"The man between" by Charles Cumming

An audio book.

Lara Bartok is interviewed about Resurrection - a group of 7 20-somethings who aimed to punish immoral public figures. Though chronologically this time-line begins when the other nearly ends, sections from the 2 time-lines alternate.

It's 1966. Kit Carradine, a young thriller writer whose father had been a spy, is walking in London when someone pretends to be a fan and wants to meet with him. Intrigued (he thinks the man, Mr Mantis, belongs to MI6), Kit agrees. They've been watching him, and ask him to extend a stay he's taking in Marrakesh to appear at a book festival. He easily succumbs to flattery, seeing himself as a latterday Graham Greene, the role of curious novelist being a good cover. He's close to his father, who had to stop being a spy after a Philby-related smear.

He's supposed to look for Maria, who the secret services lost touch with 2 years before. She likes books and might turn up at the festival. He's supposed to give her a passport and credit card. Seeing her picture, and having read the newspapers, Kit realises she's Lara Bartok, part of Resurrection, ex girlfriend of the dead leader Ivan.

He has some chance encounters on his flight, his train, and elsewhere, some of them suspicious. He feels lost "in a wilderness of mirrors". He uses the skills he learnt while researching for his novels. It's suggested to him that the Russians are trying to kill the Resurrection members and their relatives. He wonders whether MI6 want to save Lara or kill her.

He sees Lara. She says that Mantis works for Russia. Kit has a plan to help her escape before the wrong people get her, involving fans he met who have a yacht. They reach Gibralter then Lara runs off. He returns to London. It's surprisingly quiet. Then 2 spies talk to him, one of whom he met in Morocco. They say that Mantis has been killed. They discuss Resurrection. Kit defends their principles though like Lara he doesn't like their lurch into terrorism. They release him. He sees them with Lara. He begins to think that Lara was a British agent. He's kidnapped, meets Ivan. Whose side is he on? The Russians, and they funded Resurrection. Ivan wants to kidnap Lara with Kit's , hinting that they've got Kit's father. Kit thwarts them. Ivan's killed. Lara becomes a spy again, and Kit is invited to do more spy work.

I was hooked most of the time. I liked the Morocco details. It's also known as "The Moroccan Girl".

Other reviews

• pittenweemlibrary (He delights in the chance to perform the spy role for real and pats himself on the back several times for how well he is doing. ... Such clichés are send-ups by the author. It is fun to spot them in this clever and witty book.)
• Barry Forshaw