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Children of the Master: A Gripping Political Thriller Mystery Set in the Heart of Westminster
ONE DOOMED PRIME MINISTER.
TWO WOULD-BE SUCCESSORS.
BUT WHO’S PULLING THE STRINGS?
The second novel from Britain’s foremost political commentator is a thrillingly intimate look at the inner workings of Whitehall, and who really controls party politics.
The Labour Party has unexpectedly won a narrow majority in the 2018 general election. But the new government is weak and divided, its unpopular leader embattled in the House of Commons. A group of eminent figures from the party’s past see an opportunity to re-establish their grip over its future by replacing the prime minister with a figurehead they can manipulate to their own ends. But who will they choose?
Two possible candidates emerge from the recent intake of MPs: David Petrie, a self-made Scot with a working-class background and a troubled personal history; and Caroline Phillips, a high-flying Londoner whose complicated private life could be either her greatest handicap, or her greatest asset. Against a backdrop of intrigue and betrayal at the Palace of Westminster, both must struggle with the sacrifices and compromises they will have to make if they are to seize the greatest political prize of all.
In his second novel, Andrew Marr draws on his unrivalled inside knowledge of British politics to expose the foibles, duplicities and absurdities of those we elect to govern us.
TWO WOULD-BE SUCCESSORS.
BUT WHO’S PULLING THE STRINGS?
The second novel from Britain’s foremost political commentator is a thrillingly intimate look at the inner workings of Whitehall, and who really controls party politics.
The Labour Party has unexpectedly won a narrow majority in the 2018 general election. But the new government is weak and divided, its unpopular leader embattled in the House of Commons. A group of eminent figures from the party’s past see an opportunity to re-establish their grip over its future by replacing the prime minister with a figurehead they can manipulate to their own ends. But who will they choose?
Two possible candidates emerge from the recent intake of MPs: David Petrie, a self-made Scot with a working-class background and a troubled personal history; and Caroline Phillips, a high-flying Londoner whose complicated private life could be either her greatest handicap, or her greatest asset. Against a backdrop of intrigue and betrayal at the Palace of Westminster, both must struggle with the sacrifices and compromises they will have to make if they are to seize the greatest political prize of all.
In his second novel, Andrew Marr draws on his unrivalled inside knowledge of British politics to expose the foibles, duplicities and absurdities of those we elect to govern us.
401 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 10, 2015
59 people are currently reading
175 people want to read
About the author
Andrew Marr
69 books221 followersAndrew Marr is a Scottish journalist. He is a graduate of Cambridge University and has had a long career in political journalism, working for the Scotsman, The Independent, The Economist, the Express and the Observer. From 2000 to 2005 he was the BBC's Political Editor. His broadcasting includes series on contemporary thinkers for BBC 2 and Radio 4, political documentaries for Channel 4 and BBC Panorama, and Radio 4's Start The Week'.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
February 1, 2021
We see very little of them anymore, we hear from them even less these days…but occasionally, their once immediately recognizable faces reappear, as if by means of some magical force, from oblivion. They make their brief appearances on the internet news feeds, the TV screens, or for those who still subscribe, the back pages of the international section of the newspaper.
They are the ones we vaguely remember electing long ago, the ones Andrew Marr so brilliantly reminds us are now living on the backside of the political lifecycle, one that looks something like this:
“First, you know nothing – but they like you. Then, second, you know stuff, but by then they hate your guts.”
They are the ones who once fumbled through the political minefields themselves, years ago when they too groped in the darkness to find the levers of power, then when learning to operate the levers, the ones needed to steer the political machine in the direction of their goals and desires, it’s then that another unfortunate development is already taking shape…
Usually, its by this time, just when those in power have learned how to pull the levers, just as they have recovered from earlier mistakes, their gaffes having sufficiently faded in the distance…its right about then that these politicians have irrevocably fallen out of favor with the people they govern. They are already shunned by the very same people who looked favorably at them when they were the “know nothing” fresh faces. Shortly after this reality takes hold, the calendar of democracy notes the time of their passing, as well as the grand entrance of the new set of bright new faces. The next wave of new hopes once again embodied by those who are new and know nothing.
And it is once this cycle is complete, and the politician, either the formerly high-ranking cabinet minister, the senior ambassador, or even the prime minister, find themselves in the surreal “Limbo Land of Politics,” it is then Marr paints a picture of, “Air-conditioned offices, first-class flights, and even the occasional television studio throw in, but it’s a limbo nevertheless.”
