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Tangier
A LETTER FROM THE PAST FORCES A DISGRACED BUREAUCRAT TO CONFRONT HIS FUTURE
TANGIER tells two parallel one, a mystery, and the other a spy story set fifty years apart and told in a series of alternating sections. In the first, we follow Christopher Chaffee, a disgraced Washington power broker whose father, a French diplomat, died in a Vichy prison in 1944—or so he had always believed until a letter, received decades after it was posted, upends his life. Soon he is reluctantly inspecting the corkscrew of his own life as he searches the narrow lanes and twisted souls of Tangier’s ancient medina in search of the father he never knew.
The second is a tale of espionage and betrayal, set in Morocco during WWII. Rene Laurent, Christopher’s father, struggles to maintain his integrity—and his life—in the snake pit of wartime Tangier. The stories slowly intertwine as Christopher unravels the mystery of his father’s fate, and Laurent becomes trapped in a web of lies and corruption, and caught up, too, in the arms of a woman he knows he shouldn’t trust.
Ultimately, TANGIER is the story of fathers and sons, the alienation of being a stranger in a strange land, the seductive face of betrayal and, finally, the lengths we’ll go to for redemption.
TANGIER tells two parallel one, a mystery, and the other a spy story set fifty years apart and told in a series of alternating sections. In the first, we follow Christopher Chaffee, a disgraced Washington power broker whose father, a French diplomat, died in a Vichy prison in 1944—or so he had always believed until a letter, received decades after it was posted, upends his life. Soon he is reluctantly inspecting the corkscrew of his own life as he searches the narrow lanes and twisted souls of Tangier’s ancient medina in search of the father he never knew.
The second is a tale of espionage and betrayal, set in Morocco during WWII. Rene Laurent, Christopher’s father, struggles to maintain his integrity—and his life—in the snake pit of wartime Tangier. The stories slowly intertwine as Christopher unravels the mystery of his father’s fate, and Laurent becomes trapped in a web of lies and corruption, and caught up, too, in the arms of a woman he knows he shouldn’t trust.
Ultimately, TANGIER is the story of fathers and sons, the alienation of being a stranger in a strange land, the seductive face of betrayal and, finally, the lengths we’ll go to for redemption.
305 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 30, 2017
16 people are currently reading
73 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Holgate
13 books39 followersStephen Holgate is a fifth-generation Oregonian who served for four years as a diplomat with the American Embassy in Morocco. In addition to his other foreign service posts, Mr. Holgate has served as a congressional staffer; headed a committee staff of the Oregon State Senate; managed two electoral campaigns; acted with the national tour of an improvisational theater group; worked as a crew member of a barge on the canals of France; and lived in a tent while working as a gardener in Malibu. Holgate has published several short stories and a successfully produced one-man play, as well as publishing innumerable freelance articles. Tangier is his first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
October 25, 2019
I quite enjoyed this combination of mystery, espionage, and journey to self-discovery set in Morocco. It employs a dual timeline narrative, one set in WWII where a French diplomat has fled to Tangier to avoid becoming part of the Vichy government, and the other set in 1995 in which a son searches for the father he has never known. It is evenly paced, where pieces of the puzzle are gradually revealed within each story, and they eventually converge into a satisfying conclusion.
Holgate captures the flavor of the Tangier, its customs, cultures, architecture, vistas, and histories. It is filled with spies, smugglers, con artists, and colorful characters. Protagonist Christopher Chaffee starts off as a pretty unlikeable guy, but over the course of his time in Morocco, he experiences a personal awakening, inspired by his interactions with people who are very different from him, especially in their ways of thinking about what is important in life.
The writing is evocative:
“After the relentless gloom of France, the streets of Tangier looked like a street carnival. The Mediterranean sun saturated every corner of the noisy, crowded markets and bustling streets—the reds and blues, greens and whites of the djellabas, the striped awnings of shaded doorways, the painted polyglot signs above the shops and restaurants. Even in the shadowed lanes of the medina, the sun suffused the soft greens and blues that trimmed the whitewashed walls.”
The storyline seems plausible, without any over-the-top components that often mar a book of this type. It will appeal to readers that enjoy historical mysteries set in exotic places.
