I really enjoyed the author’s debut Tangerine and loved Palace of the Drowned even more so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read The Continental Affair, set in 1960s Europe.
The author really excels at suspenseful and atmospheric writing and she does not disappoint here. However I felt that the storyline was far weaker than in her previous novels and together with the uneven pacing I found this a slow read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

I think this is my least favourite book by Christine Mangan, it's not bad by any means but it definitely didn't do what i expected it to. The story was interesting and written well but i think it could have been told in a better way in places. I liked both of the main characters and i liked how they developed over the story with clear progression and growth. Were this book didn't work for me was the pacing as i found it too inconsistent and i need of a bit of evening out. I would read another by Mangan as this hasn't put me off but i wouldn't re-read this again.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this new novel.

This one was not for me, it was two very dislikable protagonists (which I don't care for) and a lot of descriptions. I'm sure other people will think it's great though!

I enjoyed Tangerine, the authors previous novel and was delighted to receive an arc of The Continental Affair. However, although atmospheric and capturing the time period well, the pace of the narrative let the story down and I failed to finish.

Thanks to netgalley for providing this advanced copy for the purpose of review.

This was a well written atmospheric read. I felt it was a little drawn out for me and I found myself losing a little interest.

I wanted to love this book because I really enjoyed Tangerine. However, I just couldn't get into it. The two main characters are intriguing, and the writing is beautiful, but I felt like the repetition of the scenes from both their points of view slowed the pace down so much that I just couldn't immerse myself in the storyline, and I found myself flicking through to get to a 'new' section.

I would highly recommend other work by Christine Mangan, but this one wasn't for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book

Having previously enjoyed reading Christine Morgan's novel Tangerina with great pleasure, I was eagerly awaiting her latest novel The Continental Affair.

Two strangers, bound together by a bizarre twist of fate, travelling criss-cross around Europa. Both want the money back, yet both for different reasons.
I loved the vicious, brooding Hitchcockian atmosphere in the novel, it reminded me a bit of Eric Ambler's novels - which I have always enjoyed reading.

Exciting and incredibly well written, for fans of Hitchcock and Eric Ambler.

5 stars for me and highly recommended!

This was a slow paced dual time narrative story, told from the perspectives of Henri and Louise.

Louise is running away from her home life who happens upon money meant for Henri, and Henri who is questioning his life as a criminal. Henri decides to follow Louise to get his money back.

Set across Europe in the 1960’s, this book has been described in various ways including glamorous and atmospheric- it is both!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for my eARC

DNF at 50%

If I was to describe The Continental Affair in just one phrase I would say: "Atmospheric writing but boring story!" Lol!

Louise and Henri stories are both fascinating in their own individuality. 2 conflicting souls exploring their inner demons and coming to terms with who they truly are. Louise trying to accept her own inner person, her urges and desires after having to conform for so long, in the true British fashion of being who you are expected to be rather than yourself. Henri fighting the never ending battle, afflicting many second generation emigrants, of belonging to 2 different cultural entities but not feeling fully one or the other.

But their coming together is so pushed, so unrealistic that I really struggled to see it as anything else than a way to just write another novel. On top of that, the dual point of view of the same situation was beyond boring. While we do get little different details when both characters go over a scene, ultimately it's very little difference to keep the reader engaged. I was curious where the story was going( I was suspecting a love story, maybe?) but I couldn't put up with the boringness of the narrative, sorry!

Meet Henri and Louise, two damaged strangers travelling on the famous train route from Paris to Istanbul.
A chance meeting between two strangers leads to their fates being entwined.
Both are running, Louise is running from her past in England, from the owners of the money she has stolen.
Henri is the person who has been sent to collect it, he follows Louise, desperate to leave behind his own troubles.
In a twisty game of cat and mouse, Henri and Louise must decide what the future will hold and whether it involves each other.
It’s an action packed historical mystery, full of glamour and intrigue, stylish and atmospheric.
You’re vividly transported back to 1960s Europe, loved the insights into the European countries, the food and the imagery on their journey, the author really created the sense of place.
Perfect holiday read, especially if you’re off to Europe.
Thanks @christinemangan, @bedfordsquarepublishers & @netgalley for the eARC

This is a cat and mouse story that is both intriguing and exciting to read.. Louise is running away from her situation at home and has stolen a large sum of money and Henri needs to get it back. We follow the two of them on train journeys trying to outwit each other. It’s a adventure story and as the reader, never really sure what’s going on. There is an Agatha Christie vibe to the novel which adds to the atmosphere. It’s flips back and forth in time so we gradually piece together the story. The novel is set in the 1960s and you certainly feel like you are in this time period. It’s an incredibly atmospheric novel . Henri obviously has feelings for Louise and this has consequences for him . I enjoyed this novel especially the descriptions of places and a satisfactory ending.

In my opinion, after reading this novel, I would say that it can be categorized into two distinct parts. Personally, I found the latter half of the book to be more captivating and enjoyable compared to the first. The initial portion felt slightly clumsy and confusing, which made it a bit harder to become fully immersed in the plot.

However, the book did have some redeeming qualities. The relationship between the two main characters was beautifully portrayed, and I found myself rooting for them as their journey progressed. Additionally, the various cities and places they visited were brought to life with vivid descriptions and intricate details.

Overall, while I would still recommend this book, I do wish that the earlier pages were more engaging and captivating. I believe that with a stronger start, this book could have been an even more enjoyable read.

