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Sunday 27 April 2014

Terry Hayes - I Am Pilgrim


Review written by Corinna Christopher & read live on the bookshow 24th April 2014

This is an amazing debut spy thriller by Terry Hayes.  For all those who love this genre it is a great read and although very long, 887 pages, the suspense keeps going right on to the end. 

It is difficult to describe the intricate plot suffice it to say it encompasses the following:-  A young woman murdered in a run-down Manhatten hotel, a father publicly beheaded in the blistering sun of Saudi Arabia, a man's eyes stolen from his living body as he leaves a secret Syrian research laboratory, smouldering human remains on a mountainside in the Hindu Kush and a plot to commit an appalling crime against humanity.  One thread that binds them all and one man to take the journey is the PILGRIM.

The pilgrim has many aliases but probably  started  life as Scott Murdoch a boy adopted by wealthy parents and subsequently in adult life taken into the very secret U. S. surveillance known as The Division.  The story is told from his point of view and his investigations take him first to Turkey where some of the action takes place but also to other countries as he meticulously unravels the plot.

Running parallel to this is the life of a Saudi man given the name of the Saracen.  It explains about his early life and what occurred to turn him into a Jihadist terrorist.  In due course he embarks upon a terrifying course of action which could have tremendous consequences upon the Western world.

The Pilgrim is as one would imagine a loner with excellent skills and as such had written a very accurate book on crime techniques.   By the end of the book  I was filled with admiration for this intelligent and honourable man.

This book is very relevant to the modern world in which we live and guides us through a shadowy environment of international espionage.  There were many interesting facts to absorb.  A compelling and highly recommended book.

The book was published in paperback in April this year.  The author is a former journalist and screenwriter with many well-known titles to his name.  Born in England he now lives with his American wife and four children in Switzerland.

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