With gorgeous prose, European glamour, and an expansive wanderlust, Christine Mangan’s The Continental Affair is a fast-paced, Agatha Christieesque caper packed full of romance and suspense.
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, 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
Christine Mangan is the author of the national bestsellers Tangerine and Palace of the Drowned. She has her PhD in English from University College Dublin, with a focus on 18th-century Gothic literature, and an MFA in fiction writing from the University of Southern Maine. She lives in Detroit.
My thoughts: this was an interesting read, as Louise and Henri travel across Europe to Istanbul, Turkey, on what I think is the Orient Express or certainly something very similar, their story unfolds. Henri has been following Louise since Madrid. Where she stole a small fortune in a moment of opportunistic luck. However the money belongs to some criminals Henri, a former police officer, now works for, and they want it back.
Henri isn’t even the only person following Louise. And they’re both in danger. Neither is happy with their lives, both are running from things they’d rather forget. On this strange journey across Europe, as they meet and part in different places, they start to reconcile with themselves and discover who they are now.
It’s a strange book, there’s a slightly dreamlike quality to some of the events, Louise is often disconnected from what’s happening around her and is more honest with Henri than anyone else. She’s on a journey with no real destination in mind, and suddenly in possession of a small fortune. Henri is a man struggling with grief and regret, he’s fallen into this job and is reluctant to complete it, especially after Louise starts spending the money. Their relationship is odd, but somehow they connect and reconnect as they travel, and perhaps heal.
I enjoyed it, I love an adventure story with some peril and complicated characters, and this is definitely that. The ending left me with more questions than answers and I wanted to know what became of our unusual travel companions. Did Henri go back to Algeria? What did Louise do after Istanbul? Will they meet again? I wonder.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
ramblingmads 