Ben Fergusson’s engaging novel is billed by his publisher as a literary thriller. While partly true, such a categorization might deter some readers and disappoint others, and that would be a shame because An Honest Man is more than that. Set in Berlin in 1989 in the months leading up to the fall of the Wall, the novel features as its central character a young man, Ralf, caught in a series of transitions. Ralf has a German father and an English mother. His school days in West Berlin have ended and university studies in England have yet to begin. He spends the summer days hanging out with German friends, swimming, cycling, and going on field trips with a local wildlife group. His carefree days come to an abrupt end when he meets Oz, an encounter that transforms his life and upends all the foundations he took for granted. In the wider world signals can be heard that the city, divided since 1945, is about to be transformed.

An Honest Man is a story about growing up, about learning the meaning and importance of loyalty, and about what happens when people are not what they seem. It is absorbing and often very moving, especially about Ralf’s relationship with his mother and his friends. I hope readers looking for a thriller, literary or otherwise, persevere with what is really an affecting a coming-of-age story.