Just Finished Reading: House of the Hanged by Mark Mills (FP: 2011)

Petrograd, Russia 1919.

It was all for love – at least that’s what young SIS officer Tom Nash told himself. Why else would he have returned to the chaos and terror of the Bolshevik Revolution against orders and with stolen money in his possession? Love. That was it, and it seemed to be working. Irina was walking free and they just needed to slip over the border before anyone found out. Except that is for the betrayal, the man hunt, the retribution and the final escape. Returning to London he expected to be treated like a traitor, fired, arrested, and imprisoned. But none of it…..

The French Riviera, 1935.

A new place, a new life. Retired from public (and secret) service Tom is a respected author and a favourite of the local community made up of hotel owners, refugees and artists. Life revolves around travel, sailing, parties and worrying about the political situation in Europe. After the disaster of the Great War it looks increasingly like their will be yet another with who knows what consequences. But for now it is the summer and Tom’s favourite goddaughter has arrived from University break. It’s a time to relax and laze in the sun. But Tom’s past is about to catch up with him. When his house is broken into and a professional assassin tries his very best to help Tom into an early grave he knows his life can never be the same again. Especially as the would-be killer seemed to know the layout of the house very well indeed and had the photograph of him taken at a private party. As much as Tom would like to deny it one of his friends has betrayed him. But who and, more importantly, why and why now after so many years?

I’ve been looking forward to reading this book for months and I wasn’t disappointed. I read a previous book by this author and was impressed enough to buy everything he’s produced since then but this is the first opportunity I’ve had to catch up with the author. The story is gripping from the first page with a profound sense of time and place. You just shiver on the streets of Petrograd and you can feel the mixture of fear and despair in the atmosphere. Likewise in the south of France everything feels so….. French! It’s delightful, from the way hotels operate to the way the police sidle up to mysteries rather than coming at them from directly ahead. Tom is a fascinating character full of depth, misgivings, fears and the occasional hope. His life isn’t a mess but only through hard work and a fair bit of luck. The other characters are equally well drawn with believable backstories, motivations and flaws. Even the bad guys (except a few cardboard cut-out thugs) elicit understanding and a little sympathy. The ending was delightfully messy. Some of the narrative was resolved whilst at the same time other doors and other avenues opened. In life there are hardly ever neat beginnings and ends of anything. Life is always open to the possibility of a sequel or even a series. Such is the ending of this excellent crime/espionage thriller. I for one hope that the author continues Tom’s story into the start of the Second World War. He deserves that closure and I hope he gets it. An excellent page turner. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys a multi-layered historical mystery.