The Roads Chosen
(By Ben Carlyle)
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| Author | Ben Carlyle |
The body of a dockworker is found floating off the windswept shore of the Caspian: just another merciless killing, but one that sparks revenge. An anonymous tip-off lands on a desk in London, asserting money laundering, implying drug trafficking, smelling of terrorist funding: it begs a peek. A young wayfarer arrives in the energy capital of Kazakhstan, alleging an austere life spent walking the Silk Road. A chance encounter provides a few weeks work, but intrigue and deception ensue, weaving an inextricable web of deceit. Trapped by the far-reaching tentacles of organised crime, and possessing secrets that will shake the very walls of the Kremlin, is there any escape?
“There are tales, myth some might say, told of a ghost-like people able to spirit away the ill-fated.”
In Russia, the Committee of Soldiers’ Mothers, claim thousands of young military conscripts are subjected to constant physical, sexual and psychological abuse: a claim denied by the Kremlin.
This is a startling account of the escape-lines that have existed since Stalin’s reign; revealing how a family risk all, smuggling these young souls to safe-haven in the remote settlements of the Russian Federation. Set in 2007, this is a compelling and thought-provoking tale, in which, the author fuses fact and fiction in the portrayal of a dedicated few pitting their wits against the most impenetrable, anarchic, murderous and criminal cabal the world has ever known. What is more, it apparently has a foundation (or at least a background) in reality: the ‘Foreward’ lists a series of real-life events which have served as fodder for the author’s imagination.
This is a ‘trade craft’ thriller, with the plotting based around the real-life forms and procedures of the intelligence services. From this you sense the author has had connections to MI6. The novel reads as if he has; it has a strong aroma of procedural authenticity. Aside from procedural detail and intelligent writing, what you get from this work and what raises it high above the general run of the mill thrillers, is a strong investment in character and settings. Even the supporting characters are drawn with an attention to detail, and given solid backstories, whether it’s the sardonic middle-aged spies in London, sinister crime bosses, or the Kazakh and Russian families entrapped in the mafia’s machinations, they all live vividly on the page. Likewise, the settings and locations are all given a good deal of realistic texture.
The pace of the novel is sedate at first, and intensely atmospheric, focusing on the itinerant’s efforts to weave himself into the community. Gradually, it acquires more typical thriller flourishes, with the stakes continually rising and the tentacles of the conspiracy spreading ever wider. It’s a skilfully orchestrated escalation, lent substantial depth by the interleaving of secondary plot lines; one being focused on a young data processor who from university has a romantic history with the main protagonist. Defying her father, an intelligence officer, she vows to track down her former boyfriend and clear his name. The novel closes on this ambiguous note. It’s not at all unusual for intelligent thrillers to end with some of their threads unresolved and the prospect of a sequel. If the story ends here, that’s fine; it’s a tantalising ending, but in a good way. In conclusion, this is an impressive work of high-grade thriller fiction. Ben Carlyle brings an air of professional expertise to the story. The investment in character, setting, background and a fair amount of political history pays off well, giving a solid frame, in which the hugely elaborate plot plays out.”
