When the letter L was pulled out for my next read, I was happy to find that John Le Carre was listed under that letter. I have read a few of his books in the past (The Constant Gardener definitely being a highlight) and so was more than happy to pick up one of his titles from my husband's bookshelf. Single & Single opens with a corporate lawyer being shot somewhere in Turkey, then cuts to a children's entertainer in Devon, who is called in to his bank to explain a sudden influx of cash. The latter, Oliver Single, isn't all that he seems - he is the son of a celebrated London financier who has just disappeared, and Oliver is sucked into the world he had previously turned his back on, in an effort to find out what is going on. But he is not the only one and things take a more ominous tone when he comes up against dangerous businessmen and shadowy "official" figures. This is certainly a thriller, which is usually a winner for me, but I found this book incredibly hard to get into. I had to reread the first 50 pages as I realised at that point that I wasn't entirely sure who anyone was or what they were doing. But I'm not sure even that helped. I spent most of the book wondering what was going on, and even though at times I felt I was starting to get a grip on things, the story slipped from my grasp once again. There were a lot of characters, as well as multiple locations and the scenes chopped and changed very quickly. I didn't find any of the characters sympathetic, which didn't help. I have to say that I ploughed through this book, page by page, waiting for some clarity, but it never came. It left me confused and slightly annoyed, particularly as even the ending left matters kind of hanging. Disappointed.
My STAR rating: ONE.
Length: 416 print pages.
Price I paid: free, borrowed from my husband.
Formats available: print, unabridged audio download, ebook.
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