Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

This book twin stories of the Arab Spring and migrant trafficking is so affecting. The themes and descriptions in it are written in such a believable way. I learnt so much and yet never felt preached at, and it is still so relevant, and sadly, still so topical. An amazing novel.

Thank you to Netgalley and John Murray Press, Two Roads for the opportunity to read and review this book for an honest opinion. This is the 2nd book in the series, but the only book I have read by this author and don't think it mattered that I hadn't read the first book as was easily able to understand the characters etc.

Th first thing I thought when started reading this was that the author was a journalist and it definitely shows as he knows what he'd talking about., particularly as the main character William Carver is a veteran BBC reporter.

A great political thriller and a real page turner. I look forward to reading more by this journalist/author.

As we reach the end of the year I realise there are several books which I started during 2021 (sometimes I started them for the second time) but never finished. They remain on my Netgalley shelf and I'd rather feedback my thoughts than ignore them and pretend they are not there.

So in an attempt to sping clean (in December) I am sharing my thoughts on the titles I didn't finish and which I will not be reviewing on my blog.

I am afraid A Single Source was a book where I found it dificult to get lost in the story in the way I hope for. I did start this book more than once but on each occasion I read for a single sitting, reached around the 20% mark and stopped reading. I didn't pick the book back up again and moved onto something new.

While I had thought the initial premise was really fascinating this one just didn't click. Apologies but this one wasn't for me.

I love good political thrillers and this didn't disappoint. It took me most of the book to see how the two main stories were linked and that kept me intrigued. I'll look out for more from the author in the future.

This is the kind of book where if you like this sort of thing you'll love it. Unfortunately, it wasn't for me. There just wasn't enough characterisation to engage me and at times it felt more like a news report than a stoey.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC without obligation.

This is an incredibly fast paced political fiction/thriller that presents the unruly passivity of the people of Egypt, alongside the harrowing journey of two brothers which runs alongside the Arab Spring. Excellent and captivating

A bang up to date atmospheric thriller

William Carver is an old hack. As a long-time radio journalist, he has seen almost everything but still has a nose for a good story. He finds himself in Egypt in the middle of the Arab Spring and stumbles across facts which the authorities, both in Egypt and in the UK, would preferably not be made public knowledge and would go to extreme lengths to prevent Carver from broadcasting his findings.

It's an extraordinarily well-written book. Carver is almost an anti-hero as he carries so much baggage around with him from previous assignments. However, the reader can't fail to become attached to him as he is on the side of the underdog and has a conscience, which is something so often lacking in politicians and those who wield power.

There are numerous subplots, and it was intriguing trying to determine how they were all going to link up in the end. Some were more obvious than others, but the story of the two brothers being taken by people traffickers from Eritrea to Europe could have been a stand-alone story.

The description "page-turner" tends to be overused in reviews, but the pace of the plot encourages the reader to keep going well into the small hours of the morning. Carver seems to almost always play to his weaknesses rather than his strengths, but that makes him more attractive as a personality. Certainly, his shortcomings are many and varied, but in him, we can often see a reflection of ourselves.

The main attraction for this reviewer was the atmospheric feel for Cairo, which may have been helped by the fact that I have just returned from Egypt. It's a country of enormous contrasts, and this was superbly reflected in Hanington’s writing. I shall now be seeking out "A Dying Breed" which was the first book to feature William Carver. A first-rate read.

mr zorg

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

Brilliant political thriller set around the Arab spring in Egypt. Involves people trafficking, arms dealing, revolutionists and journalists. A gripping read of intrigue. Highly recommended.

A Single Source by Peter Hanington
Rating ***** 5/5
To be honest I wasn’t sure if I was enjoying A Single Source probably due to it being a slow starter but wow when it took off, it took off firing on all cylinders.
The characters were well developed, truly flawed but believable lending to a superbly written novel encapsulating hope, jaded perception, sacrifice, suffering, heroism overwhelmed by corruption and greed, fuelled by power seeking individuals.
Some of the eccentric characters were wonderfully portrayed. The plot was woven like tributaries of a river coming together and Peter Hanington certainly made it work. His style of using a few words with such strong impact leaves the reader stunned. At least two sections of this moving novel have stayed with me, I won’t spoil it for the reader but this novel won’t leave you unaffected.
Thank you to Peter Hanington, NetGalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read a truly excellent novel. I, in return have given an unbiased and honest review.
GoodReads, Amazon UK and USA

Interesting ideas but not really my kind of book. Felt a bit more like a report than a fiction novel - definitely got harder and harder to stick with. Written more for a particular audience than the general public.

Though articulate in its presentation, I'm afraid this book did not capture my imagination. I attempted to stick with it, but my interest waned. It may be that I was not in the right frame of mind, and maybe will attempt it again at a later date, and will update my review accordingly.

A Single Source is a brilliant political thriller set during the turbulent Arab Spring. Exciting and fast paced, believable characters set in a constant changing world.

What a wonderfully expansive and revealing novel with such a sure-footed exposition of the themes and people shaping our world.

