William Boyd is an autobuy writer for me. He understands masterfully to transport you back in time with his descriptive writing, interesting characters and intense storylines. In 'Predicament' we meet Gabriel Dax again, the writer and accidental spy. This is the second part of a planned trilogy which is set in 1963 and takes Gabriel from London to Guatemala and eventually Berlin, right in the middle of the Cold War. Gabriel has his hands full juggling the MI6, CIA, KGB and his love life which all makes for compulsive reading.
This is a very entertaining and beautifully written spy thriller, perfect for all fans of diction set during the Cold War.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Viking Books UK for the ARC.

This is the second book in a trilogy featuring Gabriel Dax, an accidental spy and now a double agent. At the end of the first in the series (Gabriel’s Moon) I was left wondering what would be happening next in Gabriel’s life, and at last I know. If anything, I enjoyed the second book even more than I enjoyed the first which for me was a 5* read. Gabriel is now not so much of an accidental spy, he seems more willing to take on assignments, not least for the money and other benefits, such as the international travel which conveniently ties in with his career as a travel writer.

I have my suspicions about who is betraying Gabriel, and I hope that I shall not have to wait too long for the final book in order to find how how wrong I am.

This is the second novel of a planned trilogy which began with Gabriel’s Moon – the story of travel writer Gabriel Dax whose little trips abroad researching locations to write about have become conveniently put to use by MI6. We’re in 1960s Britain, so there’s the Cold War going on, JFK’s the president of America, and as always, there’s a difficult political problem somewhere in the world for MI6 to poke its nose into.

Gabriel has never wanted to be a spy. He’s a successful writer, publishing popular books that earn him a respectable living. When we catch up with him at the start of The Predicament, his MI5 handler, Faith Green, who Gabriel’s a little bit in love with, has got him acting as a double agent, meeting up with a Russian counterpart and accepting bribes in return for information. He’s not happy about this, but the money has helped him buy a country cottage where he can forget about the shadier side of his life and pretend he’s just a writer.

With another couple of chapters in his Rivers book to write, Gabriel is sent off to Guatemala to interview a presidential hopeful in a country plagued by unrest. He’s posing as a writer again, so again it’s convenient for MI6, but nothing quite goes to plan and Gabriel can’t help feeling he’s not being fed enough information. This doesn’t stop him from making acute observations, particularly about potential CIA involvement.

The Guatemala sojourn is interesting in that it describes the way political interests of American businesses and the Mafia hold sway. You also get the benefit of Gabriel’s expertise as a travel writer in the descriptions of the setting. But before long he’s off again, to West Berlin this time, where JFK is about to make his famous “Berliner” speech and an assassination plot has been hinted at. So we really are in the thick of the period, of history being made, with Gabriel a bit-part player.

‘Their job is to look for traitors in the British security services – MI6, MI5, the Foreign Office, the army, the navy, etcetera – looking for double agents,’ he said. ‘They call them “termites”.’
‘Termites?’
“Just a slang word. A word they use among themselves.’
‘Termites. I must remember this.’
Gabriel suddenly realized that, in fact, Varvara Suvorina, and indeed the KGB, probably knew everything about the Institute. ‘Termites’ was the only piece of information that intrigued her. So why, he asked himself, had he been set this redundant task? Was it indeed some kind of test, as Faith had suggested? If he had lied or claimed not to know much about the Institute would they begin to suspect him?

Through all this, Gabriel is emerging as quite a good spy even if he is reluctant to get his hands dirty. He’s observant, can think on his feet, and thanks to Faith Green and her cohorts at “the Institute”, has learned not to take everything at face value. He’s even getting quite good at self-defence. But Gabriel is also self-aware and constantly examining his feelings, not only about the spy business, but also about himself as a man. When it comes to women, he can’t help feel that he should be looking elsewhere, but Faith Green seems to have him on a string.

Pulling off the second book in a trilogy can be tricky, but William Boyd has made The Predicament work at least as well as Gabriel’s Moon, with plenty of tension, some exciting action scenes, and Boyd’s wonderfully crafted prose to enjoy. There are some amusing more worldly characters who contrast nicely with Gabriel’s sensitive writerly persona – such as Ulsterman Sergeant Major Begg who teaches him self-defence and his old lock-picking mate Tyrone who does the odd “no questions asked” job for Gabriel from time to time.

As, Gabriel gets so much better at being a competent agent, you can only wonder if this will be his lot in life. We’ll have to wait until Book 3 to find out. I have a feeling Boyd will ramp things up even more and bring out some excellent twists. I can’t wait. The Predicament is a four-star read from me.

The Predicament is due for publication on 4 September – I read an advance copy courtesy of Netgalley.