And as I read the early pages of Andrew Marr’s story, I remembered that those who find themselves in political limbo are often, rather tragically, right in the prime of their personal and professional lives, their hearts still beat to the drum of public service, the very one that brought them into politics in the first place. But now they find themselves on the outside looking in, even though they are probably the most able, most experienced, and probably the most capable people to run the country.
And that’s where “Children of the Master” really takes off. The scene being that of a post-state funeral that is the occasion for a gathering of a former prime minister and his cabinet. All now long banished into political limbo, most of which are already drinking good whiskey…and hating an ambitious plan.
What if they amassed the total of their remaining “backroom power” in order to come to the aid of a few bright and upcoming potential new leaders? Help them, “climb the ladder” so to speak. They would be the shadowy patrons of these undiscovered, unknown, unnoticed young, but ambitious rookies of politics.
These young apprentices, the limbo land politicians’ reason, would be most grateful for the benevolent hand up offered by these seasoned “once greats.” The elder group would help these young and inexperienced minor players find the levers of power and teach them how to use them, long before possessing the power to actually use them.
They would give these beginners the start that they themselves would’ve only dreamed of back when they were the rookies themselves.
But what would motivate these once great politicians to do such a thing?
Why might they be willing to help others, and as a result, taking less time for their own pet projects and comfortable semi-retired life?
The answer, it turns out, is quite simple.
They desire to be “powerful by proxy.”
The plan is for this group of political ghosts to come to the aid of a small group of fresh-faced public servants of potential. The end game being to insert a leader of their own choosing into Number 10 Downing Street.
One day, the limbo land politicians dreamed, one of these apprentices of power, one of the very students under their secret tutelage, would be elected to the highest office in the land. If all went according to plan, a future prime minister of their choosing could enjoy the first flushes of popularity, while at the very same time, know what to do with it. The old guard, now in a state of being completely forgotten would be in an even better position to influence the new prime minister…and as a result, in all practical senses, would no longer be on the outside of power.
Eventually, this field of potential prime ministers is narrowed down to two candidates. The description of these two was part of the intrigue that caused me to be glued to this book in the first place:
“David Petrie, a handsome, self-made Scot with a troubled personal history.”
And…
“Caroline Phillips, a high-flying Londoner whose unconventional private life could make or break her.”
The premise of Andrew Marr’s tale of political manipulation grabbed me from the very start and held me in the grasp of its storytelling brilliance to the very end. And as with any book I’ve enjoyed, there were a number of highlights along the way including:
A pack of truly frightening girl’s school dormitory witches, a friend of kings and presidents spending the night in the tiny extra room of one’s house, “Granny Stalin,” a powerhouse in local Scottish politics, “Melody Farm” and its “Democracy of the Damaged” style of organizing its community of patients, a professional anorexic, a skiing accident that paves the way for the fall of a national government, a government coalition frayed by criticism of a man’s bow tie and an “elbow filing” method of processing constituency paperwork.
Also, I hadn’t anticipated the lasso I’d have to throw over the wild herd of words previously unknown to me, including:
“Kirk,” a Scottish word to describe a church.
“Hirple,” to limp, Scottish style, apparently.
“Smarmy,” excessive flattering, (this one, by definition, doesn’t exactly sound like a Scottish word.)
“Dreich,” dreariness.
“Prang,” to bump into.
“Tatty,” cheap or tawdry.
“Crepuscular,” a dim kind of twilight.
All in all, a fascinating 391 pages of political storytelling.
They are the ones we vaguely remember electing long ago, the ones Andrew Marr so brilliantly reminds us are now living on the backside of the political lifecycle, one that looks something like this:
“First, you know nothing – but they like you. Then, second, you know stuff, but by then they hate your guts.”
They are the ones who once fumbled through the political minefields themselves, years ago when they too groped in the darkness to find the levers of power, then when learning to operate the levers, the ones needed to steer the political machine in the direction of their goals and desires, it’s then that another unfortunate development is already taking shape…
Usually, its by this time, just when those in power have learned how to pull the levers, just as they have recovered from earlier mistakes, their gaffes having sufficiently faded in the distance…its right about then that these politicians have irrevocably fallen out of favor with the people they govern. They are already shunned by the very same people who looked favorably at them when they were the “know nothing” fresh faces. Shortly after this reality takes hold, the calendar of democracy notes the time of their passing, as well as the grand entrance of the new set of bright new faces. The next wave of new hopes once again embodied by those who are new and know nothing.
And it is once this cycle is complete, and the politician, either the formerly high-ranking cabinet minister, the senior ambassador, or even the prime minister, find themselves in the surreal “Limbo Land of Politics,” it is then Marr paints a picture of, “Air-conditioned offices, first-class flights, and even the occasional television studio throw in, but it’s a limbo nevertheless.”
