The Continental Affair
A stunning, wanderlust adventure full of European glamour from the author of bestseller 'Tangerine'
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3.3 • 3 Ratings
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
With gorgeous prose, European glamour, and an expansive wanderlust, Christine Mangan's The Continental Affair is a fast-paced, Agatha Christie-esque caper packed full of romance and suspense.
'Reads as if Jean Rhys and Patricia Highsmith collaborated on a script for Alfred Hitchcock; it is an elegant, delirious fever dream of a book.' The Irish Times
Meet Henri and Louise. Two strangers, travelling alone, on the train from Belgrade to Istanbul.
Except this isn't the first time they have met.
It's the 1960s, and Louise is running.
From her past in England, from the owners of the money she has stolen―and from Henri, the person who has been sent to collect it.
Across the Continent―from Granada to Paris, from Belgrade to Istanbul―Henri follows. He's desperate to leave behind his own troubles and the memories of his past life as a gendarme in Algeria.
But Henri soon realises that Louise is no ordinary traveller.
As the train hurtles toward its final destination, Henri and Louise must decide what the future will hold―and whether it involves one another.
Stylish and atmospheric,* The Continental Affair *takes you on an unforgettable journey through the twisty, glamorous world of 1960s Europe.
What reviewers and readers say about Christine Mangan:
'Assured and atmospheric' (Tangerine) Guardian
'"Girl on a Train meets The Talented Mr Ripley under the Moroccan sun. Unputdownable' (Tangerine) The Times
'A plot as twisty as the streets of its dazzling Tangier setting' (Tangerine) Daily Mail
'A lush, malice-infused mystery' (Palace of the Drowned) The New York Times
'Atmospheric, twisting, and full of mystery,' (Palace of the Drowned) Refinery29
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I wanted to savour every moment. Perfectly done.' Bertha
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Gripping and effortlessly done.' Ruth
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I could just feel the heat, picture the beautiful Alhambra and smell the coffees. Stylish.' Mel
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'This is the third Christine Mangan book that I've read and it's definitely my favourite.' Charlotte
Customer Reviews
Unmemorable affair
The author is American and has both a PhD in English and an MFA. I was impressed by the du Maurier feel of her debut novel Tangerine (2018), set in 1950s Tangiers, slightly less so by Palace of the Drowned (2021), set in 1960s Venice.
This time, the setting is Europe in the 1960s once more. The male protagonist Henri, was born and raised in French Algeria, where he was a gendarme. He moves to Grenada in Spain where he finds work with the (crime) family of his uncle. Tasked to collect funds of dubious provenance from a contact at the Alhambra, he witnesses said contact drop said funds on the ground then take off. While he’s watching, a random English chick, the female protagonist Louise (aka Virginie Varens), picks up the cash and pockets it.
Rather than apprehend Louise, relieve her of the dosh, and give it to his boss, Henri follows her on a long bus ride to Paris, then around the City of Love for a few days. When she gets on the train headed for Istanbul, so does he. A liaison on the train ensues, where both keep more secrets than they share. A meeting with some strangers on the train (good title for a movie) doesn’t come to much. Ditto, a stopover in Belgrade, then they’re back on the train again, headed for Istanbul.
The writing had a distinctly French feel, by which I mean ennui and Gitanes featured prominently. The back and forth of chapters from ‘Before’ to ‘Present’ got on my wick after a while. The mystery wasn’t so much a mystery as, well, nothing really. However, there were some wonderful descriptive passages and the integration of current events of the time was interesting.