Holgate captures the flavor of the Tangier, its customs, cultures, architecture, vistas, and histories. It is filled with spies, smugglers, con artists, and colorful characters. Protagonist Christopher Chaffee starts off as a pretty unlikeable guy, but over the course of his time in Morocco, he experiences a personal awakening, inspired by his interactions with people who are very different from him, especially in their ways of thinking about what is important in life.
The writing is evocative:
“After the relentless gloom of France, the streets of Tangier looked like a street carnival. The Mediterranean sun saturated every corner of the noisy, crowded markets and bustling streets—the reds and blues, greens and whites of the djellabas, the striped awnings of shaded doorways, the painted polyglot signs above the shops and restaurants. Even in the shadowed lanes of the medina, the sun suffused the soft greens and blues that trimmed the whitewashed walls.”
The storyline seems plausible, without any over-the-top components that often mar a book of this type. It will appeal to readers that enjoy historical mysteries set in exotic places.
May 23, 2018
A well done, taut and engaging read, Tangier kept me turning the pages and ignoring the duty-calls bell. It had so much - flawed characters, mystery, World War II espionage, betrayal, history, culture, period setting, two timelines - in short - the works. And it worked splendidly. The novel is set 55 years apart in Morocco - in 1940 with Rene Laurent and in 1995 with Laurent’s son, Christopher Chaffee. The book opens up with Chaffee on a ferry headed to Tangier. A fallen U.S. government director caught falsifying his expense reports, we immediately witness the flawed character that he is - caught up in his own hubris and complacency thinking he was untouchable. Then he comes crashing down to earth on the work and personal fronts. Having always been told that his French diplomat father had died in a Vichy prison during World War II, he is confronted by the startling news that his father may still be alive - in Morocco. As his career abruptly shuts down and his mother pleads with him to follow the Moroccan trail, Chaffee heads to modern-day Morocco to reassess his life and search for his father. A fast rewind back to the summer of 1940 - and we meet Chaffee’s father, Rene Laurent on a ferry headed to Tangier…A French diplomat, he escapes to Morocco hoping to regroup with loyal French colleagues as France is overrun by the Germans and now in the hands of the Vichy government. But Rene is caught in the harsh realities of political intricacies, tangled webs and espionage games. Soon he is torn between the tide that is carrying him towards disastrous survival (of course a woman is involved) on one hand and the integrity he wants to cling to in order to stay true to himself on the other. Alongside the many intriguing characters are the locales of Tangier and Asilah. Both are mysterious, foreign and different to father and son. They both have to operate in unknown and uncertain environments, rely on their instincts and make quick decisions with little information and few facts. This all makes for a fast-paced, well-done and absorbing read from first-time novelist Stephen Holgate, which I thoroughly enjoyed and would highly recommend! Many thanks to NetGalley for the read.
July 25, 2018
TANGIER
This was a very excellent book. On the wishes of his aging mother, Christopher Chaffee, a disgraced high powered US government official, travels to Tangier in search of the father he has never met. Out of his element, he cannot avoid some serious soul searching.
In a dual timeline, this adventure alternates with the life 50 years earlier of Rene Laurent, Chaffee's father. Set in WWII, Laurent is a Parisian diplomat who ends up, through the confusion of war, in Tangier.
Some of the things I really enjoyed about this book were that the characters were well-developed and realistic. Very flawed but genuine. The descriptions provided by the author of time and place in Tangier were excellent, I really got a feel for what it was like being there during each of the time periods. The plot was intricate but well thought out and clearly presented. The pacing was very good.
But what I thought made this book so outstanding was the tone and subtlety of the author. The humor was dry but fun. The feelings of the characters rang so true. It was very touching.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Stephen Holgate, and Blank Slate Press for the opportunity to read and review this book. I would highly recommend it and look forward to reading more works by this author.
This was a very excellent book. On the wishes of his aging mother, Christopher Chaffee, a disgraced high powered US government official, travels to Tangier in search of the father he has never met. Out of his element, he cannot avoid some serious soul searching.
In a dual timeline, this adventure alternates with the life 50 years earlier of Rene Laurent, Chaffee's father. Set in WWII, Laurent is a Parisian diplomat who ends up, through the confusion of war, in Tangier.