And as I read the early pages of Andrew Marr’s story, I remembered that those who find themselves in political limbo are often, rather tragically, right in the prime of their personal and professional lives, their hearts still beat to the drum of public service, the very one that brought them into politics in the first place. But now they find themselves on the outside looking in, even though they are probably the most able, most experienced, and probably the most capable people to run the country.
And that’s where “Children of the Master” really takes off. The scene being that of a post-state funeral that is the occasion for a gathering of a former prime minister and his cabinet. All now long banished into political limbo, most of which are already drinking good whiskey…and hating an ambitious plan.
What if they amassed the total of their remaining “backroom power” in order to come to the aid of a few bright and upcoming potential new leaders? Help them, “climb the ladder” so to speak. They would be the shadowy patrons of these undiscovered, unknown, unnoticed young, but ambitious rookies of politics.
These young apprentices, the limbo land politicians’ reason, would be most grateful for the benevolent hand up offered by these seasoned “once greats.” The elder group would help these young and inexperienced minor players find the levers of power and teach them how to use them, long before possessing the power to actually use them.
They would give these beginners the start that they themselves would’ve only dreamed of back when they were the rookies themselves.
But what would motivate these once great politicians to do such a thing?
Why might they be willing to help others, and as a result, taking less time for their own pet projects and comfortable semi-retired life?
The answer, it turns out, is quite simple.
They desire to be “powerful by proxy.”
The plan is for this group of political ghosts to come to the aid of a small group of fresh-faced public servants of potential. The end game being to insert a leader of their own choosing into Number 10 Downing Street.
One day, the limbo land politicians dreamed, one of these apprentices of power, one of the very students under their secret tutelage, would be elected to the highest office in the land. If all went according to plan, a future prime minister of their choosing could enjoy the first flushes of popularity, while at the very same time, know what to do with it. The old guard, now in a state of being completely forgotten would be in an even better position to influence the new prime minister…and as a result, in all practical senses, would no longer be on the outside of power.
Eventually, this field of potential prime ministers is narrowed down to two candidates. The description of these two was part of the intrigue that caused me to be glued to this book in the first place:
“David Petrie, a handsome, self-made Scot with a troubled personal history.”
And…
“Caroline Phillips, a high-flying Londoner whose unconventional private life could make or break her.”
The premise of Andrew Marr’s tale of political manipulation grabbed me from the very start and held me in the grasp of its storytelling brilliance to the very end. And as with any book I’ve enjoyed, there were a number of highlights along the way including:
A pack of truly frightening girl’s school dormitory witches, a friend of kings and presidents spending the night in the tiny extra room of one’s house, “Granny Stalin,” a powerhouse in local Scottish politics, “Melody Farm” and its “Democracy of the Damaged” style of organizing its community of patients, a professional anorexic, a skiing accident that paves the way for the fall of a national government, a government coalition frayed by criticism of a man’s bow tie and an “elbow filing” method of processing constituency paperwork.
Also, I hadn’t anticipated the lasso I’d have to throw over the wild herd of words previously unknown to me, including:
“Kirk,” a Scottish word to describe a church.
“Hirple,” to limp, Scottish style, apparently.
“Smarmy,” excessive flattering, (this one, by definition, doesn’t exactly sound like a Scottish word.)
“Dreich,” dreariness.
“Prang,” to bump into.
“Tatty,” cheap or tawdry.
“Crepuscular,” a dim kind of twilight.
All in all, a fascinating 391 pages of political storytelling.
July 22, 2025
This was a very strange book, and was really disappointing from Andrew Marr. I guess it was trying to portray a ‘realistic’ behind the scenes look at some of the dark arts of Westminster, but it went too far and became unrealistic.
The idea there are multiple murders completely out of the blue while the Prime Minister is getting poisoned by his maid on the orders of a former Prime Minister? These are just a few examples, but there wasn’t any kind of plot or character development to back up such strange diversions.
Overall a real let down that I would really not recommend.
The idea there are multiple murders completely out of the blue while the Prime Minister is getting poisoned by his maid on the orders of a former Prime Minister? These are just a few examples, but there wasn’t any kind of plot or character development to back up such strange diversions.
Overall a real let down that I would really not recommend.
September 14, 2017
Listened to in audio format.
This was an enjoyable book about the shadowy elite in the corridors of Westminster.
Children of the Master was written in 2015 but Andrew Marr correctly predicted that UK would leave the EU.
