This is the first Iain Banks novel I’ve read for years, mainly because the recent ones struck me as macabre, if not gruesome. This one doesn’t fall into that category though and was a fun read – I’d forgotten just how funny Iain Banks can be. The book includes his typical gritty scenes from Scotland as well as colourful scenes (and stereotypes) from America. Having read books by this author before, I wasn’t expecting the plot to be fully resolved at the end, and it wasn’t (I would have rated the book more highly if there had been more content about the intriguing double-cross that the main character discovered).
The book has all the bases covered – history (much is set during World War II), science fiction (time travel) and action (crack troops storming the secret bases of their enemies). I think the plot was excellent, but something was lacking – I found the story telling stodgy in places (particularly at the beginning) and the characters were bland.
Really enjoyed this, it kept me guessing until the last page, with plenty of suspense and excitement. The author interspersed some funny passages too, particularly between the lawyer and his young daughters. This was the first book I’d read by Gimenez, but I will be back for more.
musingstudio 
