Fans of LeCarre, Graham Greene, etc will love the latest from William Boyd! Thanks to Grove Atlantic and NetGalley, I am the happy recipient of an advance copy of The Predicament in exchange for this honest review. 

The story is set in 1963. In Guatemala, a CIA agent named Frank Sartorious is working as turmoil spreads throughout the country. United Fruit Company, a giant corporation,  is unhappy with the idea of a lefty former priest/trade union advocate becoming president, and soon Sartorious meets Gabriel Dax, the real protagonist, who is a “travel writer” working for MI6. He also just happens to be selling secrets to Russia. The country is in turmoil, the presidential election is looming,  and the charismatic, left-wing ex-priest and trade union leader (named Padre Tiago) is predicted to win. Dax is clearly not a reliable character, but I wasn’t sure at first whose side he was on. While he is supposedly working as assigned by MI6 to assess the situation on the ground, his encounter with Tiago doesn’t go well, riots erupt in the country, Mafia involvement is suspected, and just when Dax heads to West Berlin, we find ourselves on the eve of the (historically significant) visit from the new American President, John F. Kennedy. 

Dax is involved in some heavy duty espionage, and he seems  at times like he is not up to the task. His life seems a mess, he is in love with his handler, he gets sued by an actual writer for plagiarism, and he clearly needs to figure out how to deal with the various facts of his complex situation. 

The story includes plenty of “tradecraft,” well developed characters, and overall was a very enjoyable reading experience. As a fan of espionage thrillers, I am not at all sure why I haven’t read more of Boyd’s books. It happens that this is the second in a planned trilogy featuring Gabriel Dax (following Gabriel’s Moon), and I plan to read them all.  Four stars, could be five…maybe next time!