Some of the things I really enjoyed about this book were that the characters were well-developed and realistic. Very flawed but genuine. The descriptions provided by the author of time and place in Tangier were excellent, I really got a feel for what it was like being there during each of the time periods. The plot was intricate but well thought out and clearly presented. The pacing was very good.
But what I thought made this book so outstanding was the tone and subtlety of the author. The humor was dry but fun. The feelings of the characters rang so true. It was very touching.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Stephen Holgate, and Blank Slate Press for the opportunity to read and review this book. I would highly recommend it and look forward to reading more works by this author.
July 3, 2019
Named a top ten thriller in 2017, Tangier is an assured, mesmerizing debut set in WWII Morocco and 1995 D. C. Mixes mystery with political intrigue in a novel that masterfully recounts the story of a son searching for the truth of his missing father. Highly recommended!
Grateful to NetGalley and Amphorae Publishing Group for the ARC. Opinions are mine.
#Tangier #NetGalley
Grateful to NetGalley and Amphorae Publishing Group for the ARC. Opinions are mine.
#Tangier #NetGalley
March 24, 2019
I liked Stephen Holgate's Madagascar, so I went looking for this, his first novel. Holgate is a former Foreign Service officer, and his novels fall under the heading of international intrigue, a genre the British do really well but which doesn't have a lot of American practitioners. This is not Ludlumesque high-tech explosion-studded spectacle, but rather realistic dramas in a quieter vein about diplomats, spies and other expatriates set in interesting places around the world.
This book tells two stories set fifty years apart, in alternating sections. In 1995, Christopher Chaffee is a disgraced federal agency head, booted out after an expense account scandal. At a loose end and in full-blown life crisis mode, he takes off for Morocco to see if he can find out what happened to the father he never knew, a French diplomat who his mother always told him had died in a Vichy prison during the war. A recently unearthed letter suggests that he may instead have made it to Tangier and survived. Chaffee quickly finds that the ruthlessness he honed as a Washington, D.C. big shot is of little use in a bewildering foreign country, and he is on the verge of giving up and going home, chastened and defeated, when he comes across his father's trail.
Flashbacks show us the father, Rene Laurent, stranded in Tangier in 1940, desperate to find a way to carry on the fight against the Nazis while dodging their agents in Spanish-controlled Tangier. As we realize that some of these people who were young in 1940 are still around in the seedy Tangier of 1995, the two stories begin to converge. Chaffee, of course, will learn a lot about himself as well as about his father.
It's a nice construction and an entertaining read; I look forward to seeing where Holgate will take us next.
This book tells two stories set fifty years apart, in alternating sections. In 1995, Christopher Chaffee is a disgraced federal agency head, booted out after an expense account scandal. At a loose end and in full-blown life crisis mode, he takes off for Morocco to see if he can find out what happened to the father he never knew, a French diplomat who his mother always told him had died in a Vichy prison during the war. A recently unearthed letter suggests that he may instead have made it to Tangier and survived. Chaffee quickly finds that the ruthlessness he honed as a Washington, D.C. big shot is of little use in a bewildering foreign country, and he is on the verge of giving up and going home, chastened and defeated, when he comes across his father's trail.
Flashbacks show us the father, Rene Laurent, stranded in Tangier in 1940, desperate to find a way to carry on the fight against the Nazis while dodging their agents in Spanish-controlled Tangier. As we realize that some of these people who were young in 1940 are still around in the seedy Tangier of 1995, the two stories begin to converge. Chaffee, of course, will learn a lot about himself as well as about his father.
It's a nice construction and an entertaining read; I look forward to seeing where Holgate will take us next.
January 1, 2026
A compelling spy story, as well as a father/son search. Takes place in two periods (1995 and 1940) but one place, and the author seems to have special insights about Morocco that enhance the story. Lots of color, intrigue, danger, and even some romance! A good mystery that gets resolved.
August 1, 2017
Tangier by Stephen Holgate
When we are young, we think we know the kind of people our parents are, but as we grow up, we begin to see them as more human and less heroic. For Christopher Chaffee, a man who never knew his father, coming to terms with who the man really was has taken him across the world.
