Released: May 29th 2012
Genre: Historical Thriller
Number of Pages: 401
With Joseph Kanton’s proven record in espionage fiction, Istanbul Passage takes a step back, providing a more restrained and dialogue-focused take on the genre.
In the aftermath of World War Two, American businessman and former aide for the Allied War effort Leon Bauer has a courier job to do. But upon receiving the “package”, shots are traded, and a foreign citizen ends up dead. It turns out that Leon has taken custody of a war criminal, one of great interest to several countries. Despite the post-war period, the Turkish city remains a hotbed of secrets and lies. This will need to be handled with care and Leon slowly negotiates, misdirects and juggles countless contacts in a bid to send the man on his way. The story is told from his perspective as we see everything Leon witnesses.
The tension that runs through the novel comes through Leon’s commitment to this volatile cargo; he’s mostly out to keep up appearances and draw as little attention to himself as possible. But as unforeseen events encircle him, Bauer is forced to make changes to his plans, coming to a realisation that he’s caught up in events that extend far beyond national borders. While these events do add an element of unpredictability to the plot, I never felt that the pressure was mounting on the main characters. Because of Leon’s high position, he’s rarely placed in real danger as the novel sees fit to load its action sequences at the beginning and end of the story. It’s a product of the novel’s time period, a Cold War in which individuals resorted to mind games over physical violence.
Even if the novel rarely heats up, the setting of Istanbul of beautifully portrayed, delivered by describing the characters surrounding along several reflections of the war that recently passed. The return to normal peacetime holds the narrative together, emphasising the sense of business that the characters partake in. Fans of classical cinema will be pulled in by the noir-style trappings; an elusive man who puts Leon through his paces, a woman the protagonist easily falls for and a collection of external players with their own role in the investigation.
Recommended?
Maybe: Due to the nature of its characters and the work they carry out, Istanbul Passage isn’t a full-on espionage tale and you shouldn’t go in expecting this. It’s a collection of deliberative dialogue and high-class meetings which does slow the pacing down, albeit placed against a rich backdrop. The main characters, including Leon, are very well developed though his associates are often swapped in and out of chapters at a fast rate, making it somewhat difficult to keep track of motivations.
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