"The continental affair" by Christine Mangan

An audio book.

A woman sees a man in a train. They act as if they're strangers. They met 2 weeks before. There had been problems in Belgrade. They're on their way to Istanbul. It's the 1960s.

Henri was born in Algeria to a French father (Marseilles) and Spanish mother (Granada). He went to university and became a policeman to make them happy. When they died in a car accident and the political situation in Oran was difficult, he went to Spain, doing undercover deliveries/pickups for his family. On a job to collect money at the Alhambra he sees a woman drop money and another pick it up. He follows her towards Paris.

When Louise Barnard's invalid father died, he left £40. She decided to spend it on a holiday to Alhambra rather than on his funeral. She's 28, a factory worker - tall, strong, thin. Her mother had left for Paris years before, sending just one letter back. When she'd found the £5,000 she'd been almost penniless. She decided to head for Paris by bus. She can speak French.

She finds out that her mother died. She catches a train to Istanbul. He follows. She tells him about her father and the money. She wants to change her life. At Istanbul they realise that they're being followed by a man - one of Henri's Spanish associates. They can't lose him in the Grand Bazaar. She ends up with a gun and the follower is wounded. She escapes, claiming she's lost the money.

In the epilogue she's at Oran years later hoping Henri will pass by.

Other reviews

• Janice Ottersberg (The structure of the novel is complex and requires close reading. Pivoting on a mysterious event in Belgrade, the narrative switches between two legs of the journey – before Belgrade and after.)
• Kirkus reviews (The book is front-loaded with too much backstory, but a patient reader will quickly be rewarded by an unconventional heist narrative that is equal parts moving and thrilling. ... The novel is a smart riff on a familiar genre, with complex protagonists and a cliché-defying love story.)
• RoughJustice (The Continental Affair has an unusual structure, which at first is a little confusing, but ultimately serves the story well. Each chapter begins with the pair sharing a train carriage not far from their final destination. These scenes are followed by a flashback, told from their alternate points of view, bringing the story forward to the present.)