William Boyd is the writer of a generation, and I was so excited to see Gabriel's Moon available for review! It's classic Boyd - moving, pacy and full of mystery. It reminded me of Graham Green, John Le Carre and Patricia Highsmith - a classic, spy thriller. As in Boyd's other novels, I thought the addition of Gabriel's family history was particularly moving and I enjoyed how the story unfurled.

Gabriel Dax is the first person narrator, a semi-successful travel writer who has persistent insomnia due to a tragedy in his past, who is drawn into the shady world of 1960s espionage. An accidental spy who is nevertheless surprisingly good at the job.

Of a certain class, but slightly outside it, he has a relationship with a young woman who works in a Wimpy Bar, drinks like a fish (as it seems most of the middle/upper classes did in the 60s if he is to be believed) and has Sunday lunch in the home counties with his brother Sefton, who works for one of the government intelligence agencies. He sometimes does small favours for Sefton when he is travelling abroad researching his books and this, along with an enigmatic woman, is what starts him off as a baby spy.

It is a gripping read and funny too. The extracts from Gabriel's travel books are hilariously over-written and his long-running feud with a mouse in his flat both mirrors and mocks some of his own antics.

I would definitely recommend this - Boyd's assurance and skill as a writer carries us along and I read the book in a day as it's such a page turner.

Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a review copy.

What’s not to like? Great character's, plot, history, politics, humour and full of the “full plum pudding”.