My Review (4 stars out of 5)
Afghan Immigrant Nazeer Bashir pays to bring his brother to France so he too, can enjoy a better life. However, when the brother arrives with a new sixteen-year-old wife in tow, the family aren’t happy. Meanwhile, Inspector Max Mallery is engaged on a surveillance operation with the French Anti-Terrorism Unit in the hope of foiling a Taliban attack on Bordeaux. But when their target is accidently permitted to roam about the city, the police are faced with a series of difficult decisions.
As with the previous volumes in the Mallery and Hobbs series, one of the nice things about the books is the scenery and the food. With beautiful descriptions of the locations and a real sense of the mouth-watering fare on offer, it’s like having two extra characters to get to know. Though the story took me longer to get into than with the other books, the author’s attention to detail brings it to life, especially with the interactions between the regular characters. It’s also interesting how Ms Griffiths-Jones deals with the terrorism aspect of the story, as this relatively new direction for her could easily have gone off the rails or come over as a bit naïve. However, she handles the subject with her usual assurance and professionalism.
An interesting and thought-provoking addition to the series.
Colin Garrow 