Truth Never Dies.
It had been solely personal. Not anymore.
Determined to lay the ghosts of her past, Cassandra Fortune asks a former head of GCHQ for help, only to receive a message from beyond the grave. A riddle to puzzle out and a murder to solve.
She revisits an old betrayal in an ancient land, uncovering subterfuge and treason. Yet, as Christmas approaches, a shadowy presence haunts her footsteps. His criminal network shattered, the diabolical Lawrence Delahaye is back. And he wants what’s his.
What is real and what only appears to be? Who can be trusted and who is double-dealing? Cassie must find the truth. And survive.
Third in the popular Cassandra Fortune series.
I'm delighted to be sharing my review of Opera today, many thanks to Julie Anderson for sending me a copy of her book.
Opera is the third and apparently final book in Julie Anderson's Cassandra Fortune series. It cleverly ties up some of the storylines that have run through the previous books but still left me hoping for further novels set in this alternate reality. With that in mind, I'd advise reading Plague and Oracle first if possible. Opera can easily be enjoyed as an excellent stand-alone thriller but it has clearly been written to follow an ongoing arc and so is really more rewarding read that way.
Following her recent trip to Greece, Cassie has decided to confront her own past and to finally seek the truth about why she was forced to leave her previous civil service post under such a cloud. However, it quickly becomes apparent that if she wants to find the answer, she has a mystery to solve first – and there can be no denying that she is up against a ruthless, deadly foe. One of the many high points of this series for me has always been the insights we are given into Cassie's thoughts; most of the narrative is written in the third person but throughout the book are brief first-person insights into what she is thinking. It means we can more easily understand her but also helps to give the plot a feeling of immediacy.
The sense of place is as impeccable as ever and the scenes within the Palace of Westminster are particularly fascinating. Julie Anderson's former career as a civil servant means there's an assured authenticity to the book and though it may be fiction, it is entirely believable. Cassandra oversees the visit from the Greek Finance Minister and his entourage, which sees a brief but welcome return of some of the characters from Oracle. More importantly, it also allows for some terrifically nail-biting scenes – including a visit to see Tosca at the Royal Opera House, which leads to intriguing parallels being drawn.
With political protestors seeking to disrupt the visit and those with a personal grudge making their presence known, the suspense is almost unbearable and this sense of tension and ominous foreboding never really lets up. Cassie tries to figure out what the coded message she has been left really means, knowing that somebody has already killed at least one before to prevent the truth being exposed. As well as the potential threat to her life, she also has to deal with the attacks on her reputation, and the man who almost destroyed her before is back, toying with her. The complex plot intricately weaves the three books together and it's important to note that despite always containing the core elements which make the trilogy so enjoyable, these never feel like formulaic reads. The past is always crucial to proceedings but whereas Plague explored some of London's subterranean history and Oracle featured Greek mythology, Opera examines the more recent past – and it transpires that there are plenty of people who may have something to hide.
Cassie has a list of suspects and with all of them acting suspiciously, she doesn't know who she can trust. The murky world of spies becomes a key focus and the Machiavellian scheming and jealous backstabbing is a sheer delight as the tension is ratcheted up time and again. There are shocking disclosures, clever twists and a brilliant final confrontation which again plays to all Julie Anderson's strengths. Her characterisation is first-rate; the dogged, resourceful Cassie is the star of the show, of course but the supporting cast are superbly rendered too. The immersive descriptions and dramatic revelations create a wonderfully chilling sensation of unease as we are reminded how much we don't know about what goes on behind closed doors. I love a riveting, intelligent political espionage thriller and the richly atmospheric, nerve-racking Opera is exactly that. I thoroughly recommend it and look forward to reading whatever Julie Anderson writes next.
Opera is published by Claret Press and can be purchased from their website, bookshop.org, Hive, Waterstones, Amazon or your favourite independent bookshop.
About the Author
Thank you for the comprehensive review, I will go and start at the beginning as you suggest.
ReplyDeleteI also like to see a picture of an author with a glass of wine in her hand. I'm glad it isn't just me :)
Thanks for reading it, James. It's an excellent series, I hope you enjoy it. I agree with you about seeing wine in a picture - it definitely isn't just you!
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