In his new novel William Boyd returns to Africa, the scene of his first successes, but not to the west of A Good Man in Africa or the east of An Ice-Cream War. Brazzaville Beach goes for the centre - and appropriately so, since the questions it raises are more searching than before. They're pursued with a narrative fluency and clarity of design that rewards and deserves attention.

LRB 27 September 1990 | PDF Download