For me its best scenes are from Eritrea, a part of the world so few get to see or understand but which is fuelling the biggest story of the decade, the migrant crisis that has shaped European politics. It is so rare to have that society so sensitively portrayed in a way that the news has never properly reached.

This only slightly rises above the unwavering depiction of the dawn of the Arab spring, seen here through the events in Cairo in 2011, a story that felt like a blip in a wider narrative but as we see in this novel warrants greater inquiry.

It is not just the central characters of Carver and Patrick - both always entertaining - which are fully formed. Peter Hanington never wavers in ensuring even minor people in his story are given full dimension.

It is a page turner, it is a thriller, but it is also a carefully considered pull-together of a tapestry of events that the daily news has been unable to crystallise. I thoroughly recommend it!

A gréât political thriller spanning through different countries and characters. Well worth the read and full of suspense

Although a little slow to get going and with a somewhat idiosyncratic writing style that involved multiple narratives, this book proved very enjoyable and engaging. The various stories eventually combine in a satisfying denouement that is all the more credible as it engages with current and recent history. Characters are well-drawn and the writing is fluent, so that it is easy for the reader to find that the planned 75 pages has easily become 150 without realising. The story arc embraces the Tahrir Square revolution in Egypt; complex political intrigue in London; corrupt UK arms manufacturers; migration from Eritrea and the actions of a trio of journalists in Cairo. The writer’s skill is seen in the way he weaves these different themes and characters into a pleasing and coherent storyline. Highly recommended.

A Single Source is the second in the series featuring William Carver, a veteran BBC foreign correspondent, and his tenacious young producer, Patrick. They are in Cairo, covering the Arab Spring and the demonstrations in Tahrir Square.

Back in London, a former journalist and colleague of Carver is working in the Ministry of Defence putting a spin on some very unappealing corporate activities.

Meanwhile two youths in Eritrea are about to attempt to be smuggled into Europe as refugees.

Carver and Patrick form contacts with two young women. Zahra is working at the hotel where Carver is staying and acting as a fixer and translator, when she can avoid the watchful eye of the manager. Her friend Nawal is an activist . They bring him some explosive information. Carver wants to run the story but he needs to back it up and is aware his investigation can put Nawal in ever deeper danger.

I really enjoyed A Single Source, particularly when it focused on the characters in Egypt and Eritrea. The journalist characters are all convincing and real, unsurprising as the author is a BBC journalist himself, although it might have been interesting if one or two of them had gone against type.

The plot kept me guessing (I thought I had cleverly worked out the direction of one thread early on but was pleased to have been outwitted). I liked the way the three disparate stories finally came together.

This is a great political thriller which combines big events and the human stories behind them. It is both thoughtful and pacy in demonstrating how injustice in the region has roots worldwide.

I appreciate the author’s in depth reporting knowledge but sadly for me there was something missing. Perhaps because the three stories are told with little empathy or emotion (just like a news reporter) but this gave the book a two dimensional feel. However I appreciated the research and behind the scenes revelations.

The Arab Spring was a media dream, the only story, you had to be there. William Carver however finds out some disturbing truths and starts to track them despite the protests of his editor. Yes there is always money to be made where there is unrest. The story centres on two schemes both common, illegal and international. Corruption and people trafficking. The most harrowing is the story of two brothers making the trip from Eritrea to Europe and describes in some details the horrors the thousands pay large sums of money to undertake. The book is using real life events and opening up the details of events going on from day to day in the real world.

A disturbing insight into illegal arms deals, journalism and people trafficking.
Here is something original: a novel of three threads set against a backdrop of the Arab Spring. The central character is a BBC radio journalist and this adds a contemporary aspect. The book is mainly set in Cairo but also covers London, Eritrea, Sudan, Libya and eventually Rome. Very cosmopolitan.

The journalist has many quirks, attitudes and health issues, which serve to flesh him out. His female equivalent reminds me more of a stereotypical well-lived, flirty, confidant older woman, the type more suited to 1960s English spy drama. The lead characters in the other threads are identifiable enough.

The story is primarily about undercovering an illegal arms deal between a British company and north African countries. The London aspect is concerned with the Ministry of Defence and corporate dealings, while the third thread is solely about two boys trying to get to Europe via Italy. Their journey is the most powerful part in the book. The connection to the other parts is tenuous.

There are details of meetings and journalistic traits that add depth but often go on too long and make the story a little plodding in places. At other times there are harrowing depictions of the inhumane treatment and conditions of others, especially in the people smuggling sections. The deaths are few but stated in a prosaic way thus sapping any suspense.

The separate storylines are confusing at first as they seep into each other. As the book develops the stories become more distinct though. Other disjointed features are the constantly changing viewpoint, often in the same paragraph, which means that the story does not flow easily. Oh, and the number of characters who 'suck their teeth' and their 'jutting jaws' is very distracting.

​The three threads come together at the end - just about - and leave the BBC reporter available for more jobs.

#NetGalley #ASingleSource