A classily written thriller, the man alone in a world into which he does not quite fit. Very enjoyable

I really liked the authors novel The Dancer upstairs so was pleased to give this a try, but unfortunately it was a DNF for me as it was soo long-winded and slow to develop, that I gave up on it. Sorry!

John Dyer is a single father, a journalist who has given up his profession for committing the ultimate sin: not publishing the scoop of his life. He is an Englishman who has lived for many years in Latin America and has returned to England to give his son the public school education he received in his time. And it is this school for the elite, attended by the children of international dignitaries, that forms the background to the events that constitute one of the book's plots. It is at the school, in fact, that Dyer meets another single father, an Iranian nuclear physicist whose disappearance gives rise to a ruthless hunt of which Dyer is the object. Because, perhaps, the Iranian has found the modern equivalent of the philosopher's stone, and perhaps, before disappearing, he has handed over his secret to Dyer.
This, I was saying, is one of the plots, the thriller framework of a novel that is much more. If I have to make a comparison, The Sandpit is a Persian carpet, made up of infinite knots (events, characters) with many colours (relationships that develop), which form a design of extreme complexity and equal beauty, difficult to let go of once the last page has been turned.
Only a truly great writer can write a book like this.

The underlying idea in this is quite interesting but, if it’s action you want, this was very slow to get going.
Shakespeare‘s writing leans heavily on the inclusion of thoughts and rumination of possible theories which I’m sure will appeal to many but, for me, these needed to be offset by more conclusions.
Thank you to NetGalley and Vintage Books for this free copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Sandpit by Nicholas Shakespeare
Rearing 4.2/5
A twisty thriller which had you gripped and slightly weary in almost equal parts but when it took off, it was truly gripping, which is why I rated it 4.2/5.
John Dyer a quondam reporter returns to England from Rio with his 11 year old son, Leandro. Leandro’s mother, Nissa has moved on and has a family with her new husband. Having been left an inheritance from his eccentric Aunt Vivienne, Dyer enrols Leandro in a private school, the Phoenix situated in Oxford, where he was schooled.
A number of the international parents make appearances usually around their sons football matches, including Rustin Marvar, an Iranian scientist who’s wife has remained in Iran with their baby daughter. A friendship of sorts develop between Marvar and Dyer.
Nicholas Shakespeare has a way with words, “a bayoneting wind” and the throat of dawn” being my particular favourites. I would have rated The Sandpit higher had it not been so detailed around the fly fishing although I have to say, in my opinion this would transfer brilliantly to the screen; including the menacing, the characters, the threats, the betrayals and the humour.
Some first rate characters, very well portrayed. Miranda, her mother and enigmatic Rougetel really stand out. Also up there is the Tupi tribe.
Really recommended, if you stay with it to its conclusion you won’t be disappointed.
My thanks to Nicholas Shakespeare, Vintage Books/Penguin and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read The Sandpit. In return I have given an unbiased and honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A bit of a mixed bag for me. Quite hard to read, but once you figure out the plot then it is such an exciting and clever plot. Stick with it. Recommended.

Whilst it was interesting to read a book set in Oxford which I know, the story was very convoluted and although I finished the book, my husband found it to be too far removed from reality and did not enjoy

I found the writing style a little difficult and must admit I didn't finish the book. I didn't have empathy or symapathy with the main character and decided to move on to other books.

A wonderful contemporary spy thriller set in Oxford, this story follows the relationship of ex journalist John Dyer, his son and his developing friendship with another father at his son’s Prep school, Rustin Marvar. When Marvar disappears and other fathers at the school take an interest in his disappearance and the discovery he left behind, Dyer finds himself and his family in danger.
There were many elements about this book I loved. Living in Oxford, the parents and the educational establishments portrayed are entirely realistic. Various lines made me laugh out loud. But this book is also a sensitive account of male friendships, relationships between fathers and sons as well as a pacey, superbly constructed thriller.
Thoroughly recommended, I will now hunt down his previous works. Many thanks to NetGalley and Randon House/Vintage for a copy.

An excellent novel. The setting and characters grouped together in a small elite school environment worked well. I particularly liked the main characters and the fact that they all seemed to have vested interests in what was happening, I also liked the fact the ending was believable and slightly ambiguous. It did remind me of Le Carre in a good way and I definitely enjoyed reading it. Recommended.

There was a happy time when I was naive enough to think that a story of wealth, power and corruption linked to a single public school might be a bit far-fetched. In The Sandpit, the drama revolves not around past or present pupils, but the parents of the children at one privileged Oxford prep school.

John Dyer is an alumnus of the school and for sentimental reasons decides to spend the little money he has on sending his son Leandro there. Dyer has, until recently, been working as a journalist in South America and his estranged partner, Leandro’s mother, is Brazilian. The school has changed, though, from being frequented by upper-middle-class merely wealthy British people to the international super-rich.

Dyer befriends an Iranian scientist and fellow parent, Rustum Marvar. They both feel in different ways estranged from the social set at the school and their relationship creates echoes for Dyer of his own childhood friendship with an eccentric fellow pupil.

Then Marvar tells him about a momentous discovery he has made, and his fears that his wife and young daughter in Iran have been imprisoned and tortured in order to get him to give up the secret. Various parents at the school, through their links to politics, finance and espionage, also have an interest in the discovery. Dyer now has a responsibility beyond his wish to care for Leandro – feeling the fate of both Marvar and the discovery are in his hands.

