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No Immunity
The bullet struck him high on the right side of the chest, spinning him round so that he looked, momentarily, into the terrified face of the doorman before his legs collapsed under him and he fell backwards on to the pavement. Then the sun was blocked by a figure leaning over him.
He felt the barrel of the gun at his temple.
November, 2003. The British Ambassador in Buenos Aires, Mark Wordsworth, is murdered on the eve of talks with the Argentine Government about the Falkland Islands. Were terrorists responsible? Or are there others who might have gained from Wordsworth’s death? His deputy, Jeremy Hawkins, hated him. But what of his widow, Ann, and her former lover, Julian De Crespigny, now Head of Foreign Office Personnel? Or Wordsworth’s successor, the apparently deeply devout William Grant? Also unclear is the role of the reclusive businessman, Angus Sterling, whose fortune is riding on a South Atlantic oil concession under threat from the negotiations.
The police in Buenos Aires and London have made little progress when another death muddies the waters further. Adam White, Assistant Head of Security in the Foreign Office, sets out on his own independent enquiry under the watchful eye of his boss, James Carter. The trail takes Adam in search of the truth to Argentina and Chile and back to London before he makes his final, fateful return to Latin America. But Adam has not revealed everything about his past to his anxious lover, Alison Webster. What was his connection to Wordsworth..?
Authoritative and gripping right up until the final shocking denouement, this debut novel by former diplomat Alan Hunt combines action and danger with perceptive insight into the nature of love and human fallibility. No Immunity is a riveting novel that will appeal to all thriller fans.
He felt the barrel of the gun at his temple.
November, 2003. The British Ambassador in Buenos Aires, Mark Wordsworth, is murdered on the eve of talks with the Argentine Government about the Falkland Islands. Were terrorists responsible? Or are there others who might have gained from Wordsworth’s death? His deputy, Jeremy Hawkins, hated him. But what of his widow, Ann, and her former lover, Julian De Crespigny, now Head of Foreign Office Personnel? Or Wordsworth’s successor, the apparently deeply devout William Grant? Also unclear is the role of the reclusive businessman, Angus Sterling, whose fortune is riding on a South Atlantic oil concession under threat from the negotiations.
The police in Buenos Aires and London have made little progress when another death muddies the waters further. Adam White, Assistant Head of Security in the Foreign Office, sets out on his own independent enquiry under the watchful eye of his boss, James Carter. The trail takes Adam in search of the truth to Argentina and Chile and back to London before he makes his final, fateful return to Latin America. But Adam has not revealed everything about his past to his anxious lover, Alison Webster. What was his connection to Wordsworth..?
Authoritative and gripping right up until the final shocking denouement, this debut novel by former diplomat Alan Hunt combines action and danger with perceptive insight into the nature of love and human fallibility. No Immunity is a riveting novel that will appeal to all thriller fans.
256 pages, Paperback
First published July 22, 2014
4 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 18, 2021
Disappointed with this. Fast paced and held imagination to begin with. Started dropping hints of an exciting story ahead but failed to deliver and the ending was an anti climax. But as always this is just my opinion so don't let it put you off trying if you wish!
March 24, 2015
The bullet struck him high on the right side of the chest, spinning him round so that he looked, momentarily, into the terrified face of the doorman before his legs collapsed under him and he fell backwards on to the pavement. Then the sun was blocked by a figure leaning over him.
He felt the barrel of the gun at his temple.
November, 2003. The British Ambassador in Buenos Aires, Mark Wordsworth, is murdered on the eve of talks with the Argentine Government about the Falkland Islands. Were terrorists responsible? Or are there others who might have gained from Wordsworth’s death? His deputy, Jeremy Hawkins, hated him. But what of his widow, Ann, and her former lover, Julian De Crespigny, now Head of Foreign Office Personnel? Or Wordsworth’s successor, the apparently deeply devout William Grant? Also unclear is the role of the reclusive businessman, Angus Sterling, whose fortune is riding on a South Atlantic oil concession under threat from the negotiations.
