Moscow, Midnight by John Simpson

The Blurb On The Back:

MP Patrick Macready has been found dead in his flat. The coroner rules it an accident, a sex game gone wrong.

Jon Swift is from the old stock of journos – cynical, cantankerous and overweight – and something about his friend’s death doesn’t seem right. Then days after Macready’s flat is apparently burgled, Swift discovers that his friend had been researching a string of Russian government figures who had met similarly ‘accidental’ fates.

When the police refuse to investigate, Swift gets in touch with his contacts in Moscow, determined to find out if his hunch is correct. Following the lead, he is soon drawn into a violent underworld, where whispers of conspiracies, assassinations and double agents start blurring the line between friend and foe.

But the truth will come at a price, and it may cost him everything.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

John Simpson’s second novel is an international political thriller with an old-fashioned vibe (despite the topical focus on Russia’s murkier activities). Simpson writes in a conversational style and brings personal insight to bear on Swift’s old-school ways and I liked the insight into a broadcaster’s celebrity but unfortunately the plot and pacing get mushy after the first third and descend into a mess of deus ex machina and foreseeable betrayal.

Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.