I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes

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What if you were called upon to investigate the perfect crime? What if you realized that the person who had committed that crime had used a book you wrote to achieve it? That is the situation facing Pilgrim, codename for a man who does not exist. Pilgrim used to be a spy. Now he’s retired. But his retirement is about to end… When a terrifying weapon threatens America, Pilgrim will have to begin a race against time that will take him from Mecca to Turkey to Alsace to the Hindu Kush in order to find a faceless man. A man who may be closer to him than he could possibly expect…

I Am Pilgrim has received a lot of hype over the past few months – even here in France, every time I go into a bookshop I find it on the shelves, showered in praise from readers and critics alike. I am glad to say that it more than lives up to the hype – in fact I would imagine that this book will be up there in my top-ten list by the end of the year. Opening in a hotel room in the US, the book starts out as a murder mystery before delving into the history of the main character, the man who introduces himself as Pilgrim. From there, we are taken on a whirlwind tour of espionage, terrorism and murder, a globe-trotting thrill ride that also manages to delve into such themes as growing old, family, love and the cost of freedom. I loved the fact that while the entire story is told in first person, Terry Hayes manages to use that to segue into an omniscient third person at times, giving us a glimpse into the lives of various other characters along the way. I was hooked from the first page and it did not let up until the end. If you haven’t already, pick it up, read it and enjoy!

I gave I Am Pilgrim 5 stars (because I couldn't give it any more)!