"Flagey in Winter" by Simon Mundy

 

An ensemble comedy of manners, this novel returns us to the characters established in its precursor, Flagey in Autumn, the staff and customers of the Cafe Franck in Place Flagey in Brussels. 

In early January, the weather is cold and icy, so when Elise, skiing with her brother Artur in Bolsano, Italy, ends up in hospital, her lover Fidel is summoned to her side. It being Sunday, and he being too old to be fluent with making travel arrangements online, the friends pitch in to help ... and some decide to accompany him. Funded by Russian Nikita, who has closed her gallery for the time being, Fidel is sent with Mercedes (Nikita's employee) and her new boyfriend (a new character) Rory, a Scottish journalist. Later they will be joined by Catrina and her boyfriend barista Patrice, by Nikita herself, by Esko the Finnish MEP and his new girlfriend French filmstar Amelie, and by Agnestina who is newly out of love with Flamand and whose laptop was used to make the bookings.

Back in Brussels, Bruno is bested by unaccredited lobbyist Tyron Wangstrutt. 

I found this sequel slightly disappointing. Like love, the first book had the excitement of discovering new characters, while this had the stale feeling you get when the joy of fresh love starts to become routine. The only pairing that still sparkled was that of Esko and Amelie and that was only because Amelie's filmstar antics made Esko (and me) permanently on edge as to whether he would be dumped or not.

However, it was fun. I am developing affections for each of them (except, perhaps, Saskia). I hope poor Mariana finds love soon! Flamand? 

I wondered whether the split setting quite worked: the joy of the first book had been that all the shenanigans had been focused tightly in one place.

The third person omniscient viewpoint enables the reader to eavesdrop on the thoughts of each of the characters and the constant flitting from one to another keeps the narrative from flagging. It was a very easy read (two days) and there were many moments of quiet humour. I enjoyed reading this book.

I look forward to reading the sequel, Flagey in Spring.

Selected quotes:

• "If in doubt, procrastinate." (Sunday: First thing)
• "Museums bored her even more than being bored." (Sunday carried on: Cold wine for a cold Sunday)
• "She growled in frustration, a scarring contralto growl like parts of an engine disintegrating" (Sunday carried on: Cold wine for a cold Sunday)
• "Old age was what happened to other people, like being born a man." (Friday: What might have been)

July 2026; 239 pages
Published by Hay Press in 2024

This review was written by

the author of Bally and Bro, Motherdarling 

and The Kids of God