All of his life, Chafee (who took his stepfather’s last name) was told his father, Rene Laurent, had died in prison during the Second World War. However, at the age of 55, he is told by his mother that she has received an old message, finally delivered, that made her believe he was still alive. She begs her son to go to Tangier, the last place his father was known to be alive. So begins the beautiful weaving of two stories—father’s and son’s—as they each travel through the superbly constructed setting of Morocco, though 50 years apart.
The two stories swirl around each other as we come to know these two men, and as Chaffee comes to know his father. In the process, he comes to know himself as well.
Stephen Holgate has written an intriguing novel that will leave you questioning until the end.
When we are young, we think we know the kind of people our parents are, but as we grow up, we begin to see them as more human and less heroic. For Christopher Chaffee, a man who never knew his father, coming to terms with who the man really was has taken him across the world.
All of his life, Chafee (who took his stepfather’s last name) was told his father, Rene Laurent, had died in prison during the Second World War. However, at the age of 55, he is told by his mother that she has received an old message, finally delivered, that made her believe he was still alive. She begs her son to go to Tangier, the last place his father was known to be alive. So begins the beautiful weaving of two stories—father’s and son’s—as they each travel through the superbly constructed setting of Morocco, though 50 years apart.
The two stories swirl around each other as we come to know these two men, and as Chaffee comes to know his father. In the process, he comes to know himself as well.
Stephen Holgate has written an intriguing novel that will leave you questioning until the end.
December 18, 2020
This espionage thriller was a page turner, with intriguing characters and illustrious descriptions of scenes in Morocco. It transported me to another place, which is what separates a good from a great novel. Looking forward to reading Madagascar from the same author.
December 13, 2019
3.25 stars
May 4, 2019
This is a book worth your time. The excellent writing makes up for the lackluster storytelling. It's not that it's not interesting, it just could be so much more. I love to read books with a sense of place. Because this book is titled "Tangier" and the cover art is even of Tangier, I figured I would get caught up in the world of Morocco. Alas, that was not the case. This book is part espionage thriller and part self discovery novel. I enjoyed it and recommend it. I was surprised how many words are included in this book that I didn't know the meaning of. Here are a few.
peroration: the concluding part of a speech, typically intended to inspire enthusiasm in the audience.
insouciance: casual lack of concern; indifference
harridan: a strict, bossy, or belligerent old woman
garrulous: excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters
Some of my favorite lines:
"After days of stumbling in the dark, Chaffee felt himself careening toward the truth like a skier racing downhill, gravity pulling him a frightening speed."
"Laurent wished that, as in a foreign film, the conversation might contain subtitles to indicate what everyone's words really meant."
peroration: the concluding part of a speech, typically intended to inspire enthusiasm in the audience.
insouciance: casual lack of concern; indifference
harridan: a strict, bossy, or belligerent old woman
garrulous: excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters
Some of my favorite lines:
"After days of stumbling in the dark, Chaffee felt himself careening toward the truth like a skier racing downhill, gravity pulling him a frightening speed."
"Laurent wished that, as in a foreign film, the conversation might contain subtitles to indicate what everyone's words really meant."
February 1, 2024
I really really really enjoyed this book. I recommended this to my book club (age ranging from 42-86) and every one LOVED this book as well! We're all very sorry that Stephen Holgate is not getting the recognition as a great author as he should. His writing in this story is so good, it takes you to Tangier. The descriptions of walking through the Medinas and the views from atop buildings or from the big picture windows enables the reader to an experience unlike what most authors can do. In other words, very few can really take you there as this author does! I love the way in which we are taken from one point in time to the next and then back again, told in distinct sections as the story progresses, and very significantly so by Mr. Holgate, all making good sense and leaving no confusion as to where you are or whose journey it is. It is a good paced story, with ample descriptions to keep the reader engaged fully. It is an adventure full of twists and turns through the streets of Tangier and nearby towns during two different decades (1940's and 1990's) and so very intriguing as we find out who is really who they say they are! Is everyone a spy???? Read it and find out!!!
September 28, 2021
Even though I may not have ordinarily picked up this book, I'm so glad I did. The plot was really interesting and I liked being taken along for the ride between the two storylines. It truly felt like an exciting spy adventure! I sometimes had a hard time believing the tidy development of the main character, but I was completely invested in all of the minor characters so I didn't mind so much. Because of this book, I fell in love with a completely new type of story. This book is perfect for historical fiction fans, world travel fans, and anyone who loves a good mystery.