This book is set in 2018 under a Labour government. The current prime minister is weak and is unpopular with voters. A senior figure in the old government known as The Master decides to find a new prime minister who he can mould into the new leader.
The Master finds two possible candidates. New elected MPs David Petrie who runs his own successful building company in Scotland and the charismatic Caroline Philips.
The Master arranges ministerial jobs for David and Caroline to get them noticed by voters. During the course of the book we see how the characters of David and Caroline change once they are in parliament. David who was happily married with two children has an affair with The Masters Secretary. Caroline's partner vicar Angela kills someone when drink driving, but will Caroline stand by her.
The idea of the Children Of The Master was excellent. During the course of the book I came to dislike David and Caroline as they were slowly corrupted by The Master. My favourite characters were the straight talking Granny Stalin and Grand Daughter Bunty. It was so funny when Caroline was called by Sadie, The Masters wife for a chat. Sadie invited Caroline to a spa that performed colonic irrigation while they spoke.
This book is a mixture of fact and fiction, I would love to know who The Master was based on. Overall a witty entertaining story.
This was an enjoyable book about the shadowy elite in the corridors of Westminster.
Children of the Master was written in 2015 but Andrew Marr correctly predicted that UK would leave the EU.
This book is set in 2018 under a Labour government. The current prime minister is weak and is unpopular with voters. A senior figure in the old government known as The Master decides to find a new prime minister who he can mould into the new leader.
The Master finds two possible candidates. New elected MPs David Petrie who runs his own successful building company in Scotland and the charismatic Caroline Philips.
The Master arranges ministerial jobs for David and Caroline to get them noticed by voters. During the course of the book we see how the characters of David and Caroline change once they are in parliament. David who was happily married with two children has an affair with The Masters Secretary. Caroline's partner vicar Angela kills someone when drink driving, but will Caroline stand by her.
The idea of the Children Of The Master was excellent. During the course of the book I came to dislike David and Caroline as they were slowly corrupted by The Master. My favourite characters were the straight talking Granny Stalin and Grand Daughter Bunty. It was so funny when Caroline was called by Sadie, The Masters wife for a chat. Sadie invited Caroline to a spa that performed colonic irrigation while they spoke.
This book is a mixture of fact and fiction, I would love to know who The Master was based on. Overall a witty entertaining story.
October 29, 2017
MORE ARCHER THAN ARCH
Andrew Marr the journalist and broadcaster is to the fore here, as he offers up some wry observations on the behind-the-scenes machinations in Westminster and the media, several thinly-disguised or composite characters based on his experience of both, and the occasional real-life cameo (take a bow Messrs Humphreys, Hislop, Gove and Miliband).
Less evident however is Andrew Marr the novelist, and two of the key components of the craft - pace and plot - are sadly missing from this somewhat plodding tale. We’re 100 pages in before anything of real significance happens, and whilst back-story is important, it needs to be woven in to the structure in a subtle, relevant and appropriate manner: in other words add to the story, not be the story.
The children of the title are two rising Labour MPs who are being groomed for leading roles in the government, but neither are really convincingly drawn, and one is even described by another character in the book as boring. If even the author thinks that, how does he expect any of his readers to be interested? And the portrayal of the supposed string puller is ludicrous: a hugely-missed opportunity to create a believable Machiavellian figure we could all hate (or perhaps love).
What should have been a biting commentary on the current political scene is too often brought down by unconvincing bit-part players, clichéd situations, expositional dialogue and meandering passages where Marr seems to be self-consciously trying to prove he is a ‘writer’ as well as an observer. And his occasional attempts at post-modernism are toe-curling.
Having read some of the reviews for Marr’s first foray into fiction, Head of State, it seems obvious that it is the BBC man’s celebrity status, rather than any obvious talent as a novelist, that secured him his initial publishing contract. Children of the Master is billed as his second political thriller/satire. The ‘delete as appropriate’ tag is relevant, as the author seems unable to decide what this book is meant to be, leaving the reader equally bemused. As for the climax. What climax? Perhaps there were 20 pages or so missing from my copy, but the story peters out with barely a whimper, let alone anything approaching a bang.
Andrew Marr the journalist and broadcaster is to the fore here, as he offers up some wry observations on the behind-the-scenes machinations in Westminster and the media, several thinly-disguised or composite characters based on his experience of both, and the occasional real-life cameo (take a bow Messrs Humphreys, Hislop, Gove and Miliband).
Less evident however is Andrew Marr the novelist, and two of the key components of the craft - pace and plot - are sadly missing from this somewhat plodding tale. We’re 100 pages in before anything of real significance happens, and whilst back-story is important, it needs to be woven in to the structure in a subtle, relevant and appropriate manner: in other words add to the story, not be the story.
