such as when Gabriel, in trying to make sense of his situation, thinks of himself as being in a “vermiculated” labyrinth or when, just a few pages later, he finds something “rebarbative” about another character.
Overall, though, for all my nits, a satisfyingly entertaining read, Boyd’s novel, especially whenever Faith is on stage, and a reproach to the sentiment of some today who would have it that the ’50s and early ’60s, with their “Father Knows Best” and “Leave it to Beaver” image, were a better time than our own.

Wow! What an exciting novel! I read the entire thing today. A spy thriller set in the early 1960s is not the type of book I would normally choose, but I am so glad I requested a copy from NetGalley (thank you!). Boyd’s writing is superb; I felt like I was there with Gabriel, a travel writer with a traumatic past who becomes a spy. I loved it!

This was an enjoyable novel overall - I loved all of the different settings all over the world, and the espionage aspects of it were fascinating. I did find Gabriel to be a bit irritatingly obtuse at times, and I thought that he seemed rather unaffected by the loss of life in his adventures.