The Conspirators
GW Shaw
342 pages
Quecus books
Published on July 20, 2023
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The Conspirators is a contemporary thriller set in Austria, about a young English translator who is persuaded to take on a lucrative interpreting job, but soon finds himself in serious trouble. I read and loved Dead Rich by this author last year, and this has the same mix of tension, skulduggery, and twists, but I felt like the whole plot was just a bit too far fetched this time. It’s still a fun fast paced read that kept me entertained throughout.
Jacob Meaney has a gift for languages, and loves his work translating poetry and fiction, but it doesn’t pay well enough to satisfy his ambitious girlfriend, who has her heart set on them moving into a luxury flat. When a glamorous Australian promises him a small fortune for a short job overseas, and has him flown to a stunning villa in the Austrian mountains, he can’t believe his luck, but soon changes his mind when he meets his thuggish new employer and is told he may not leave. Trapped with a group of strangers all working on an illegal pharmaceutical scheme, Jacob soon learns that this dream job is actually a nightmare…
This was an enjoyable action adventure featuring evil gangsters, a human trafficking subplot, a complicated but lucrative scam, and a locked villa scenario where our mild mannered hero is never quite sure who he can trust. There is some violence and the main bad guy is pretty nasty, but it’s not too gory. I liked the way Jacob uses his wits and specialised language skills to solve each problem that he faces, and that he was willing to risk his own life to save others. I’m not sure why Nazim was so determined to join Myroslav’s conspiracy when he could presumably have done the same thing on his own, but this was the main driver of all the events so it’s best to just go with it. 3.5 rounded up for some humorous moments and a good ending. Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus Books for the ARC. I am posting this honest review voluntarily.
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