The police in Buenos Aires and London have made little progress when another death muddies the waters further. Adam White, Assistant Head of Security in the Foreign Office, sets out on his own independent enquiry under the watchful eye of his boss, James Carter. The trail takes Adam in search of the truth to Argentina and Chile and back to London before he makes his final, fateful return to Latin America. But Adam has not revealed everything about his past to his anxious lover, Alison Webster. What was his connection to Wordsworth..?
My Review
This book was not what i was expecting I nearly gave up on it because it took some time to pull me into the story but I forced myself to keep reading and I am so glad I did because by the end of the book I was unable to put it down. This is the first time I have read a book by Alan hunt but may be the next one should be running from the start.
He felt the barrel of the gun at his temple.
November, 2003. The British Ambassador in Buenos Aires, Mark Wordsworth, is murdered on the eve of talks with the Argentine Government about the Falkland Islands. Were terrorists responsible? Or are there others who might have gained from Wordsworth’s death? His deputy, Jeremy Hawkins, hated him. But what of his widow, Ann, and her former lover, Julian De Crespigny, now Head of Foreign Office Personnel? Or Wordsworth’s successor, the apparently deeply devout William Grant? Also unclear is the role of the reclusive businessman, Angus Sterling, whose fortune is riding on a South Atlantic oil concession under threat from the negotiations.
The police in Buenos Aires and London have made little progress when another death muddies the waters further. Adam White, Assistant Head of Security in the Foreign Office, sets out on his own independent enquiry under the watchful eye of his boss, James Carter. The trail takes Adam in search of the truth to Argentina and Chile and back to London before he makes his final, fateful return to Latin America. But Adam has not revealed everything about his past to his anxious lover, Alison Webster. What was his connection to Wordsworth..?
My Review
This book was not what i was expecting I nearly gave up on it because it took some time to pull me into the story but I forced myself to keep reading and I am so glad I did because by the end of the book I was unable to put it down. This is the first time I have read a book by Alan hunt but may be the next one should be running from the start.
September 12, 2014
Plotwise, this book does all the right things. It ticks all the right boxes. It's basically about a young man in the diplomatic service investigating the murder of the UK's Ambassador to Argentina. The author himself worked for the diplomatic service and he clearly knows his stuff. This shows and makes the book convincing.
The problem is however that I found it all a little dull. I'm not sure why but I never really felt like reading it. If I hadn't received a review copy through Net Galley, I'm not sure that I would have persevered. I just never cared for any of the characters. I just never felt invested in knowing why the ambassador was killed.
Part of this might be my problem. Throughout the book I found myself actively disliking the clubby, old boys network that the author portrayed the foreign office to be. I found myself depressed that in this day and age our diplomatic service is still made up of these slightly obnoxious public school boys. Nothing seems to have changed since the 1950s.
I will award this two stars. Perhaps other people will like it. Perhaps it was my own prejudices which got in the way. Whatever the case, I doubt I will be in much nutty to read more from this author.
The problem is however that I found it all a little dull. I'm not sure why but I never really felt like reading it. If I hadn't received a review copy through Net Galley, I'm not sure that I would have persevered. I just never cared for any of the characters. I just never felt invested in knowing why the ambassador was killed.
Part of this might be my problem. Throughout the book I found myself actively disliking the clubby, old boys network that the author portrayed the foreign office to be. I found myself depressed that in this day and age our diplomatic service is still made up of these slightly obnoxious public school boys. Nothing seems to have changed since the 1950s.
I will award this two stars. Perhaps other people will like it. Perhaps it was my own prejudices which got in the way. Whatever the case, I doubt I will be in much nutty to read more from this author.
January 10, 2016
In November 2003 the British ambassador is killed just outside his home by a professional assassin. A very dense moment during the talks between the governments about the Falkland Islands. Adam White, Assistant Head of Security in the Foreign Office, quickly finds traces that lead to Angus Sterling, a businessman whose fortune is closely linked to and endangered by the talks. But there seems to be more behind it and the longer the crisis with the South American embassies takes, the more private connections and interests become obvious. When the second ambassador dies, everybody comes under fire.
A classic spy and diplomats novel in the well-known John Le Carré style. Diplomatic entanglements, individual interests and complicated plot with many twits keep you reading on. The characters are created in an authentic way that you can imagine they really exist, especially the behaviour and acting of the personnel of the diverse ministries and embassies seems to me quite logical and believable. Also the side plots about the ambassadors’ wives had some interesting insights to offer. It is easy to see that Alan Hunt knows what he is writing about and does not embellish life in a foreign country as an official representative.
