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One Of Our Ministers Is Missing: From the award-winning writer and former MP

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Again we meet with Louise Mangan, a member of the British Police Force, now in a higher rank and maintaining great skills. The book flits effortlessly between countries, weaving the threads of a variety of sub-plots, involving international police work and investigation along with the story. I found following the plotline through seamless and really felt that there’d been meticulous attention paid in the finer details. As a whodunnit, the dastardly scheme is pretty obvious quite early in the piece. This is not actually a bad thing. Often crime novels spend way too much time creating convoluted red herrings and cryptic references that it confuses the reader. This one does not confuse, instead leaving the reader to enjoy watching it all unfold. There are a couple of twist-ettes, perhaps, as the strands are brought together, but nothing that will tax the brain too much.

The Girl on the Train with a dash of Russian poisoning and a classic femme fatale * Sunday Telegraph * When Tory peer, businessman, and government minister Edward Bellingham goes missing while holidaying with his wife in Crete, assistant police commissioner Louise Mangan is roped in to investigate alongside Greek police. The story encompasses a hitman planning his last job (and his unsuspecting wife), gangs, people smuggling, a missing journalist, a beleaguered Turkish writer, and even a dash of romance. Lord Bellingham is an easy character to dislike as is his wife so when we meet Louise Mangan, a met officer sent in to assist in the investigation into our missing minister, I was on her side straight away and as she mimics a police officer version of Shirley Valentine the love angle of the story appears. I would like to thank Netgalley and Headline for a review copy of One of our Ministers Is Missing, the second novel to feature AC Louise Mangan of the Met. Is there no limit to his talents? . . . I absolutely loved Alan’s new thriller, it’s brilliant.’ Hunter Davies

Johnson’s own ministerial career included a brief stint as home Secretary, and he clearly draws on insights culled from those days in his portrayal of the working relationships (and especially the jealousies and resentments) between officers in the top echelons of the metropolitan Police Service. But there is another equally as important character in this novel, Brady. Seemingly a happily married man with a decent job who lives under the radar. But his real character is nothing like this. He is a killer preparing for his last job. I won’t reveal much more about his storyline because in some ways his character is the most fascinating in the book. He should have been a character I detested but there were aspects of him I appreciated and had sympathy for. With thanks to the publisher for the copy received. This is the first book that I have read by this author and on finishing I immediately looked at his earlier books. This was a book that I enjoyed for its originality and its characters. Our Government minister is Lord Bellingham and yes he goes missing whilst on a walk in rural Crete. The story twists more than his trek and you will be left breathless as if you were along for the walk; a walk made very pleasurable by great descriptive writing. Is there no limit to his talents? . . . I absolutely loved Alan's new thriller, it's brilliant.' Hunter Davies

Lord Bellingham, a minister in the Foreign Office, has disappeared while hiking in Crete. Given the political sensitivities Louise is sent to Crete to liaise with the Greek Police, but nothing is as it seems. Lady Bellingham has no interest in talking to the police, the nanny is keeping secrets and the press were investigating Lord Bellingham. Having been given a copy by the man himself, I was delighted to dive into this second book, having really enjoyed the first The Late Train to Gipsy Hill. Alan, you did not disappoint with this one, it was brilliant!The novel opens with Brady, who isn’t what he seems. He is in fact a professional hitman and his wife doesn’t have a clue about what he does. How will he fit into the main story of Lord Bellingham, redoubtable peer of the realm and – as it transpires – sleaze bag, who seems to have gone missing on the island of Crete? Then there is Bellingham’s glamorous wife on the island, settled in their house in Agia Galini, together with their nanny, who has been entertaining a local young man when the the Lord and Lady are out for the evening.

On holiday in Crete, Lord Bellingham had been solo trekking in the White Mountains when he mysteriously disappeared. After a vast search and rescue operation, the local police have no leads, save for a mobile phone discarded on a cliff edge. Assistant Commissioner Louise Mangan of the Met Police is sent to assist in the investigation but soon discovers that there are more layers to this case than the local police realise. Under pressure from the powers that be, can Louise find the missing minister, or will she discover something much more sinister at play? My Review In London, assistant Met Commissioner, Louise Mangan is tasked with going to Crete – an island she knows very well – to liaise with the local police and help with the search for this important man. In short, as the title suggests, a minister goes missing on the island of Crete, this instigates the UK to send Assistant Commissioner Louise Mangan of the Met Police to assist in the investigation…which soon unravels into a lot more than a missing person!

One Of Our Ministers Is Missing

Some of the characters are well developed, but others feel rather stereotyped - the obese and alcoholic journalist Christopher Finch, Brady the Belfast-born hitman, the naive Geordie nanny, Dimitri the restaurateur. And in the audio-book version, the narrator (Richard Attlee) rather ill-advisedly chooses affect each accent for the dialogue sections. It does help to delineate the characters but at times it feels a bit music hall.

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