The Predicament is the second in the Gabriel Dax trilogy and our reluctant spy is back but is no less reluctant than before. (I would advise reading Gabriel's Moon before reading this.)

We join the book in 1963. Gabriel is working on the last of his Rivers locations when he is contacted by Faith Green. This time he is being sent to Guatamala to interview an influential presidential candidate. However nobody seems to be telling Gabriel the full story and, while he has to pieces together on a trip to Berlin for himself, he comes into contact with rogue CIA agents and Mafia men intent on disrupting the world's political landscape.

I can't help feeling sorry for Gabriel. MI6 seem to throw him into all sorts of dangerous situations but, since he'd do anything for Faith Green, he only has himself to blame when he comes a cropper. More complications arrive in the shape of a man accusing him of plagiarism and his ex-girlfriend, Lorraine. Sometimes, Gabriel simply doesn't know who to trust, which could mean fatal mistakes as he becomes part of the CIA operation to keep John F Kennedy safe during his landmark visit to Berlin.

I really enjoy the gentle nature of this series. It's certainly not Le Carre. Gabriel is a really engaging character who seems happy to be used by Faith even as he's trying to escape from his obsession with her. The situations he finds himself seem to come out of nowhere and one minute he's researching for his book while the next he's trying to find an assassin. For some reason I imagine a lot of Cold War spies bumbling around like this, suspecting treachery everywhere.

I'm really looking forward to the final part of this trilogy. I hope it comes sooner rather than later.

Thankyou very much to Netgalley and Penguin General UK for the advance review copy. Most appreciated.

More formulaic than expected from Boyd. Gabriel outstays his welcome? 3.5 rating

Now, I am a huge admirer of Boyd, and also intensely fascinated by books, including novels, about espionage. Not the James Bond type, by the smaller, more ordinary end, rather than the glamour and glitz.

I loved the first outing in what I believe is a trilogy about the central character of this and the earlier book. Gabriel Dax. What I loved in that is what this lacks. Gabriel , in that first book, was a youngish man who fell into espionage activities without realising it. Far more central to the book was his unresolved tragedy, the death of his mother through a violent domestic fire, when Gabriel was a young child. The early trauma had understandably left him emotionally scarred and guilt ridden, as the fire was apparently started by the candle lit night light little Gabriel could not sleep without. He had become a man who could not settle and commit to relationships, attractive to women, but rather lost, rather passive. He had stumbled into becoming a freelance travel writer, and also had a complex, somewhat confusing relationship with his older brother. That book explored those past and present family dynamics and contained some genuine shocks and complexities.

Unfortunately, in this book, Gabriel, still protesting his unlikely espionage credentials, in nonetheless continuing. Inevitably more duplicitous, he is beginning to enjoy the derring-do, and seems to move a little closer to the high life. There are many recurring semi-jokes and tropes, around his susceptibility to developing fixations on his spymistress, and his being the object of other women’s fixations. He is now clearly a bon viveur, and there is a lot of repetition in quantity and detail about his quaffing. Ditto the on/off account of his psychotherapy encounters, which he has been having for some time to try and sort his childhood tragedy induced history of insomnia and nightmares. Ditto other running jokes about his various projected or completed travel books.

Unfortunately, there has been a move away from the exploration of character to something much more tongue in cheek, spoofy and a kind of too knowing playfulness from Boyd. He just seems a little too treading a well worn groove of his own making in this

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.

Another winner about the adventures of reluctant spy Gabriel Dax. Gabriel is a great character, his unease and impotent rage at being Faith's useful idiot is actually very funny as he grumbles and groans his way through his assignments when all he wants to do is pursue hie real life as a successful travel writer. You can just picture him ambling along, mostly thinking about his writing and seeming so innocent. Gabriel is always saying how inept he feels and yet, after a brief introduction to "artifice" he feels he is a born artificer.

I particularly enjoyed the scenes in Guatemala and as well as being great to read, it was educational because I knew next to nothing about the country and was not even aware that there had been a civil war. Poor old Gabriel, sent off to interview Padre Tiago, moaning about the vehicle swaps, secrecy and bag over his head without knowing that he was there under false pretences.

I would have liked more about Ishbel who was last heard of as being in Peru - maybe the next book, and I really hope there is one, will involve Peru and we will meet Ishbel again.

The Berlin events are good too and work out in a very surprising way. I would have liked to have known more about the conspiracy/coruption at high levels.

You can read this book as a standalone but the first book reveals how Gabriel got involved with Faith and her world in the first place and, if you haven't read it, I would thoroughly recommend it. Roll on book 3.