The children of the title are two rising Labour MPs who are being groomed for leading roles in the government, but neither are really convincingly drawn, and one is even described by another character in the book as boring. If even the author thinks that, how does he expect any of his readers to be interested? And the portrayal of the supposed string puller is ludicrous: a hugely-missed opportunity to create a believable Machiavellian figure we could all hate (or perhaps love).
What should have been a biting commentary on the current political scene is too often brought down by unconvincing bit-part players, clichéd situations, expositional dialogue and meandering passages where Marr seems to be self-consciously trying to prove he is a ‘writer’ as well as an observer. And his occasional attempts at post-modernism are toe-curling.
Having read some of the reviews for Marr’s first foray into fiction, Head of State, it seems obvious that it is the BBC man’s celebrity status, rather than any obvious talent as a novelist, that secured him his initial publishing contract. Children of the Master is billed as his second political thriller/satire. The ‘delete as appropriate’ tag is relevant, as the author seems unable to decide what this book is meant to be, leaving the reader equally bemused. As for the climax. What climax? Perhaps there were 20 pages or so missing from my copy, but the story peters out with barely a whimper, let alone anything approaching a bang.
April 11, 2020
Reasonably decent plot, sub House of Cards. What kept knocking me from my focus when reading was the author's odd choice to include his characters' real world counterparts (ie "The Master" is a centre-left former PM and leader of the Labour party who has a Third Way ideology, took part in unpopular wars in the Middle East, and led his Government through the late 90s and early 2000s. Yet Tony Blair is specifically stated to be a completely different person). This stylistic failure aside, quite a good read.
July 30, 2016
I'm a big fan of Andrew Marr, I like his no-nonsense approach to politics. I thoroughly enjoyed his fictional political thriller 'Head of State' so I was eager to try 'Children of the Master'.
Once again Marr uses topical events and spins them around to create a fictional political thriller that could almost be factual. In Children of the Master, the UK has already painfully left the EU, the country has suffered greatly and in doing so has lost international standing. A Labour government trying to heal wounds has narrowly avoided a break up of the UK, keeping Scotland on board.
Political games afoot, a weak Prime Minister making the wrong decisions spurns 'The Master' a shadowy but powerful political 'King-maker' into fashioning and moulding two Labour candidates into greatness = David Petrie a Scot with passion and a willingness to see Scotland stay in the UK and Caroline Phillips, a Londoner with a complex personal life.
David and Caroline find themselves groomed and pushed into the political limelight at the expense of their family, their friends and perhaps even themselves, ruthlessness, greediness and arrogance abound as they are pushed to the top ultimately jockeying for position to take the Prime Minister..
Another excellent political thriller, giving you an insight into the Westminster bubble and personalities and the sheer ruthlessness of politics. I enjoyed it but it took 200 pages to warm up and It didn't grip me like 'Head of State' did.
Marr has a knack of predictions in his fictional work, he predicted Brexit in 'Head of State' is he right about the UK suffering so badly outside the EU for 10 years that we re-join the EU in this book...... As a remain voter, I really hope so.
Once again Marr uses topical events and spins them around to create a fictional political thriller that could almost be factual. In Children of the Master, the UK has already painfully left the EU, the country has suffered greatly and in doing so has lost international standing. A Labour government trying to heal wounds has narrowly avoided a break up of the UK, keeping Scotland on board.
Political games afoot, a weak Prime Minister making the wrong decisions spurns 'The Master' a shadowy but powerful political 'King-maker' into fashioning and moulding two Labour candidates into greatness = David Petrie a Scot with passion and a willingness to see Scotland stay in the UK and Caroline Phillips, a Londoner with a complex personal life.
David and Caroline find themselves groomed and pushed into the political limelight at the expense of their family, their friends and perhaps even themselves, ruthlessness, greediness and arrogance abound as they are pushed to the top ultimately jockeying for position to take the Prime Minister..
Another excellent political thriller, giving you an insight into the Westminster bubble and personalities and the sheer ruthlessness of politics. I enjoyed it but it took 200 pages to warm up and It didn't grip me like 'Head of State' did.
Marr has a knack of predictions in his fictional work, he predicted Brexit in 'Head of State' is he right about the UK suffering so badly outside the EU for 10 years that we re-join the EU in this book...... As a remain voter, I really hope so.
January 31, 2016
My first Andrew Marr novel but certainly not my last - a riveting fictional expose of British politics at its best! With his background as an insider the read is enjoyable and fascinating! The style of writing superb!
