Let’s be honest, a lot of us are a little suspicious when we see a celebrity name on a book. It may not stop us reading them but it may mean we have a different mindset when we start reading, potentially. I was probably the same when I picked up Geneva by Richard Armitage and in doing so discovered that it was a very enjoyable thriller.
This is a thriller that I can see being on the big screen. It has everything that you look for in a traditional thriller and it is brought bang up to date. The usual issue, writing a post that does not contain a spoiler. However, I suppose it is OK to say that this is a thriller that involves pharmacetucal companies, lies, deceit and characters who are possibly never who they seem to be.
The story is told from multiple viewpoints and that certainly kept me reading as you experience what the characters are experiencing, and that adds to the thrill as you may know something that they don’t know. You find yourself hoping that they uncover it soon, otherwise you know what the consequences may be.
The title ‘Geneva’ is very apt as the place is almost a character in this book. You would not have some of the thrills you have without the atmospheric setting of the story. The darkness, the snow and the moutains bring as much of a thrill to the tale as the action does.
In the acknowledgments Richard Armitage thanks Harlan Coben for encouraging him to write this story – and I think we should all be grateful to Harlan Coben for that as it has brought us a thriller with a little of a feel of the stories of the adventure thrillers of the golden age (a real Paul Temple feel), but it is bang up to date. And that vibe and style to the story really added to the enjoyment of the book for me.
However, I think I have to be honest that, since I found out that Richard Armitage and Nicola Walker read the audiobook, that is exactly who the two central characters were in my head when I was reading it. And that is no bad thing – and, I guess, perfect for a possible TV or film adaptation…