January 28, 2025
A fascinating double-timeline historical novel, set in 1995 and 1944. It's rich in detail about the city in Morocco, where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean, and where many cultures met during World War II. The author was stationed there as a foreign service officer, and the knowledge of the area, and his deep love of it, shows in every page of the book.
It turned out to be the second book in a row I'd read about a determined search for an unknown parent, something about which I have no personal experience, but which I now understand is as compelling as a murder mystery.
It turned out to be the second book in a row I'd read about a determined search for an unknown parent, something about which I have no personal experience, but which I now understand is as compelling as a murder mystery.
April 18, 2018
I like how Tangier captured the atmosphere of North Africa, both in modern times and in the confusion of World War II. The storytelling is solid. A disgraced American bureaucrat gets information about his father who may still be alive in Morocco. The son decides to try to track down the story, and finds himself in a tangle as confusing as the streets of the Medina. Holgate smoothly takes us back and forth between the two times and carefully ties off the loose ends of the story.
June 28, 2023
Steve Holgate enthralls us with a thrilling story of love, lust, intrigue and espionage. Set in Morocco during WWII, Tangier is a story of a mysterious father and the son who tries to find him and in the process discovers himself. There is a beautiful French femme fatale, British spies and Moroccan characters of questionable moral values and intent. The tale is fast paced, entertaining and the ending is sure to be a surprise. Highly recommended!.
March 28, 2018
Author Stephen Holgate's debut novel, Tangier, is part modern day mystery, part WWII spy story. He drew on his own memories as a diplomat serving at the American Embassy in Morocco for inspiration. The story captures the fascination of Morocco – its rich history and how people, particularly foreigners, can come adrift there.
July 6, 2022
A very well written WW2 mystery focusing on a French diplomat on the run just after his country's defeat by the NAZIs. The story is written off of 2 timelines. One deals with 1940 and the other 55 years later where the diplomat's son is trying to figure out what happened to the father he never knew but heard about his whole life. This is one of the books that I found difficult to put down.
August 21, 2017
This was not a bad book but it wasn't super good either. I liked it because I spent eight months in Morocco and Asilah, which is mentioned a few times, was my favorite city I visited. But I found the transitions in the story to be very not done well.
October 8, 2018
I was glad I started this in the middle, at Chapter 17, finished the book and then started at Chapter 1--very good way for me to read this and really get the big picture. Wonderful "being there" descriptions of Tangier, marvelous characters, and intriguing plot. I just loved it!
April 22, 2019
An earlier book by a new found author, equally enjoyable with intelligent and insightful commentary on the human condition. While I would have preferred a different ending, this was Holgate's story, not mine.
November 10, 2022
Stephen Holgate engages the reader from page one .. this is an engaging story of a man who has just realized his failings and is starting to come to terms with it while on a quest to find or rather identify the fate of the father he never knew.
July 19, 2018
Quite enjoyed it but there was just something that stopped me from giving it 5 stars
June 23, 2019
Fascinating tale of a disgraced diplomat searching for his father who disappeared in Tangier during WWII. Nothing straightforward here, kept me intrigued from start to end.
July 19, 2019
My husband seemed to be really enjoying this book a few days ago, but he told me today as he finished it that it was only Ok.
Read
July 27, 2020Repetitive
Did not enjoy reading this book, the characters were boring, just seemed to go round in circles, not enjoyable read☹
Did not enjoy reading this book, the characters were boring, just seemed to go round in circles, not enjoyable read☹
September 11, 2020
Disgraced Washington bureaucrat searches for the fate of his father in Tangier in this mystery, espionage and father-son story. Entertaining and easy to read.
December 25, 2021
Tnagier is a great read. I lived in Morocco for about 18 months and this brought me right back. With the two time lines running through the book made it a page turner.
March 10, 2022
I have determined for myself that three stars is fine for books that are enjoyable - as this one was - but don’t resonate beyond the reading.
February 8, 2018
Nicely woven stories - one of foreign diplomat in exile during WWII forced into spy ring, and the other 50 years later a fallen US government employee looking for his father (the spy) .. neat blending! All set in Morrocco! Nice book cover!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews