The Continental Affair
A Novel
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3.0 • 1 Rating
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
With gorgeous prose, European glamour, and an expansive wanderlust, Christine Mangan's The Continental Affair is a daring literary caper that is quick on its feet and delightfully surprising.
Meet Henri and Louise. Two strangers, traveling 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, desperate to leave behind his own troubles. The memories of his past life as a gendarme in Algeria that keep resurfacing. His inability to reconcile the growing responsibilities of his current criminal path with this former self.
But Henri soon realizes that Louise is no ordinary mark. As the train hurtles toward its final destination, Henri and Louise must decide what the future will hold—and whether it involves one another.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Richly layered characters, opulent settings, and graceful prose elevate this captivating crime caper from Mangan (Palace of the Drowned) above most similar fare. In the 1960s, 40-something Henri, once a gendarme in Algeria, now works for his hoodlum cousins in southern Spain, collecting and delivering illegal payments. A straightforward bag drop at a cemetery goes awry when Louise Barnard, an enigmatic 28-year-old British woman traveling across Europe, stumbles on the bag and makes off with the money. Though keen to recover the cash, Henri refrains from obstructing her getaway, leisurely pursuing her as she makes her way by train from Granada to Paris and Belgrade to Istanbul. Ashamed of his past and feeling displaced, he takes pleasure in leaving Spain, intent on discovering more about the woman. As for Louise, though she knows she's being pursued, she remains committed to following in the footsteps of her estranged mother across the continent. As Louise and Henri's journey nears its conclusion, tough choices, personal sacrifice, and high danger await them. Alternating viewpoints and a shifting timeline enliven the yarn, and Mangan's character exposition and vivid depictions of exotic locales are sublime. This is a treat.
