A review by readback
The English Girl by Daniel Silva

3.0

I'm not sure what the hype is all about. I give it three stars because the writer's competence makes up for what the book lacks. I'm finding it difficult to trust rating systems and reviews in general. Expectations have reached new lows. Publicity pushes mediocre books into bestseller territory. I found this novel provided an average reading experience. Exposition was rife with references to previous novels in the series. Part Two consisted of yet more expository material; I felt I'd entered another novel. I figured out the "big twist" before the end of the first part, then had to wait hundreds of pages for it to play out. I didn't find the main character compelling. It took me a while to get through it, as I lost motivation to continue half-way through Part Two. Cookie-cutter assassins, mundane observations about global politics, and a slow-moving plot made it a bit dull. He's a decent writer, but I'd prefer Le Carre any day. Nice cover, but I wouldn't judge the book by it.