Following on from the success of her début novel Sphinx, selling 100,000 copies Learner, a British born playwright, has produced The Map, a similar style tome of a novel that combines history, politics, espionage and mysticism.

It is set in the 1950′s following the Second World War and on the fringes of the Cold War. It starts with a gritty and promising insight into the life of  August Winthrop, an American who has previously fought with the International Brigade in 1937, an Oxford Classics academic, and maverick CIA operative with strong political ideals.

Interspersed throughout the book is the historical flashback of the life of the alchemist Shimon Ruiz La Luiz, a young Spaniard with a gift, and his fraught journey attempting to appeal to and inspire the King of England only having to face his early death.

Now longer in the tooth living  a somewhat depressing and isolated life, devoid of any real comfort or success, things dramatically change when August is paid an unexpected visit by a previous comrade who, dying, seeks his assistance to return a 17th Century chronicle containing a great mystical secret; a map to three hidden labyrinths and references to witchcraft. This sets August on a journey to Spain, as he tries to decipher the text, in order to return it to the family destined to protect its secrets. The  journey is however far from straight forward as August is pursued by secret agents and the death of old Brigade allies which he is being framed for.

This starts off as an absorbing read with high expectations, plenty of pace, tension and the promise of an unfolding gripping mystery. It does however struggle in parts to sustain these expectations. August tries to locate all the maps and decipher the secret within the chronicle – something not exactly necessary as after locating the first labyrinth, he has by this point returned it to its rightful guardian. But others are after the chronicle and he is being framed so it’s plausible enough for the reader to go along with this. The struggle over who to know, who to trust, who is working for the MI5, CIA or possibly even the Russians is well layered and absorbing. The political complexities of Franco′s Spain as well as the ancient beliefs of the Basques is cleverly interwoven also. Its Achilles heel relates to the less believable clues and links taking August on a compelling journey around Europe to discover maps and the ultimate enlightenment these collective symbols offer.  It dabbles with spiritualism and the occult, which doesn’t quite tie in very convincingly, but it does offer a fast, engaging fantasy action-packed adventure. So if you liked her initial book or the Dan Brown books I’m sure you’ll enjoy this. There is also an extra on-line chapter for those wanting a more detailed epilogue.

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