August 17, 2024
I struggled to get into this one to start with. It was only after about 200 pages that I bought into it, when the exposition and character building was done with. The concept of the story is interesting, insofar as the political thriller, in the UK, is a fairly untapped genre, especially when written by someone at least a little 'in the know' as Andrew Marr. It was the concept really that kept me engaged, as the writing itself is fairly perfunctory. The style reminds me a little of Jeffrey Archer actually, and the book in general has Kane and Abel vibes, two characters set in deadlock against one another. When it leant into this, and the sort of Westminster goings-on that political nerds are bound to enjoy, it was at its best. The scale of the drama is actually quite epic, it being a fight for the crown so to speak, but the focus is rather domestic. There is a lot of talk on Davie and Caro's personal lives, their romantic lives especially, almost over the politics itself.
The narration is very cynical when it comes to national politics. The vision of Britain that Marr paints is one of self-loathing: the sort of liberal 'Little England', Brexit is the worst thing that ever happened to anyone ever, the whole country is not only going down the pan but is in the pan already, when the rest of the world isn't laughing at us, they're ignoring us because we are irrelevant. It's certainly a belief system some people in the UK follow, though whether it's Marr's personal views I don't know, as largely this vision of the (at time of writing) near future is used to serve the more general cynicism about politics and politicians generally. In this story, there are no heroes. In fact there is not even anyone *likeable* full stop. I quite enjoyed this as many authors are cagey about giving their characters genuine flaws - Marr does not fear doing that here though, as, again, it is a cynical tale he is spinning, and one with a broader message about politics at its core. (As you would expect.)
The logical integrity of the story ruined my immersion quite a few times. The reasoning of the characters just did not make sense. For example, . Both from a character perspective (it did not make sense to me that Petrie would do this) or from a common sense perspective (it would not work or end the way it did in real life) these plot points worked against the very core of the story itself. The fact I was not sold on this, and the pace was so slow at the start, meant I didn't love the reading experience overall.
As an aside, I read this thinking the book was part of a series (there was the number '4' on the front which is actually the publisher but I misinterpreted as being the number in in the series) and it would've made a lot of sense if it was. 'The Master' felt like a rather understated character, as if he had been the protagonist of subsequent books in the series, and so was not explained much to us. This being a stand alone book though, I suppose he is written like this to add to his mystery. I wouldn't have minded more focus on him though, he has shadings of Francis Urquhart or Malcom Tucker and what we see of his personality is interesting, but he is not really a character in his own right as Caro/Davie are.
That said, the book was perfectly adequate at face value and I did enjoy the second half. It fills a niche that I wished was more popular so it can be thanked for doing a decent job at that.
The narration is very cynical when it comes to national politics. The vision of Britain that Marr paints is one of self-loathing: the sort of liberal 'Little England', Brexit is the worst thing that ever happened to anyone ever, the whole country is not only going down the pan but is in the pan already, when the rest of the world isn't laughing at us, they're ignoring us because we are irrelevant. It's certainly a belief system some people in the UK follow, though whether it's Marr's personal views I don't know, as largely this vision of the (at time of writing) near future is used to serve the more general cynicism about politics and politicians generally. In this story, there are no heroes. In fact there is not even anyone *likeable* full stop. I quite enjoyed this as many authors are cagey about giving their characters genuine flaws - Marr does not fear doing that here though, as, again, it is a cynical tale he is spinning, and one with a broader message about politics at its core. (As you would expect.)
The logical integrity of the story ruined my immersion quite a few times. The reasoning of the characters just did not make sense. For example, . Both from a character perspective (it did not make sense to me that Petrie would do this) or from a common sense perspective (it would not work or end the way it did in real life) these plot points worked against the very core of the story itself. The fact I was not sold on this, and the pace was so slow at the start, meant I didn't love the reading experience overall.
As an aside, I read this thinking the book was part of a series (there was the number '4' on the front which is actually the publisher but I misinterpreted as being the number in in the series) and it would've made a lot of sense if it was. 'The Master' felt like a rather understated character, as if he had been the protagonist of subsequent books in the series, and so was not explained much to us. This being a stand alone book though, I suppose he is written like this to add to his mystery. I wouldn't have minded more focus on him though, he has shadings of Francis Urquhart or Malcom Tucker and what we see of his personality is interesting, but he is not really a character in his own right as Caro/Davie are.
That said, the book was perfectly adequate at face value and I did enjoy the second half. It fills a niche that I wished was more popular so it can be thanked for doing a decent job at that.