A very effectively written spy thriller, combining, once again, elements of Le Carre with a Ripley-esque vibe. In this second book, our accidental spy gets increasingly comfortable in his skin as a double agent. The plot is quite familiar to the previous book - the world is a dangerous place in the 1960s, developing countries face constant interventions from the KGB, MI6, and CIA (the latter, naturally, being quite nasty), and spies are constantly trying to outsmart each other.

The pacing is superb and the book overall is a lot of fun - it's hard to put down, and can be read in one go. There's nothing overly complex here, and the characters are interesting without being too deep and complicated, making it easy to follow and empathise. Where I struggled a bit was the unusual number of coincidences interspersed with seriously idiotic blunders by the protagonist that beggar belief, but do help move the plot along. I also feel like the book, if compared to Le Carre, is much more focused on the action (and sex!), vs the psychology of the protagonists and the socio-political underpinnings of the events in question. Albeit very different, I was reminded of some elements of Stieg Larsson's books, and felt some of the loose threads to be similarly worked into the plot.

I highly recommend to lovers of spy action novel lovers, and especially those who are fascinated by the spy community during the Cold War.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of the book in return for an honest review.

The Predicament by William Boyd
Having read Gabriel’s Moon I was looking forward to this new outing for Gabriel Dax and I was not disappointed. William Boyd is a brilliant writer and this sequel has all the intrigue and careful plotting of the previous novel. It is a delightful story of the reluctant spy and his new adventures are thrilling and entertaining.
Gabriel has moved to the countryside in the hopes of finding a little peace and quiet in which to continue with his writing and when a new book is commissioned there is a fly in the ointment in the form of the information that he is being sued for plagiarism.
He is receiving money from the Russians as a double agent and then spending this very openly as instructed by MI6. The Faith Green his erstwhile lover contacts him regarding a mission in Guatemala and his thoughts of a peaceful life are turned on their head. He is told it is a simple task to interview a possible new leader of the country but as Gabriel knows nothing is ever simple when the CIA and MI6 are involved.
Things go badly wrong in Guatemala and so Gabriel returns to England and is then sent off on another ‘mission’ to Berlin meanwhile he rekindles an old romance and continues to pour out his troubles to his psychiatrist. In the meantime, he comes up with an idea for another book whilst being amidst double dealing and assassination plots.
This is a brilliant novel set in the early 1960’s Cold War and although it could be read as a standalone you would miss a great deal by not reading Gabriel’s Moon. If you begin at the beginning you will have a much greater understanding of Gabriel’s motivations and of his complex relationship with the other characters. I have high hopes that there will be another outing for Gabriel Dax soon.
I loved this book and will be recommending it at all my various book groups. Many thanks to William Boyd, the publishers and to Net Galley for the opportunity to read the book in return for an honest review.

A further instalment of Gabriel Dax's adventures as a writer/ spy.
All readers will love Gabriel , he is a buffoon, but he is clever, he is scared but he is brave, he is a ladies man but thinks that he is in love a woman that he probably can't really have.
William Boyd has this knack of making his characters have two contrasting personalities in a totally believable way.
With the Dax books you get a taste of the world of adventure and also the world of writing and solitude.
As ever with William Boyd a must read book, especially if you have ever read one of the previous Gabriel Dax books.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A very enjoyable second book in the Dax series. Dax gets caught up working for MI5, CIA and even Russia as a supposedly double agent. While writing his travel books, he goes to Guatemala, Berlin and the US in search of information of a possible assassination attempt on JFK. The book ends quite suddenly with some questions unanswered so I think and hope there is another installment to come.

In this second novel of the series, Gabriel Dax, frazzled from his experience with his various spy handlers, moves from London to the countryside, hoping to resume his quieter life as a travel writer. However, he soon learns that once you’re in the life of subterfuge, there’s no escape. Set in the 1960s, this hugely entertaining novel is perfect escapism as it takes you on a nostalgic journey of Cold War Britain. It is also fast-paced, witty, populated with interesting characters and, for me, too short. I hope there’s a book three!

William Boyd knows how to write good books. which is a line that doesn't seem to be overly complimentary but trust me, there is nothing much beats someone who can give you really good books.
we are back with our detective. now, hes known or tries to portray to be this unwilling detective. buuut i think though doph protest too much Mr Gabe and i think you secretly love it.
i like how William adds a good mix of his own fiction work and ideas but also melds it together by adding truth points, reference points or some "truer" people.
the book has that detective we all like to follow. hes somehow cheeky and humorous but also completely capable and gets the job done. his little one liners have me smiling every time.
there is a light touch to Williams writing that makes even the heavier stuff seem totally palatable and like you are on some exciting adventure.
once again Gabe is taken on a journey for this book. hes got to figure out just whats what and of course he does so with his usual clever deductions and mystery busting brain work. and again somehow it feels workable for us mere mortals too.
i think as a series lover you like to read all the books but William gives plenty of fleshing out and history of the character to make it completely acceptable to join this book as you first Gabe book.
im always so impressed, especially at the moments when an author manages to weave political details into their books. its not something i would brave, its not something you can ever really do well to get the balance or distance from our own realities. so when someone does manage it and not make me want to avoid it i applaud it even more. and this book gave it to me in a way i could easily handle and be a step back from it so it was jarring to the realities of our own world problems.
another great book from a solid author.

William Boyd has again written a cracking spy novel featuring the unwilling Gabriel Dax. I say unwilling but in reality I think he likes the smorgasbord that life deals him, whether working on his latest novel, spying for MI6, KGB or the CIA. Most of all he likes the delicacy amongst the sandwiches, the one Faith Green his MI6 handler. In this novel is she starting to reveal her true persona to Gabriel? Gabriel seems somewhat besotted by her but is his love now being requited? Anyway, what's this novel about? Dirty dealings in Guatemala where he finds himself an unwitting catalyst in the assasination of a charismatic wannabe president. He detects an internecine squabble within the CIA which seems to follow him around and culminates in Berlin where JFK is in the crosshairs in the style of the late Frederick Forsyth's Day of the Jackal. Fortunately for JFK he gets to die another day courtesy of our plucky Gabriel Dax.
A thoroughly enjoyable linear read and I do hope William Boyd continues to write again of Mr Dax.

A thoroughly enjoyable read. William Boyd writes so well with a light touch yet maintains an ongoing sense of suspense throughout the story. It certainly helps to have read the previous book, Gabriel's Moon, but it is not essential. By setting it in 1963 he has been able to simplify the role of the spy. It never feels old fashioned or dated There are so many humorous, tongue in cheek moments that help give Gabriel his distinctive personality. Twists and turns and his constant on off relationship with Faith, keep the reader engaged..Definitely recommend The Predicament .

An excellent second outing for Gabriel Dax, travel writer and reluctant spy, this time sent to Guatemala and Berlin. It's 1963 and JFK makes his visit and infamous speech while Dax is on watch. Love the historical events, love the sauve Dax and looking forward to his next adventures.

Jumping into The Predicament without reading the first Gabriel Dax novel was a risk, but William Boyd made sure I wasn’t left in the dark—he drops just enough backstory to help new readers catch up without feeling completely lost.

The globe-hopping spy drama from Guatemala to West Berlin had me hooked, and I loved how Boyd weaves real-life figures like Kennedy and international events into his story.

That said, it's more like 3.75 than proper 4 starts, because some plotlines felt a bit like unfinished business or were there just to set up a next book rather than deepen this book’s story:
The Dax–Faith slow burn? Still unresolved. Dax's connection to the Soviets/KGB doesn’t add much to the immediate plot.

I also found a few details jarring or frustrating. Ishbel Dunbar’s storyline felt unfinished, the situation with Applegate didn’t quite make sense (was he happy over getting £100 when he demanded £5,000?), and the repeated line “Are you all right, Gabriel?” popped up so often it pulled me out of the moment.

Still, The Predicament is a stylish read full of Cold War twists and smart writing. If you’re into espionage that blends real history, it’s worth picking up—especially if you’ve met Gabriel Dax before.

Thanks to NetGalley & Penguin General UK for this book. This review is my honest reflection on the text provided.

Reluctant spy Gabriel Dax is back with a vengeance.

"The Predicament" is the second story about reluctant spy, Gabriel Dax. It opens in March 1963, some months after the events of "Gabriel's Moon". Gabriel has retreated to a cottage in East Sussex and is working on his latest book. However, he is still a man caught in a messy net - as well as working for MI6, he is also a double agent, working for Russia. When his contact asks him to provide information on Faith Green, he knows life is about to get even more complicated.

Quickly, Gabriel is drawn into another series of adventures, most of which are outside of his control. He is despatched to Guatemala by MI6, to interview a rising revolutionary, but when he is assassinated, resulting in a coup, it becomes clear that Gabriel is again a pawn in a larger game. Furthermore, his contacts in both MI6 and the CIA cannot be trusted, so he's on his own. What follows is a fast-moving and beautifully written adventure, set against the events of 1963 and JFK's efforts to promote his Presidency. If the ease by which Gabriel travels from Guatemala to New York, to Berlin seem unlikely, this is overshadowed by the many traps and pitfalls he experiences along the way. My only criticism is that the format follows very closely, that of the previous book (interview > assassination > chased by baddies / betrayed by friends) but it still makes for a fine read.