This may sound like a thriller but it has more the feel of a literary novel. It is quite atmospheric in places, the small cast built around the school recreating the claustrophobic, incestuous nature of the elite, and contrasting with Dyer’s experience as an international journalist, working throughout the world. (Dyer featured in a previous novel, The Dancer Upstairs, but this is not being marketed as a sequel and The Sandpit reads fine as a standalone.)

Dyer reflects a great deal on his childhood, his time in South America, his family and his obligations to his friend, his country and to the ideals which led him into journalism. It is often beautifully written and conveys the atmosphere of Brazil and the sinuous nature of memory. It also gives a sense of the disconnect between the outward respectability of Britain, as exemplified by institutions like the school, and the way money and power in fact move all the levers for an international elite (as highlighted in the recent publication of the Russia report).

There are also nice moments as we see Dyer’s normal life in Oxford, before he met Marvar, which he still tries to hang on to as events escalate. Many readers might envy his life spent immersed in research in university libraries, taking his breaks in favourite Oxford cafés.

The writing did, at times though, feel a little overdone. There are sections that don’t appear to add much to the story, such as chapter where Dyer takes his son to the Lakes on a fishing trip, and recalls how he bonded with his own father during similar excursions. You feel that this passage, and others like it, mean something to the author but they don’t fit in the book. The end, when it comes, feels a little contrived and convenient.

Despite those reservations, I did enjoy the atmosphere and the quality of the writing. If you’re more engaged by themes and prose than by a thriller plot, this is worth a read.
*
I received a copy of The Sandpit from the publisher via Netgalley.

After spending most of his career in South America former journalist Dyer suffered emotional upset and tired of the violence in Rio so has returned to the Oxford of his youth with his son Leandro. Enrolling his son in the expensive prep school he attended, Dyer is aware of the disparity between himself and the other parents, rich and powerful, with the exception of Marvar, an Iranian physicist. When Marvar makes a discover and then disappears Dyer is the only person in control of a formula that could change the world, but everyone wants it, The Iranians, the Israelis, the USA, the British and the international businessmen.
The is a very intelligent and very slow-burning book which makes it something special. Dyer is living a very small life after living a large life on the international stage. His devotion to his studies and his son are written very tenderly . His confusion after receiving the legacy from his friend is carefully considered and the reactions to the potential knowledge are very low key. This is extremely clever writing by Shakespeare, every note is carefully nuanced and almost played down, the fledgling romance, the violence etc. This was a surprising and very fulfilling novel.

A mixed bag for me, this one. To begin with I struggled with the clunky prose, which is truly dreadful at times, but the more I read, the more the story began to capture me, and I started reading huge chunks at a time. I found it increasingly easier to ignore my misgivings over the style, and indeed over the whole setup (it’s an espionage story involving at least four different countries chasing the MacGuffin, and yet every single character involved in this chase is connected to the same school in Oxford). So it became a pacy and engrossing read, and then I hit the ending. On a narrative level, it’s deeply unsatisfying, but I reckon you could make a case for it being a political allegory, an illustration of the way strife rolls down from the rich and powerful to those less able to deal with it. Maybe, maybe not. Essentially what we have here is a thriller with pretensions. Those pretensions don’t always convince, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t keep me turning the pages.

An interesting espionage thriller, very similar to Le Carre with its story of an ordinary, rather sedate and cerebral man caught up in dramatic events. This is linked with school bullying, the quiet world of Oxford research and the contrast of life in Iran and Brazil.

It is rather overwritten for my taste and some readers may find it has a slow start but overall I enjoyed it.

A complex thriller that at times displayed brilliance yet often ended up drifting into obscure facts and observations that became an irritating distraction from the storyline. Typical of the period we are living in and the ongoing machinations of the secret service and spying carried out in and for various countries was excellently depicted. However the prose and narrative appeared disjointed and lacking flow. Perhaps less would have made for a tighter slicker story. Many thanks to publisher and NetGalley for ARC.

A really enjoyable read with so many interesting elements. I thoroughly enjoyed the story being set in OXford which I know quite well. It was an original mystery with intriguing characters along the way

Yes I didn't enjoy this title as much as I thought I would, was like reading through treacle. Plot was excellent but kept jumping around too much. Sorry

John Dyre is a single father living in Oxford. His son attends a prestigious prep school which he himself attended as a child,. He is friends with Samir, an Iranian boy whose father befriends Dyer and ultimately leaves him with a life changing secret before disappearing. Dyer is left with this secret which many people seem to want. Dyer has the dilemma that everyone wants this but should it go to anyone.

This was compared to the writing of Graham Greene and John Le Carre and it does bear comparison with them. I enjoyed it very much although the pace at times was slow especially at the beginning when I was left wondering why I was reading a book about some minor bullying in a posh school. I did find the constant references to the school by Dyer slightly creepy. He is unnaturally obsessed with his time there. But apart from these caveats it was a good read and well written. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

A contemporary spy thriller to sweep you along with its intrigues . John Dyer returns From South America ,where he studies their tribes,to the Oxford of his youth to educate his son . He there meets a nuclear physicist who entrusts to him his research findings prior to disappearing. The cat and mouse struggle commences to try to find the missing theory.
A well constructed and written story in the vein of Graham Greene and le Carre

An interesting story with some great characters. I found the story a bit slow in places and struggled to read to the end.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.