December 14, 2023
As an experienced political journalist I expected Marr's novel to be fast-paced, readable and I hoped it would include fact masquerading as fiction. The style was as expected, but the content left a lot to be desired, and bar a few barbs at writers (Rod Liddle, Simon Jenkins and Justin Cartwright the victims) it was fiction rather than satire, but without the plot to drive it.
It started out well enough, with two aspiring Labour politicians gaining candidacy and rising up the ranks of the party, to be a sensible centrist leader after an unpopular lefty leads both his party and the country. The slightly odd element of the book was that it had both fictional and real politicians interacting with each other, as though Bernard had used his watch to install a Labour PM between Brown and Cameron. Once the book moved from the entirely fictional world of the two rivals, I didn't feel as engaged, having bothered to develop the family lives but not the political situation.
For me the plot's main weakness was a lack of events. The post-Brown Master had decided who was going to lead the party, and there was no fight to hold onto power from the incumbent PM or a struggle to get enough support in the party leadership battle; the reader had to assume that The Master pulled the strings and did so effortlessly to manipulate the entire party and media, as we rarely saw the method itself.
There was one event though that was incredibly bizarre, more of a sinking of the shark than a jumping, but also belied the claim by one of the protagonists at the end that they had got out before things went too far. Nor did it have any genuine consequence, which was provided by the literally incredible surprise at the end - there is no chance that such a reveal could have been unknown to the character involved.
For the first half and a bit more, this was a solid enough novel based in the political setting and gave nods to the manipulation that goes on in politics. The second half was rushed too quickly to make any sense and the conclusion was so poor I would be amazed if the events were well planned from the outset. In keeping with the book's style, it was Marred by its plot.
It started out well enough, with two aspiring Labour politicians gaining candidacy and rising up the ranks of the party, to be a sensible centrist leader after an unpopular lefty leads both his party and the country. The slightly odd element of the book was that it had both fictional and real politicians interacting with each other, as though Bernard had used his watch to install a Labour PM between Brown and Cameron. Once the book moved from the entirely fictional world of the two rivals, I didn't feel as engaged, having bothered to develop the family lives but not the political situation.
For me the plot's main weakness was a lack of events. The post-Brown Master had decided who was going to lead the party, and there was no fight to hold onto power from the incumbent PM or a struggle to get enough support in the party leadership battle; the reader had to assume that The Master pulled the strings and did so effortlessly to manipulate the entire party and media, as we rarely saw the method itself.
There was one event though that was incredibly bizarre, more of a sinking of the shark than a jumping, but also belied the claim by one of the protagonists at the end that they had got out before things went too far. Nor did it have any genuine consequence, which was provided by the literally incredible surprise at the end - there is no chance that such a reveal could have been unknown to the character involved.
For the first half and a bit more, this was a solid enough novel based in the political setting and gave nods to the manipulation that goes on in politics. The second half was rushed too quickly to make any sense and the conclusion was so poor I would be amazed if the events were well planned from the outset. In keeping with the book's style, it was Marred by its plot.
June 11, 2020
So this is a political fiction thriller set in Westminster that eerily predicts leaving the EU and the effects on global relations, but incorrectly under a Labour government (if only). There's a bizarre clash of real and fictional characters (old BJ gets a few cameos), but it follows the stories of 2 new prime minister candidates, handpicked by a mysterious figure of "the master" who acts as a puppeteer to the facade of democracy and political power. I'd love to know how accurately Andrew Marr based these characters on real people.
I'm going to give this a 3/5, honestly it was good, but I've never been particularly interested in politics (in terms of the specific character profiles of candidates) and the heavily flawed characters that are so brilliantly written, kind of make themselves hard to like. This ultimately meant it wasn't a "page turner" for me and I struggled to motivate myself to keep going, but if you enjoy political fiction you would probably rate this more highly than I have. I received this book as part of a subscription mixed fiction box, which means it isn't something I usually would have picked but I'm glad I read it!
I'm going to give this a 3/5, honestly it was good, but I've never been particularly interested in politics (in terms of the specific character profiles of candidates) and the heavily flawed characters that are so brilliantly written, kind of make themselves hard to like. This ultimately meant it wasn't a "page turner" for me and I struggled to motivate myself to keep going, but if you enjoy political fiction you would probably rate this more highly than I have. I received this book as part of a subscription mixed fiction box, which means it isn't something I usually would have picked but I'm glad I read it!
April 30, 2020
I like Andrew Marr as a political commentator. I like Andrew Marr as a presenter of programmes on history. I’m not sure, on the basis of this book, bought for £1 at a library sale, that I like him as a novelist. He does write very well, his asides in particular are very funny and show his years of experience in UK politics. But in the end, I believe that in a novel y9u have to care about the outcomes fro the main protagonists, for good or ill. And in this book, with the possible exception of Angela, I didn’t care about any of the people in the book.
