Another exciting page-turner full of intrigue, tension and drama from this knowledgeable author
British diplomat Jess Turner is on temporary assignment in the Governor’s Office of the Turks and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean. The coral sands and turquoise seas are stunning, but things are not what they seem. The locals are upset about boatloads of illegal migrants arriving from nearby Haiti on their shores, and fearful of the voodoo they bring. Tensions are running high.
When the Governor is critically injured in a car crash, and a brutal murder occurs, Jess is left reeling. What she starts to uncover sends shockwaves through the corridors of power back in London.
DI Tom Sangster is investigating criminal gangs smuggling migrants to Australia. While in Miami for talks with US officials on this global problem, he sees Jess passing through the airport. He visits her in the TCI to find out how the British Government deals with the migrant problem in their Overseas Territory. Soon, they are working together to uncover the TCI’s dark and disturbing secrets.
But a hurricane is approaching and, as with each revelation they get closer to the truth, they end up fighting for their own lives.
Jean Harrod’s experience as a diplomat, and of the exotic location of the Turks and Caicos Islands, shines through this gripping and atmospheric plot
Deadly Diplomacy, Jean Harrod
The Author of DEADLY DIPLOMACY has a background as a diplomat working for many years in Embassies and High Commissions in Australia, Brussels, the Caribbean, China, East Berlin, Indonesia, Mauritius and Switzerland. Her indepth knowledge of the workings of that world stands out in this novel, with her protagonist, Jess Turner, the British Consul in Canberra.
Called upon to support the sister of the victim, Turner is quickly dragged into the investigation. Setting up a diplomat and a cop being forced to co-operate is an unusual approach, but the inclusion of the possibility of corruption and big money in the background helps to provide a scenario where the political, business, crime and international elements all combine giving both viewpoints a perfectly legitimate and believable reason for being there.
Unfortunately, what works less well is the dialogue. No denying this is a frequent bugbear of this particular reader’s but the importance of dialogue in establishing a connection with characters is paramount for me at least. Alas, much of the dialogue here came across as particularly tinny. From “worker” Australian’s dropping their g’s everywhere, whilst white collar ”worker” appeared to be able to hang onto them very reliably, through to some uncomfortably formal exchanges between locals, there was much in the dialogue that did not work to the point where it distracted from the plot. Whilst that might not necessarily be an issue for overseas readers, it’s a pity that there appears to be an implication here about class in a society, when verbal ticks are more likely to be as a result of location of birth than position in society.
Because the focus is very much on Jess Turner, reader’s reactions to her are likely to dictate the level of connection with this novel. If you sympathise with her that her over problems with senior colleagues, how difficult it must be to negotiate the world of criminals, corruption and murders whilst treading a diplomatic and cautious path then your enjoyment of this novel is going to be hugely enhanced. She’s an interesting character, and as indicated earlier, the way that she operates / works / functions within her role is obviously well informed and very believable.
Of course yet another conspiracy, corruption, big-government and business up to stuff scenario isn’t particularly new, but it’s well constructed here, and quite engaging. Perhaps if it was set in another part of the world, where the formality might feel more natural, and the verbal ticks weren’t quite so grating DEADLY DIPLOMACY would have made a bigger impact for this particular reader.