The Old Bridge: a compulsive modern thriller with historical twists (A Joe… (utgåvan 2018)

Centuries of conflict characterise the history of the Balkans. The most recent war of the 1990s is the background for this riveting, multi-layered page-turner.

An eponymous 450-year-old bridge is one of the key players. Premeditated murders were committed on the bridge in the midst of battle during the Balkans war. A relative of the dead is imbued with deep-seated hatred triggered 20 years later. The opportunity to extract revenge is irresistible.

The Old Bridge is more than a revenge story. Ex-CIA agent and war crimes investigator Joe Johnson is hired to find a dossier compiled during the war people in high places don’t want revealed. One of those people is a high-profile television journalist.

Joe is joined by Jayne Robinson, a former MI6 agent. They discover his ex-CIA boss, Robert Watson, also to stop them finding the dossier – and uncovering other activities in which Watson is involved.

The web Andrew Turpin weaves is complex and complicated. But his clear and concise writing make for a rewarding reading experience. The avenger, the television journalist, the dossier and other thrilling threads are drawn together to culminate in a dramatic climax in New York. The novel is steeped in history and has a strong sense of place and time. Andrew’s former career as a journalist is apparent in the tight writing and meticulous research.

The Old Bridge is the second in the Joe Johnson series. The Last Nazi was the first and the third is Bandit Country. ( )