A Very Private Gentleman – Martin Booth

$13.97 from Amazon.com

Buy it if: You prefer that your international thrillers be understated, like a subtle French wine. Depth and breadth trump speed and action for you.

Don’t buy it if: You’re the Bacardi-shooter, flaming drink, bullets, sex and acrobatics type of reader. Daniel Craig is your favorite Bond, not Timothy Dalton.

The ‘International Man of Mystery’ novel is hardly an unplumbed depth. In fact, from Jason Bourne to James Bond, there is a multitude of sub-genres that have been written nearly to death. The Gun for Hire, Rogue Agent, Avenging Lover, Patriotic Spy…the list goes on, with only subtle shades between characters and virtually identical traits of physical and intellectual supremacy. This is why Martin Booth’s A Very Private Gentleman stands apart and succeeds.

The premise is not too far removed from the above. We still find a single man, living secretly abroad with a sordid past and a skill set uniquely suited to his profession. But the similarities between Booth and Ian Fleming end there. ‘Mr. Butterfly’ is both less and more than the sum of his professional ability. And with a narrative written in the first person, by a man nearing the end of his career, its approach is one of introspection and consideration weaved into a simple and pragmatic description of life off the grid, a craftsman of death.

‘Craftsman’ is really the best description that can be offered for Butterfly. Though the book takes its time in revealing the exact nature of his profession, it repeatedly alludes to the ‘murder-for-hire’ nature of his work while skillfully avoiding the tired, stock, hitman character. Butterfly has never pulled a trigger for money. In fact, his involvement in the endeavors of The Reaper are far more unique, with the story all the better for it.

Additionally, the story is as much to do with his lifestyle as his profession. From the sleepy bars that line village piazzas to the quiet and gentlemanly brothel he frequents, the book displays a subtly accurate description of rural Italian living. The things noticed by Butterfly are the things we all notice in our lives of waking, eating, loving and generally existing. This will not appeal to those who are seeking a pure action novel, but as a character, the man is utterly fascinating. He works and earns a living, just as we all do. The nature of that work is what gives the narrative its irresistible slant.

As a story, Booth’s book is paced very much like the Italian lives described within: Steady and deliberate, each word is chosen and placed with the care. The emphasis is on detail and subtlety, eschewing fast paced action for action for a tone mirroring the warm, rich Mediterranean lifestyle of the narrator. It’s an unusual take, but very effective. Like a full, complex glass of red wine, the story has to be savored over time to be fully appreciated, but can still be enjoyed by a more casual audience. If you want a rapid fire spy movie poured out across cheap pulp, you should look elsewhere. But for a fulfilling read with depth that demands patience, a compelling twist on an old genre, A Very Private Gentleman is among the best works of fiction I’ve ever enjoyed.