I was excited about this one when it came up on my BookTube Prize Quarterfinals judging pool. I love stories of intrigue and espionage ( MI-5, or Spooks, is one of my all-time favourite shows), and I liked the twist that this one features a writer who kind of accidentally becomes entangled in the world of spies. So this book appealed, as it’s a story of a writer being used as a spy messenger service. He travels regularly for his work, so is the perfect person to perform this role.
But this isn’t the main thrust of the story. Rather this is a very small part of it, as his love affair with a woman he feels rather ambivalent towards and his subsequent infatuation with his MI-6 handler take more space in the novel. Gabriel is, as we come to see, a rather fickle, shallow man. He likes living alone, he takes himself (too) seriously as a writer and fancies himself needing space to create his work. He avoids uncomfortable conversations, and strings along his lover throughout the book.
Meanwhile we learn about his relationship with his brother – the two are distant, having been orphaned and raised separately. His brother is a civil servant and is met with a vague sense of annoyance by Gabriel. We also learn about a trauma from his childhood that haunts him and may be part of the reason he is unable to settle into a relationship, but rather seems constantly restless and uncertain.
I am still trying to figure out what I thought of this book. I knew that, being by William Boyd, it wouldn’t be a fast-paced thriller. There’s always more layering to his stories, and they always feel a little tangled to me. I have read one of his books, Restless, and tried another, Ordinary Thunderstorms that I didn’t make it through. This was a similar experience, one where the main pull of unwitting spy antics takes not only a back seat, but hangs onto the bumper of the rest of the story for most of the book. It’s there, and it’s interesting, but it’s not really the heart of the book. I didn’t dislike it, but it also didn’t have me reading past my bedtime. Worth reading if you enjoy more complex character studies (particularly not very likeable characters) in interesting circumstances. Not so much if you’re looking for a real edge-of-your-seat thriller. This one was fine, nothing I really hated about it, but also not one I’d recommend and doesn’t have me looking for more Boyd. If you like Boyd’s writing, or if the premise appeals to you, by all means give it a go. There are some interesting characters, and they aren’t easy to figure out immediately. Just go into it knowing it’s not going to have you itching to get back to your book every time you put it down.
In his most exhilarating novel yet, Britain’s greatest storyteller transports you from the vibrant streets of sixties London to the sun-soaked cobbles of Cadiz and the frosty squares of Warsaw, as an accidental spy is drawn into the shadows of espionage and obsession.
Gabriel Dax is a young man haunted by the memories of a tragedy: every night, when sleep finally comes, he dreams about his childhood home in flames. His days are spent on the move as an acclaimed travel writer, capturing the changing landscapes in the grip of the Cold War. When he’s offered the chance to interview a political figure, his ambition leads him unwittingly into a web of duplicities and betrayals.
As Gabriel’s reluctant initiation takes hold, he is drawn deeper into the shadows. Falling under the spell of Faith Green, an enigmatic and ruthless MI6 handler, he becomes ‘her spy’, unable to resist her demands. But amid the peril, paranoia and passion consuming Gabriel’s new covert life, it will be the revelations closer to home that change the rest of his story. – Goodreads
Book Title: Gabriel’s Moon
Author: William Boyd
Series: No
Edition: Audiobook (Libby)
Published By: Atlantic Monthly Press
Released: September 5, 2024
Genre: Fiction, Espionage, MI6, Historical, Thriller
Pages: 272
Date Read: April 18-19, 2025
Rating: 6/10
Average Goodreads Rating: 4.06/5 (5,600 ratings)
BookTube Prize Quarterfinals Judging 2025 Rank: 5/6