I thoroughly enjoyed Tangerine and eagerly anticipated delving into another work by the author. However, The Continental Affair left me somewhat disappointed. Although it is beautifully written, with atmospheric portrayals of various cities and intricately developed, flawed protagonists, I found the frequent shifts between timelines confusing and the repeated revisiting of certain events became monotonous. Overall, regrettably, the story struggled to keep my attention, ultimately turning the act of reading into a burdensome task, and I gave up at 65%.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
The Continental Affair
by Christine Mangan

If you are hankering for some armchair travel this summer, look no further than this cat and mouse chase across 1960s Europe with all the glamour, romance and mystique of the famous Paris to Istanbul rail route.

Two strangers on a train, she, laden with secrets, the least of which, the loot from her accidental heist, He, charged with apprehending her and recovering the stash, carrying the scars of colonialism and in search of his own national identity.

From the orange scented coast of Algeria to the murderous streets of Paris, and from loneliness and repression in England to the magnificence of the Alhambra, onwards through the cobbled streets of Belgrade and the souks of Istanbul, this is a perfect summer adventure. Prepare your appetite for a mezze of culinary treats.

I love a story that teaches me something about events that I should already know, but somehow missed. In this case, it's not explored, but the suggestion of the violent reaction of the French police to a peaceful demonstration by Algerian French nationals to their repression, sent me down the rabbit hole, and I feel deeply affected by what I discovered about the Paris Massacre of 1961. The author treats it with a light enough hand to set the context without sacrificing the romance and intrigue of the core story.

With easy writing this should have mass appeal and would make a fantastic airport grab.

Publication date: 3rd August 2023
Thanks to #netgalley and #bedfordsquare for the eGalley

In my late teens I spent a month travelling across Europe. It was an intoxicating experience of overnight trains and forming intense, but transient bonds with fellow travellers. We swapped life stories, played cards and ate picnics of bread and jam together. Each new encounter was a chance to show a slightly different side to myself and to be free of expectations though I soon realised that any insecurities and flaws I had would stay with me whichever train I took.

The protagonists of The Continental Affair by Christine Mangan are trying to outrun far more than teenage insecurities. The novel’s focus is fixed tightly on these two damaged people, trying to outrun their pasts as they journey by train from France, to Madrid, Belgrade and Instanbul. The story switches between Henri from Algeria and the woman he is pursuing: Louise, a bereaved young English woman. Other characters make an appearance in their story and slowly the truth of their pasts and of their current situations is revealed. It’s a dark, noir thriller with a somewhat detached and claustrophobic feel, which made it seem somewhat old-fashioned in style and also made it less engaging than I expected. It explores the characters’ interior worlds, their thoughts as they weigh up their choices and consider the paths that they might take. This style of writing could be a nod to Jean Rhys and Marguerite Duras (both of whom are referenced), which readers accustomed to novels from that period may enjoy.

For me, I suspect that a long European train journey would have been a more appropriate reading environment than snatched five minutes here and there. It was a bit slow at times but I loved the immerse and filmic quality of the writing.

One to read on holiday abroad, with no interruptions and a supply of strong coffee.

Henri chases Louise across Europe, ostensibly to retrieve money she has taken from him but in reality, because he is captivated by her. They play cat and mouse across the continent, until they subsequently both become prey.

I enjoyed the romance of this novel - the train journeys and the exotic locations were very evocative of Agatha Christie, who is referenced in the plot. However I did feel that the location details were hammered home at times to the detriment of the story. It felt as though the author had done extensive travelling research for this novel and was determined not to waste any of her notes - but pages of detail of a meal in Belgrade, or of the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul do little to advance the story. The before and after narrative structure didn't always work since there wasn't enough plot development to distinguish between them = before (on a train/ in a hotel) so often resembled after (also on a train/ in a hotel). The character of Louise was too sketchy to evoke sufficient sympathy, which would have helped me to engage more with the story.

All in all, it kept me interested and would make a good movie, but was somewhat unsatisfying as a novel.

Christine Mangan is a master of suspense. A sexy, sultry, escapist thriller - perfect for the pool when you want to be challenged just a touch.

Oozing old fashioned glamour, this is the cat and mouse story of Louise, who stumbles upon a small fortune, and Henri, who wants it back.

I enjoyed the second half of this novel more than the first, for no other reason than than the pace picks up a bit. The prose is beautiful throughout.

This is a sophisticated, sexy, slow burn; understated and luxurious at the same time . The chase spans a variety of beautiful locations, including from Spain to Paris before racing to its climax in Istanbul.

It reminded me so much of The Talented Mr Ripley and To Catch a Thief; it would make a fabulous adaptation.

This is for me a novel of two halves. I enjoyed the second half much more than the first which to me felt clumsy and confusing. The relationship between the two protagonists was beautifully drawn and the cities and places came to life. So I would definitely recommend it but wish it had been a bit more compelling in the earlier pages.

The book charts a chase between Henry and Lou across Europe, as Henry pursues Lou to retrieve what Lou stole from his gang, though Granada, Paris and Istanbul.

What should have been an easy job turns much harder for Henry, as feelings for each other and attempts to come to terms with both their pasts complicate matters.

The denouement rushes towards the reader, at the speed of the Orient Express, as the reader wonders whether it is just possible that they can a) survive and b) be together.