It is hardly surprising that Robert Harris is so typically referred to as the writer of ‘intelligent thrillers’. This book is however one more example of how Harris writes a serious minded story based around critical matters of the time, right after undertaking extensive research into his topic matter. As you may know, Harris had promised us a trilogy on Cicero starting with Imperium, and he has interrupted this work to write this absorbing and fun political thriller.

This story is told by an anonymous (even to the reader) ghostwriter who is utilized to writing the memoirs of rock stars, magazine celebrities and soccer players, but who is supplied the possibility to write the memoirs of an ex Prime Minister of Britain, by a giant publishing company out of the US. Naturally, he leaps at the chance and is sent to America to Martha’s Vineyard to carry out the task whilst living in a huge and luxurious property owned by the President of the publishing firm.

From the first page we know that the fellow who was the prior ghostwriter, and a extended time aide to the PM, had mysteriously disappeared from the ferry to the island and later on his body turned up on a beach in 1 of the island’s coves.

The Publisher had already agreed to pay the PM $ ten million for his memoirs and now desires the book in one month, and has asked for the writer to be certain that the manuscript tells the whole truth about the PM’s portion in the War on Terror. It is obviously a thing of a dig at Tony Blair, as he was the PM at the time of the Brits entry into Iraq, and this PM is about to be investigated by the International Criminal Court for allegedly allowing, nay encouraging, the arrest of 4 British civilians who had been subsequently handed over to the Americans for torture which, of course, would have been a war crime.

The Ghostwriter manages to upset his relationship with his girlfriend by taking the job which she thinks will only make the PM richer than he currently is, he then manages to bed the PM’s wife when he is on a lecture tour for a couple of days, and the PM himself is having an affair with his beautiful assistant, an affair of which his wife Ruth is only too aware.

As the initial of Harris’ modern novels this is a actually well written romp by means of the political life of leading men and women in international politics and market and shows up, especially, the complete point that senior politicians are never ever held genuinely responsible for the effect that their decisions ultimately have on our lives. This book makes fascinating reading and also has a great vein of deadpan humour threaded all through the entire story.