ON CAPE THREE POINTS

Christopher Wakling

Picador Tpb, £10.99

Reviewed by Russell James

Few British writers turn out thrillers as effectively as Americans. But debut British author Wakling is an exception. He cleverly reinvents the "wrong bag" plot device, having his hero pick up the wrong file as he leaves a crucial meeting. At first he thinks he has lost the file, and in a desperate attempt to save his endangered career he returns to the office to search for it. All is saved, he thinks - the file is there. But it's the wrong file, of course, one he can't admit to having seen, let alone stolen - even when contacted by the Ukrainian customer's sinister head of security. Lewis denies he has the file, but his denials cut no ice. At first he merely wants to avoid the serious embarrassment of having fouled up at work, but the tiny lie quickly turns into a nightmare of deception. The wrong file contains details the Ukrainians will go to any lengths to suppress - and the diligent Lewis has sent a copy to Washington. He phones, but no one is there to send it back. Lewis flies out surreptitiously to recover the file. On the plane he meets a beautiful woman…