A classic spy and diplomats novel in the well-known John Le Carré style. Diplomatic entanglements, individual interests and complicated plot with many twits keep you reading on. The characters are created in an authentic way that you can imagine they really exist, especially the behaviour and acting of the personnel of the diverse ministries and embassies seems to me quite logical and believable. Also the side plots about the ambassadors’ wives had some interesting insights to offer. It is easy to see that Alan Hunt knows what he is writing about and does not embellish life in a foreign country as an official representative.
August 6, 2015
This is Alan Hunt's first foray into novel-writing after a distinguished career in the British diplomatic service. And what a book, with the right mix of murder intrigue, bureaucratic officialdom, diplomatic secrecy, and the inevitable sex/relationship drama.
Hunt incisively cuts through the usual red tape of peripheral explanations and unnecessary backdrop-setting which seep into too many novels. The reader is instead effortlessly swept up by the ins and outs of the diplomatic world - not unlike conventional stereotypes - though of course one can decide for oneself how fictional/real this elusive world may be.
After the suspense reached a crescendo in the penultimate chapter, I did find the last chapter an anti-climax as it tried to tie up all the loose ends. Perhaps one more plot twist would have made the perfect novel!
Nevertheless, excellent. Finished it in one sitting. Looking forward to Hunt's next novel!
Hunt incisively cuts through the usual red tape of peripheral explanations and unnecessary backdrop-setting which seep into too many novels. The reader is instead effortlessly swept up by the ins and outs of the diplomatic world - not unlike conventional stereotypes - though of course one can decide for oneself how fictional/real this elusive world may be.
After the suspense reached a crescendo in the penultimate chapter, I did find the last chapter an anti-climax as it tried to tie up all the loose ends. Perhaps one more plot twist would have made the perfect novel!
Nevertheless, excellent. Finished it in one sitting. Looking forward to Hunt's next novel!
August 21, 2014
NO IMMUNITY is a crisp and captivating le Carre-esque debut novel from a retired FCO insider who evidently operated at a senior level. Gently comic and a quick, compelling read.
The plot was pleasingly pacy, with plenty of twists and turns and empathetic characters, with a great flavour of what life in the diplomatic service was like in times gone by (grisly murders aside).
I particularly relished the gorgeously evocative descriptions of Latin America, in particular, Santiago, Buenos Aires and Tierra del Fuego; the author has a skilled and sensitive sense of place and can paint a breath-taking picture with just a few well-chosen strokes.
This is an exciting and original new voice... Highly recommended as a enjoyable page-turner.
The plot was pleasingly pacy, with plenty of twists and turns and empathetic characters, with a great flavour of what life in the diplomatic service was like in times gone by (grisly murders aside).
I particularly relished the gorgeously evocative descriptions of Latin America, in particular, Santiago, Buenos Aires and Tierra del Fuego; the author has a skilled and sensitive sense of place and can paint a breath-taking picture with just a few well-chosen strokes.
This is an exciting and original new voice... Highly recommended as a enjoyable page-turner.
Want to read
October 1, 2014No Immunity's surface plot is about a young man in the British diplomatic service, who is inexorably drawn into investigating the murder of the UK's Ambassador to Argentina. With a fascinating pace, beautifully evocative South American landscapes and believable characters, this fascinating novel charts nuances and intrigues lacing the inner-world of international diplomatic relations and the affect on the racing personal lives of everyone involved. A debut novel written by a former diplomatic servicemen, the book was a swift page turner on a recent holiday and had wonderful aspects subtlely pulled through the plot. I can't wait to see his next release.
My Dad is going to adore this for Christmas...
My Dad is going to adore this for Christmas...
December 6, 2014
I do usually enjoy reading this genre but with this book I found that it didn’t grab my attention like most books did. Thus, I found it harder to concentrate and maintain my interest in it. This was a very good effort but it was definitely missing something to create that spark of a really good book.
You can find more reviews Mademoisellesnow Blog
You can find more reviews Mademoisellesnow Blog
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews