In 2012, a new James Bond novel, “Solo”, was penned by none other than William Boyd, indicating that he was treading the path created by Ian Fleming. The same air of espionage seems to inspire his newest story, “Gabriel’s Moon”, which provides an engrossing journey through the grim and complex landscape of the cold war.
At the centre is Gabriel Dax, a charming, successful travel writer who finds himself enticed by a peculiar offer from the British Secret Service. Despite his ordinarily stable life, he’s drawn to the opportunity of an ostensibly minor, yet profitable act of undercover work that poses minimal risk.
The ensuing narrative effectively portrays the conduct of British, American and Russian agents in the tumultuous period marked by two distinct events – the assassination of Patrice Lumumba, the president of Congo, in early 1961, and the Cuban missile crisis of 1962.
Boyd continually combines engaging plots and intricate characterisation, largely within global contexts. As Gabriel is ensnared by his disciplined and alluring handler, their relationship evolves, becoming an unpredictable journey comparable to the winding roads of west Cork. Their encounters are a coin toss between passionate closeness and mortal combat.
The novel, although compelling, intricate and irresistible, demands undivided attention from the reader due to the intricacies of characters flipping loyalties and identities as single, double and even triple agents. It appears some are so frequently changing sides that they themselves may be confused regarding their actual allies, continuing to thrive on deception.
Like his peers, Sebastian Faulks and Robert Harris, Boyd has been producing remarkable and inventive novels for numerous years. However, an aura of underappreciation surrounds him compared to his more laurelled contemporaries like McEwan, Barnes, or Rushdie, which seems unjust since his craftsmanship merits corresponding recognition. Boyd’s latest protagonist, who self-defines as a ‘useful idiot’, isn’t James Bond but should be seen as a precursor, akin to a dormant double-O agent. He’s a portrayal of what Bond might have been prior to his recruitment by the famed ‘M’. The spy who strolled in from comfort and warmth.