Matt McAvoy Book Review

I’ve read many from my namesake Gary McAvoy, and generally always know what to expect from his work: excellent action fiction with a theological historical angle, incredible research and in-depth procedural detail.  Of course, this is more of the same, but if I’m to be totally honest, I would have to admit this is probably not my favourite from him to date – in fact, I would go as far as to say that I actually struggled quite a bit keeping engaged with this one, and somewhere around the middle it did start to lose me.  It’s a shame, because Gary’s books are generally a treat – real blockbusters for a discerning, grown-up audience.  The Galileo Gambit is all of the above, sure, but it is also quite flimsy and a little bit hazy in terms of its storyline, as our usual crowd of mismatched super-sleuths find themselves trying to locate a missing parchment amidst a clandestine plot to discredit and dishonour the pope and his illegitimate son, all against the backdrop of a moot retrial of Galileo.  Whilst this is all constructed in Gary’s trademark style of slick, intelligent narrative and bucketloads of historical knowledge (and legal knowledge, it would appear), it also felt a touch farfetched and perhaps even a little silly at some points, particularly the trial scenes.  Furthermore, as Gary was weaving these strands of the unfolding plotline, I have to admit that I found myself scratching my head at times at the connections – definitely more so than any of Gary’s books I’ve read in the past.

I’m somewhat loath to critique Gary’s work, I have to say, because I’m a big fan, and there is absolutely no doubt about his talent, ability, education and work ethic; simply put, he is a top-level author.  In this case, though, I felt it was missing something of the shine of previous books in the series.  I would also say some of the presentational polish, too, as I was more aware of a few more issues than may have been prevalent in earlier instalments.  It could be that the content just wasn’t right, but it did feel like this particular book was perhaps not up to the same standard creatively; the others had an aspect of James Bond glamour, while this one was probably more Grisham for historians.  Don’t get me wrong, the story is a good one – Gary’s always are – I just wouldn’t say it was as glossy, and it felt a little less energetic, more lethargic than the rest of the series. 

I wonder if it’s time for Gary to take a little break from this saga and find a new challenge, maybe to return in a few years.  I know he’s up to it; this author is one I highly recommend at all times, and the thought that he is pigeonholed in the world of Hana and Father Dominic is not one that rings true with me.  If you’ve been keeping up with the series, then by all means go ahead and read this book; you won’t regret it.  If you haven’t, and clever, twisty, historical suspense thrillers are your bag, then I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the series.  Just bear in mind, though, that The Galileo Gambit is not the strongest entry in the series.