Fans will be pleased to know that Gabriel's therapist, Katerina Hass is still on the scene, as is his ex-girlfriend and her brother, while his relationship with Faith forms a nice sub-plot.

Readers of Gabriel's first adventure will enjoy his second outing. Once again, our sometimes naïve, sometimes highly astute and capable agent navigates his way through life, whilst knowing he is being manipulated by those behind the scenes. Unable to help himself, he moves from one situation to another, sometimes in control, often not. Gabriel is clearly a well-travelled man, at ease with the rigours of 1960's international travel. Once again real-life events are nicely woven into the story, with vivid depictions of revolutionary central America, and Cold War Europe. And there's a very nice thread concerning the CIA's attempts to shape history which I enjoyed.

While it's not necessary to have read the previous book, enjoying this second outing will be enhanced if you have. Thoroughly recommended

The Predicament
By William Boyd

3 Stars


Gabriel Dax, travel writer and accidental spy, is back in the shadows. Unable to resist the allure of his MI6 handler, Faith Green, he has returned to a life of secrets and subterfuge. Dax is sent to Guatemala under the guise of covering a tinderbox presidential election, where the ruthless decisions of the Mafia provoke pitch-black warfare in collusion with the CIA.

I love William Boyd’s work but this one missed the mark for me. I didn't like Gabriel Dax in his last offering and nothing in this edition has made me change my mind. It all seems very slow moving and stilted so not for me I'm afraid.

The Predicament is an intelligent and absorbing spy story that captures the political turbulence of 1963 with precision and intrigue. Gabriel Dax, a travel writer who doubles as a reluctant MI6 agent, finds himself caught once again in the dangerous interplay of espionage and international politics. Dispatched to Guatemala under the guise of journalism, he is tasked with monitoring a rising socialist priest whose potential election unsettles both the CIA and the powerful United Fruits corporation. When events escalate into assassination and unrest, Dax realises that his life as a writer cannot easily be separated from his life as a spy.

The story then moves to Berlin, where the Cold War backdrop and President Kennedy’s visit heighten the tension. Dax’s uneasy alliance with the CIA and his complicated devotion to his MI6 handler, Faith Green, add both emotional and moral complexity to the narrative. William Boyd creates a protagonist who feels refreshingly real: mild-mannered, intelligent and reluctant in his espionage work, yet convincing as a man trapped by circumstance in a world of secrecy and betrayal.

Boyd’s writing is elegant and sharply observed, blending real historical detail with fictional events in a seamless way. The sense of place is vividly drawn, from the volatility of Guatemala to the divided streets of Berlin, and even the quieter moments in London and Sussex. The political realism gives the book a grounded quality, making the unfolding plot believable and compelling.

This is a thoughtful and well-crafted book, more gentle in tone than a conventional thriller, but no less gripping. It will appeal to readers who enjoy espionage stories rooted in historical truth and enriched by strong characterisation.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

It is 1963 and Gabriel Dax is an eminent writer of enigmatic and idiosyncratic Travel books. He also works for MI6 as a double agent and a field agent. He loves being a writer and hates being a spy, but he can’t get out of the latter because he is essentially trapped in the system. It isn’t all bad, however, because he gets paid by the Soviets who think he’s on their side, and gets expenses for overseas trips on behalf of 6, while getting material for his best-selling books. He is in Love with his boss, Faith Brown, who might reciprocate, and is supplying carefully curated and approved information about her to the Soviets. His latest task is to go to Guatemala in his ‘journalist’ persona to interview a charismatic, socialist priest who looks as if he might be the next Presidente. The CIA and The United Fruit Company are also interested. Following this trip he is sent to Berlin. It is the height of the Cold War, of course, and he is to work with the CIA, leading to him becoming a temporary agent for them in the build up to the visit of US President, John F Kennedy (and the famous “Ich Bien A Berliner” speech).
This is a sequel to Gabriel’s Moon but works on its own. The writing is very powerful and the integration into the real history of the time, both in Guatemala and in Berlin, is seamless, as is the general air of life in England when he is being himself at home in London or Sussex. The plot is not hard to resolve, but is intriguing because of that realism. These fictional events might have happened just like this, because espionage is, by definition, unrecorded – note that MI6 is more properly called SIS: Secret Intelligence Service. As for our hero, he is a very believable guy, but on the face of it rather mild mannered, unlike the typical spy of a sixties novel. So an agreeable, and quite literate, read, and a gentle thriller. I look forward to what, I’m sure, will be the third book in the series.