May 9, 2020
Not really my usual genre, which might explain why I wasn't a huge fan. The plot was oddly connected yet disconnected from reality and true events- some authors achieve this balance well, but I think trying to set it in such modern times just led to this being quite confusing as to who it might be based on. The whole concept of 'the master' I found just weird and fake. Sorry to say I didn't enjoy this, I thought I might given the political expertise of the author!
August 9, 2017
Oh my god gripping from the first chapter to the last and even if your interest in politics are minimum you will still enjoy reading this book the characters are simply amazing the storyline utterly fantastic twists and turns all the way through loved reading this at times I was disappointed that I had to put it down superbly written
March 12, 2018
He's such a polymath, this man, yet I'm not sure novels are his forte. It's kind of like a primer in politics. I've almost stopped reading political books because most of them are so dull. This book has that love of minutiae. I think perhaps if I don't care about tiny political shifts of power, than I won't get into the novel.
Remind me not to pick another one up.
Remind me not to pick another one up.
June 1, 2019
To say I enjoyed Children of the Master feels a bit inadequate. In fact the novel left me feeling a bit 'grubby'. I have no illusions about many who make politics their career, and so the machinations and sociopathic tendencies of the central characters came as no surprise. It is a good read, but I defy anyone to read it without feeling a little sullied by the end.
October 18, 2019
Great insight into British politics
The big question is how choose its this to the truth. Andrew Marr knows British politics as well if not better than most, so this story resonates with the readers belief in all that is happening in politics. What a bunch of bad people.....read on...I was riveted
The big question is how choose its this to the truth. Andrew Marr knows British politics as well if not better than most, so this story resonates with the readers belief in all that is happening in politics. What a bunch of bad people.....read on...I was riveted
May 28, 2020
3.5 ⭐
I really wasn't sure that this book was going to be my thing but I really enjoyed it! The story can get a little confusing with the timeline and it will randomly jump forward in time and between characters, but I very much enjoyed the foreshadowing of current events from a book published in 2015 and the characters themselves.
I really wasn't sure that this book was going to be my thing but I really enjoyed it! The story can get a little confusing with the timeline and it will randomly jump forward in time and between characters, but I very much enjoyed the foreshadowing of current events from a book published in 2015 and the characters themselves.
April 2, 2021
Fast paced political thriller set in a somewhat possible near future where a socialist labour gov is in turmoil following brexit. The illusive 'master' pics 2 new MPs to manipulate their rise to the top in an attempt to centralise and stabilise the Labour Party. May the best (or worse) politician win.
December 29, 2021
Don’t like the writing style nor the characters. Pretentious & over the top & perhaps too close to some form of ‘truth’ or not maybe. I suppose it uncovers a world I think I know but probably don’t. He’s probably right though about the idea that the most able politicians who could govern better than most are sidelined early by tripping up on the unwritten rules so don’t really have a chance!
August 24, 2019
Portrays the dark, cynical side of political ambition. As a political commentator as well as author, Marr should know. We assume. But some of the twists of the plot are a bit too unexpected and unsubtle to really work.
November 9, 2019
This book was quite intriguing in trying to figure out how much of it was fact and how much fiction, particularly given the position of the author. It lost me in some of the long descriptions but ultimately I enjoyed it a lot - now need to talk to someone about it!!
January 16, 2022
I wouldn’t usually opt for a political read but thought it’d be interesting to read something written by Andrew Marr. I enjoyed this, but am sure much of it very accurately reflects the ‘behind the scenes’ realities of politics, which is a very sobering thought.
May 20, 2017
Excellent! Brilliant story and characters
June 16, 2017
A great fictional insight into the workings of Westminster in a post Brexit era. A good read.
July 18, 2017
I preferred Head of State although I appear to be in the minority.
Enjoyable none-the-less.
Enjoyable none-the-less.
December 11, 2018
I didn't think it was quite as good as his last novel but nice black humour in parts.
March 9, 2019
Just started reading this, with a big grin and several chortles. Published 2015 so presumably written 2014...predictions of current nightmare political shambles by this star author in the know.
Read
November 26, 2019Sorry, could not get into this book.
June 3, 2020
Really didn't enjoy this book - Not my usual type of book so thought I'd give it a go but not for me I'm afraid.
June 3, 2020
Enjoyed this more than I expected to. Having limited political knowledge I did have to skim bits and perhaps explains why I feel it was confusing and disjointed at times.
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