I seem to have a strange relationship with Derek Robinson's RAF novels. I adore the writing: it is muscular and cynical and yet poetic, like putting Philip Marlowe in a cockpit, with some extremely evocative similes and descriptive efforts to bring the world of aviation to life. The banter, in rationed doses, can be amusing. And the historical research is always spot on and well-delivered. Hullo Russia, Goodbye England is no different.

And yet, there's always something I can't place that puts me off balance. I've tried to pinpoint it in all four of Robinson's novels that I've read (the RAF Quartet series) and I still can't figure it out. In the first couple I read (Piece of Cake and A Good Clean Fight) I identified my distaste at how every character is a snarky, third-rate comedian; the dialogue was often just everyone trying to get their cheap line in. Entertaining – often – but wearying. But in the last couple of books (Damned Good Show and this one) this has been toned down so it's not really an issue. The dialogue still has bite but it feels a bit more natural. So it's not that which continues to unbalance me.

Perhaps it's that the characters are all miserable, even when doing the things they supposedly love. The cynicism often borders on nihilism: I always imagine the characters of these novels walking around either with faces like smacked arses or with smiles that never reach their eyes. In Hullo Russia, Goodbye England the protagonist Silk is a hotshot pilot. He has a filthy hot wife who is also incredibly rich. He also has a piece on the side (also hot). He loves nothing more than flying, and flying fast: he is given a Vulcan, perhaps the best aircraft in the world at the time for doing this. A character remarks at one point that flying this plane "makes sex look like gardening" (pg. 88). And yet, despite all this I half-expect Silk to end every scene with a loaded service revolver in his mouth.

Don't get me wrong: none of Robinson's books are miserable to read. His writing is extremely evocative, particularly with regards to the flying. One example, with a Vulcan climbing in the skies: "He stood the Vulcan on its tail and they went up as if somebody up there was hauling them in, hand over fist." (pg. 82). Robinson's bracing prose style helps here: the space between the lines doubles as the clear skies around the craft. He gives us the freedom to imagine these wonderful planes in flight. Even with all the cynicism in the rest of the book, he evokes the romanticism in aviation.

My concluding theory, after four books, is that Robinson doesn't always have the mix right. The first few hundred pages of Piece of Cake could be a slog, and much of the first act of Damned Good Show was irrelevant. Similarly, in Hullo Russia, Goodbye England we return to the unnecessary and distracting Silk/Zoë dynamic of the previous book. Zoë was a bit like Jar Jar Binks: every time she popped up talking about whoopee I wanted her to just go away. She's not nearly as interesting as she thinks she is. And the third act gives undue attention to this subplot, focusing on marital affairs and blackmail rather than flying. It seems strange: earlier in the book, as I have mentioned, it is strongly argued that the Vulcan makes sex look like gardening. Why then, do we spend the final act focusing on the gardening?

The apparent aim of Hullo Russia, Goodbye England is to shine a light on the absurdity of nuclear war and Mutually Assured Destruction. A lot of the passages have double meanings that reflect this theme, and saying-one-thing-but-meaning-another is always fun for a reader to engage with. And Robinson, with his cynical humour, should be in his element here. But I couldn't help but feel he was having sly digs at M.A.D. rather than gleefully ripping it to shreds. Robinson has the ingredients and the recipe, and the talent to harmonise both. But sometimes, it seems like he neglects a certain part of the dish, or overcooks another. It's a shame, but there's still plenty I'm willing to tuck into. Robinson's World War One trilogy, starting with Goshawk Squadron, is on my reading list. The mix might be off sometimes, but I still enjoy watching it all churn. ( )