There is so much in the news about refugees and the effects of Civil War on children, and I find myself wanting to escape into a good book. After reading Henry Porter’s latest, Firefly, I keep thinking about the sad situation faced by so many, and how grateful I am to have won the geographic lottery at birth…and YES, this is a very good book!

Henry Porter has been referred to as a next-generation John le Carré, and has become a bestselling author in the UK, winning the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award along the way. Firefly begins with the young boy Naji fleeing his Serbian village with his parents and younger sisters. Just before his father dies, he instructs Naji to get to safety in Germany and arrange safe travel for his mother and sisters to join him. His chose route is from a refugee camp in Turley over water to Greece, then through Macedonia to Germany. Because of his small size, he is unable to pass as an adult, and has to use his wits to book passage. To add to the challenge, he is being tracked by members of a terrorist cell who want to eliminate him as a source of intelligence about the future plans of the bad guys.

MI6, being determined to find Naji (codename Firefly), recruits ex-case officer Luc Sampson, a Lebanese refugee himself whose fluency in Arabic is vital to the search. Luc’s mission is to find Naji, gain his trust, and bring him to safety.

It’s a great plot, with memorable characters. That in itself would earn it four stars. When you add in the impact of the story of the refugees and their challenges, it raises it to five. Unsettling due to being based on a tragic reality, but extremely well done. Thanks to Grove Atlantic/Mysterious Press and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.