2008-06-19 Gripping from start to finish!

A superb thriller, I have been absolutely riveted by it, totally gripped and intrigued throughout this story.
Would highly recommend it if you're after an interesting, moving and suspenseful tale.

Set against the backdrop of the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, Sansom tells a brilliant tale of three former school acquaintances, Sandy and Bernie and Harry, and what has happened to them during and after the SC War.
The action takes place mainly in Madrid, which has been devastated by the conflict and the aftermath, many of the people destitute and cities ravaged. Harry is recruited by the British government to find out more about the current activities in Spain of Sandy, who is now with Barbara, Bernie's former love. Bernie is now missing presumed killed in fighting during the War as part of the International Brigades.

There are many fascinating and believable characters whose fates I grew to really care about, not only the lead ones but also those depicted working at the British Embassy in Madrid at the time, and I felt that the story was really fitted neatly into the historical context by Sansom. It evokes a tangible feeling of place and time that the reader can enter. The novel stirs many emotions, pain and anger, love, hate, horror and hope. It is thrilling right until the final page of the epilogue as we discover the fate of each character. Look forward to reading more by Sansom.