I loved William Boyd’s cold-war thriller ‘Gabriel’s Moon’, and this, the next in the series, is equally as enthralling. It’s 1963 and Gabriel Dax is still trying to keep many different plates spinning. He’s a travel writer and a journalist (working for a left leaning periodical), but he’s also something of an accidental spy – doing undercover work for MI6. He’s also in an off-again-on-again relationship with his handler, Faith Green. And when Green asks him to visit Guatemala, under the guise of interviewing a charismatic presidential candidate, Dax once again finds himself caught up in a plot that will eventually lead him to Berlin where a certain John F. Kennedy is due to give a speech to thousands. Boyd deftly balances skulduggery and thrills with interesting side plots (including Dax’s feud with another author), and although it’s not essential to read ‘Gabriel’s Moon’ to enjoy ‘The Predicament’ I would heartily recommend that you do so – it’s fab. RM

Published by Viking