This is Robert Peston’s debut as a writer, and it is a book full of political intrigue, as Gil tries to find out the story behind his sister’s death and whether this was an accident or was contrived for political reasons.

It is clear Robert demonstrates his understanding of the role between the media and politicians, and although set in 1997 rings big bells about what is happening in the current political landscape in the U.K.

Overall I felt it was a good story, and had plenty of twists and turns, but especially in the first half I felt it was quite slow to get going. I personally would have felt this would have been better with a faster pace and with more, and pacier, dialogue. However I would still describe it as a good book, especially in the second half where it developed more pace.

If you like books based on political intrigue then I would recommend this book, and am certain as Robert writes more books they will only get better.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. ( )

Enjoyable political thriller set in the nineties. A journalist investigates the suspicious death of his sister, and rubs up against a ruthless media mogul who has siphoned off his employees’ pension fund, and a smooth politician, heading to power by transforming his party into ‘Modern Labour’. Cynicism & scullduggery abound in a fictional past that looks very familiar. ( )

Gil Peck is a successful political journalist, hard-living but with a nose for a story. It's 1997 and the Tory government is on the brink, a charismatic new labour leader is poised to win the forthcoming election. When Gil's sister is killed in a cycling accident Gil is upset, but as details emerge he realises that men of power are willing to do anything to survive.
I loved the setting of this novel, a parallel to the emergence of New Labour, and I loved the oblique hints at various scandals - the pensions crisis, the corrupt media baron, the influence of the press on politics etc. However I found the story surprisingly pedestrian and the final twist felt tacked on and not really part of the character development through the novel. It's a populist novel and good for its genre. ( )

I think the major strength in Robert Peston’s storytelling in this political thriller is the convincing authenticity of his depictions of politicians, the workings of Parliament and the Civil Service, political journalists, the adrenaline-fuelled atmosphere of press rooms, the pressure of journalistic deadlines, the power exerted by media tycoons, corporate greed and the obstacles put in the way of anyone who is attempting to expose corruption of any kind. By setting his novel in 1997, during the run up to the General Election, he used his professional knowledge to very good effect, evoking the highly febrile nature of the political mood of the time, the public’s disillusion with the government of the day and the strong desire for change, all of which will be instantly recognisable to anyone who lived through that period. However, the downside to this was that I found myself spending too much time wondering which real-life people some of his characters were possibly (probably!) based on. Whilst that was quite entertaining, I think this distraction contributed to my difficulty in feeling fully engaged with the developing plot, particularly during the first half of the story. This meant that it wasn’t until the second half of the story that I began to experience the escalating tension I expect from a thriller and, once this had happened, to feel more invested in what was happening to the fictional characters. Although there were occasions when I thought the development of the storyline relied too heavily on some improbable coincidences, on balance, the rather dark, labyrinthine plot felt all too depressingly believable. Without wishing to give anything of the plot away, I appreciated the extra twist the author introduced to the ‘whistle-blower’ aspect of the story.
Although many of the characters were distinctly flawed, each one was well-drawn (‘warts and all’) and, with their various peccadilloes, made a convincing contribution to the author’s portrayal of the rather murky world of political manoeuvrings and shenanigans, lobbying and the powerful influences of big business and the media which underpinned the storyline. With his drink and drug habits, his vanity, his frequently amoral behaviour when it came to how he obtained information for his next big story (something which had caused his estrangement from his sister) and his generally self-centred attitudes, I must admit that initially I found it difficult to find any redeeming features in Gil. However, the gradual revelations about his past experiences, both personal and professional, enabled me to understand what drove him and, very slowly, to begin to warm to him! I think this process was helped by the fact that I really liked Jess, his colleague and fellow seeker of the truth behind Claire’s death, and thought that if she was prepared to help him, he must have some saving-graces! It was also helped by the many ways in which the author so effectively incorporated themes of ambivalence, trust, loyalty, betrayal, grief, mourning and love, when exploring Gil’s past and present relationships, particularly those with members of his family (his parents, his two nephews and his brother-in-law) in the weeks following Claire’s death.
Whilst this is unlikely to be one of my top-ten books of the year, I did find it an entertaining read, particularly enjoying the dry humour and political satire which was a key feature of Robert Peston’s storytelling.
With thanks to Readers First and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. ( )

Robert Peston has been one of the United Kingdom’s leading political journalists for several years now. I firs became aware of him during the protracted coverage of the financial crisis of 2008 through his earnest reporting for the BBC as its Business Editor, and then Economics Editor. Thereafter he moved to ITN as its Political Editor.

His first novel is set in 1997 during the run up to the general election which would see Labour returning to government after eighteen years of Conservative power. The protagonist is Gil Peck, political editor of a broadsheet newspaper that is part of a larger media group. He comes from a politically literate background: his father was a professor of politics and had been a prominent adviser to the Labour governments in the 1970s; his sister is a prominent, ambitious and highly capable senior civil servant in the Treasury. Gil is, however, largely estranged from his family. His parents seem oblivious to any of his achievements, which, Gil believes, pale into insignificance alongside those of his sister. Having been very close to his sister during their early lives, he has been estranged from her after using information that she had passed to him in confidence to steal a major scoop. She feels betrayed by this, and has not spoken to him since.

The plot is very intricate, and excellently constructed, involving a heady mix of political and business interests that collide in an explosive fashion. The story includes some pen portraits of plenty of political figures whom I felt I recognised from the time, although they have been sufficiently altered to avoid risk of libel cases. (I presume that the publisher’s lawyers will have gone over the manuscript with a very fine toothcomb.) I won’t say anything more about the plot, for fear of inadvertently dropping spoilers, but I felt it was watertight and plausible, and I was certainly sucked in to the story right from the start.

I enjoyed the plot, but also especially liked the insight into the role of the political correspondent. One of former my drinking partners, now sadly deceased, had been Political Editor of The Guardian for several years, and Gil Peck’s experiences as he rushes to file stories remotely chimed closely with what my friend had recounted in the past. After all, 1997 predated the ubiquity of email and the internet for most people, and one of the features I particularly appreciated (and felt that Peston captured well) was the sense almost of excitement when characters beyond the Westminster bubble see Peck taking calls on his mobile phone.

It is strange how time moves on. I feel that I remember 1997 and the rise of New Labour very clearly, but was still amused to see some of the stories to which Peck refers in passing that prompted memories that had been more deeply buried than I would have expected.

From his journalistic background, Peston knows how to write and to capture the reader’s or audience’s attention, and I found this book very enjoyable. ( )