Garden of Beasts Jeffrey Deaver Hodder Stoughton £16.99 hbk Rel: Sept 2004 Reviewed by Benjamin Ogunsanya

When I was initially given this book to review I was expecting another psychological thriller in the same vain, as some of Jeffrey Deaver’s previous offerings. What I actually uncovered was an action adventure, more reminiscent of a Jeffery (Archer) instead of Deaver novel set during the run up to the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. The plot is somewhat far-fetched but this is fiction, what was I expecting? I appreciate that it is extremely difficult to write about an era that you have not lived and as such are not familiar with, but at times I felt that I was being led through the streets of modern day New York instead of Nazi occupied Germany in 1936.

That being said, I found this book very easy to read once I got over my initial surprise. In typical fashion the two central characters are very well developed, and their complex game of hide and seek was portrayed masterfully. There is also a rather surprising twist in the plot towards the end of the book, which is worth the wait.

In conclusion, this book was quite enjoyable, especially towards the end, but definitely not on par with some of Deaver’s earlier offerings, which will probably go down as modern classics. Perhaps he should stick to what he does best; slick psychological thrillers based in modern day New York anyone? Count me in!