The third ensemble novel based around the lives of people living around the Place Flagey in Brussels, including barmen, MEPs and assistants to MEPs, art gallery owners, and journalists. In this installment, journo Rory travels to Rome to monitor the machinations by which disgraced MEP Roberto attempts to become Italian PM. A back channel opens involving Catrina, Nikita, Mercedes and Commisioner Lucia Redetti. Meanwhile Elise is ill, again, Flamand falls for a harpist putting gorgeous Agnestina's nose out of joint, and nasty Bruno negotiates with his nemesis Tyron Wangstrutt.
Selected quotes:
- "The breeze coming across the lake towards Place Flagey was busy, making the sunshine useless." (1: Saturday: On the Way)
- “It was as much part of the Sunday ritual as the gravy that he watched sport, dropped off and woke immediately if the channel was switched, at which point it had to be changed back again.” (2: Sunday: Postprandial Summons)
- “Gwynedd made any table look as though she was a mad professor trying to find the one vital formula amongst a lifetime of random calculations.” (3: Monday: Not so Mickey Mouse)
- “She was used to being the centre of attention and for the world to defer to her beauty, represented by her whim.” (5: Wednesday: Troubles)
The third in the series, preceded by Flagey in Autumn and Flagey in Winter, this was another entertaining read, reminiscent of the Scotland Street novels by Alexander McCall Smith, such as The Unbearable Lightness of Scones. I'm looking forward to Flagey in Summer.
October 2026; 253 pages
Published by Hay Press in 2026
No comments:
Post a Comment