The Whistleblower: The explosive thriller from Britain's top political journalist

Product Information

There's a mix of facts and fiction, there's a harsh picture of the world of the master of the universe and the politician who were supporting them. It’s sometimes said that if you want something done, ask a busy person. Such a one is ITN’s singular political editor, Robert Peston, who is opening the High Holiday season with a flourish. A big thank you to Tracy and the publisher, Zaffre Books for issuing me with my review copy of the book and for inviting me to take part on the blog tour. (I am reading and reviewing this voluntarily and my review is my own and not biased in any way)

Robert Peston | 9781838777784 | NetGalley The Crash | Robert Peston | 9781838777784 | NetGalley

verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ Haughton has chosen a fantastically atmospheric setting for her first crime novel and although her protagonist makes a series of dubious choices, it’s a chilling race to the finish to discover whodunnit. 1979 Whilst Gil is most certainly a flawed character, I found myself warming to him and cheering him on to uncover the truth. Given we don't actually meet his sister, she is still a central figure to the book and one who adds to the political intrigue.

I thought this was very time specific and did well with the nostalgia side like arsene wenger coming in as nobody and and the technology like Nokias and 308s considering this is a 2021 novel. Great characters, gripping plot, and as ever I feel I have managed to learn a lot while also never feeling that I am not reading a novel. What he does do very well is explain the ins and outs of political journalism at the time the book is set, occasionally these bits do get a bit dry but they are necessary both to scene setting and plot development, and are few and far between, so not too painful. Certainly he doesn't drag it out half as long as he does his questions to Boris! I now have a far better understanding of what happened in 2008 and, frankly, the financial system and financial capitalism and multinational financial arrangements are terrifying! As is the cupidity of politicians of all parties.

The Whistleblower by Robert Peston | Goodreads

I really liked Gil, he was determined to get the crux of the story no matter what but he was also concerned about hurting people in the process. Although he has his flaws, he was a great protagonist and maybe his flaws actually helped make him relatable. You can feel the pressure he is under, trying to get the next story, his mother's illness and then the death of Marilyn. Then having to navigate that bunch of killer sharks is bankers and politicians! Geez no wonder he needs a spa day! There is also the shadow of his sister’s death which he has never recovered from.

I feel some of what’s in this May or may not be based on his life as journo in current affairs as it was 30 years ago. And then, the next day, Marilyn Krol, a director of the Bank of England, commits suicide. At least that's what it appears to be.

WTF: What have we done? Why did it happen? How do we ta…

Overall, I found it to be an interesting, multilayered political thriller that maintained my interest throughout. It’s a slightly pretentious version of why I wrote it, but I do think that the chaos we’re living through now has roots in the late 1990s. I think a lot of people have felt lost in recent years, and some of that stems from the erosion of traditional class identification, which was accelerated and magnified by the fact that Labour decided it was broadly no longer a working-class party. It meant people lost their political lodestar. If people think I’d be any good as an MP, it’s mostly a function of how terrible the current lot may be Beginning to think Fic Fac (mix of Fiction and Fact) is the literary answer to Hip Hop. So much of this book resonates as perceived fact, with probable cause, but whatever your feelings on that front this was a book I just couldn’t put down. As a sequel to the Whistleblower I found this book totally absorbing both as a thriller that triggered the imagination and to the extent I was even picturing some real life names in place of some of the “fictional” characters portrayed (good game). Of its type I thought this book was brilliant, would thoroughly recommend and grateful to NetGalley and BonnierBooks ,Zaffre for the ARC. His former colleague at the Financial Chronicle, Jess Neeskens, is still a close friend and features strongly in this story which starts with Gil discovering problems at Banque de Maghreb, who have to freeze a fund heavily invested in ‘sub prime’ mortgages from US banks (does this ring a bell?). Soon Marilyn Krol, a director of the Bank of England, and on/off lover of Gil, is found hanged and Gill cannot accept the view of Assistant Met Commissioner, Kim Jansen, that it is suicide. We’ll start by talking about three or four different issues that really matter to people, such as the cost of living, the battle against inflation. Then there’ll be other business stories —for example, I’m completely obsessed with Artificial Intelligence at the moment and what effect that is going to have on people’s jobs”.I was a huge reader. I loved all the E Nesbits and CS Lewises, and I’m afraid to say that when I was 10, I literally sat on the sofa with The Lord of the Rings and didn’t get off till I finished it. Unlike other Jewish media, we do not charge for content. That won’t change. Because we are free, we rely on advertising to cover our costs. This vital lifeline, which has dropped in recent years, has fallen further due to coronavirus. I enjoyed the dialogue and the story was great and I enjoyed the twist at the end. I just wish there was less of the C word!!! Kind of ruined using it too much. Lots of enjoyment to be had in this book. Peston has made a pretty good job of his first political thriller and it’s certainly fun to try identify the characters in this fictional 1997 world, where a charming Labour politician seems likely to seize power from the Tories, aided by a media mogul. He says: “I grew up in a household where my father [the Labour life peer Baron Maurice Peston] was militantly atheist. He became this arch-rationalist at the London School of Economics and decided that all religion was hocus-pocus. Although there were all these behavioural things in his case that he never shook off — he could never bring himself to eat bacon or pork sausages, for example. The only thing he would cook for himself was cholesterol on a plate (this turns out to be worsht and eggs)”.