The two Hotel Francforts

I wish I could like this book more. I was immediately drawn into the setting; WW2 in the neutral port city of Lisbon, Portugal. I was unfamiliar with that bit of history, and the book painted the picture of that period and location very well.

Unfortunately this book is really let down by the uninteresting main characters whose motives rarely make sense, and the terrible dialogue that occurs between them which is a shame as the novel has some great writing in between.

I didn't buy Iris and Edwards relationship, I didnt buy Edward as a character, and I couldn't understand Petes obsession with him. Everytime the two talked I wanted Edwards dull, pretentious conversation to be over, yet Pete was yearning for him... why? All the while Julia was either being stroppy or playing solitaire...