With so many authors now trying their hand in espionage, standing out from the crowd is becoming increasingly difficult. Authors who have plied their hand elsewhere are now moving towards the genre with varying degrees of success. Alex Preston has been a successful author and journalist and his first foray into the genre, A Stranger In Corfu, is certainly distinct enough to not feel like an imitation of what can be found elsewhere, although it does sound a little like Slow Horses to begin with.
This book follows a community of retired and disgraced spies living in Corfu in an area dubbed Spyland by its inhabitants. While they are predominantly around retirement age, Nina is a bright upcoming spook, in her mid-20s, a far cry from the rest.
We intercut between the main narrative in the mid 90s and key events from across the careers of several of the older spooks, charting their first involvement in the service and the events that led to them being exiled to Spyland. Cleverly, Preston doesn’t keep it all entirely fictitious – there are real-life characters and events referenced, most notably Kim Philby who tried to coax several of the spies to his cause. Philby might not have a huge role, but his presence lurks ominously through the flashback sequences from post-War until the 1960s. Preston cleverly juxtaposes Nina’s more modern sensibilities and grungy attire with the attitudes and experiences of the more jaded spooks, now attempting to live in peace in the Corfu sun.
Of course with this being a community of ex spies, many clinging to their former secretive existence, the tranquillity can’t last. Several of the group begin to meet a sticky end. Is this a message from old rivals, simply accidents or something deeper? The novel shifts from calm walks around Corfu’s old town, discussions about Lawrence Durrell, celebrated spy novelist who spent his childhood on Corfu, abounding to more of a detective-style mystery as Nina and her geriatric friends try to piece together who might want them dead from their past while others in the community decide nothing is amiss.
Nina and co, an eclectic, quirky blend of spooks are on hand to work out what links the spooks quickly bumped off and why the upper echelons of the community aren’t taking it more seriously. Inevitably, word quickly spreads to London HQ at Vauxhall Cross, upsetting the apple cart from what is meant to be a paradise for ex-spies where they live out their end days in relative peace. Preston keeps the tension high, gradually adding more and more elements to the central mystery, across multiple timeframes, drawing parallels between seemingly disparate story threads with ease.
The Corfu setting adds a wholly unique flavour to this particular journey to the heart of the secret world. So often spy novels are set in the cold, dark underbelly of London, Berlin, Paris or the former Soviet Bloc. While there are journeys to Vauxhall Cross in London and Moscow, these are brief interludes with the bulk of the action taking place on the fabled Greek island. This is perhaps one of the best adverts for the island since The Durrells, albeit different in tone, danger lurking behind every corner, metaphorical shadows all over the island.
For a first turn at this genre, Preston feels at ease, avoiding falling into clichés that first-time spy authors often fall into. This is a well written novel regardless of the style but hopefully this won’t be his last foray into espionage fiction. Where some literary authors can feel a tad forced when they try their hand at a spy caper, this feels entirely natural and brings something new to what is an increasingly congested genre, having a real peak.
Perhaps one of the only slight drawbacks is the focus on Nina and a handful of the older spies, with some of the ensemble crew feeling less developed and the resolution perhaps a tad rushed given the excellent build-up.
A Stranger in Corfu is an exciting, well-paced thriller that has all the usual beats of a spy novel with compelling characters. Whether or not we return to Spyland, Alex Preston has proven he has what it takes to make a spy novel that’s far from run of the mill and doing something genuinely exciting.
Canongate
Print/Kindle/iBook
£18.99
CFL Rating: 4 Stars
