Book Review - The Conspirators by G W Shaw

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Title: The Conspirators

Author: G W Shaw

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: riverrun

Publication Date: 20th July 2023

Rating: 3 Stars

Jacob Meaney makes so little money as a translator that his girlfriend has given up on him. Then Eloise, an Australian digital marketer, appears out of the blue, offering him unheard of sums for a couple of weeks' work.

A private plane and helicopter take him to a showcase villa in Carinthia and all the luxury he could ever want. Here he meets the owner of the house Bondarenko. Unwillingly Jacob has become part of an organised crime conspiracy, held captive there by armed guards.

His task is to interpret between Hindi, Russian and English during Zoom calls with Nazim, an Indian criminal whose gang have taken over the manufacture and distribution network of the wonder fertility drug that Bondarenko has been selling on the internet. It becomes clear to Jacob that his employer is in far deeper and more dangerously than he realises. The gang's plan is to take over the entire operation by any means.

The villa has become a lethal gilded prison to Jacob and Vlada, the maid who's a trafficked worker. When Nazim finally strikes which side will Jacob take to survive?

 I opted to read this because I loved G W Shaw's previous book, and wanted to give the author another go.  And on the whole I was certainly impressed by this book, the writing is great, there is a great sense of peril, and you have absolutely no idea who to trust. 

It is also filled with characters I felt it was hard to like including Jacob who I just didn't gel with,  and I had absolutely no idea who to trust.  And at times I felt completely and utterly lost as to who was on what side and whose loyalties lay where. 

It's a very good concept and I enjoyed the descriptions of the compound that Jacob was taken too,  I was impressed with his translation skills, and seeing how he was coming to terms with the situation he was in. 

I also really feld for Vlada, the maid and her backstory did touch me, but then again at times I wasn't sure if I could trust her too.  I literally suspected everyone of everything at some point or another while reading. 

Certainly for me unpredictable, and it's definitely a good book that I'm glad I read, but at the same time, I think I should perhaps stay clear of books involving conspiracies in the future as I don't really think they are for me. I'm still though curious to see what the author's next book will be. 

Thank you to riverrun and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.