SOJALS rating:

Mediocre (2/5)

I first read this in 2005 and most recently on the 18th March 2010

Wendell Floyd is an American living in Paris during the 1950s. He runs a detective agency with his friend Custine, an ex-policeman. It's a tough time - France is becoming increasingly nationalist and anti-immigrant. His ex-girlfriend Greta wants him to leave with her for America.

He's finding it difficult to make the decision to go with her. He knows it makes sense but he has a current case. He's investigating the murder of a young woman and this investigation seems to be uncovering some dark - and for him, intriguing - secrets.

Verity Augur is an archaeologist. She lives in the future and she's digging into the past. She's digging back to us. She's risking the horrors of the devastated Earth to delve into the ruins of France's capital city. Suborned by a top secret agency, she travels back to Wendell's world.

It was a good read except that - like most of his novels - it does go on a bit. I could happily have done without the entire Tunguska section. As an embodiment of brevity I'm cutting this review off, without even a full stop, now