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Another World War Two espionage novel set in picturesque, romantic, nominally neutral Portugal? Yes, but Dejan Tiago Stanković constructs his Estoril around an unusual and touching scene: a Chasidic boy, almost ten, appears alone at the registration desk of the luxurious resort Hotel Palacio in seaside Estoril, known mostly for its casino. He’s prematurely poised and wise, thoroughly charming, and he bears hundreds of thousands worth of diamonds and currency from various nations. He hails from Antwerp, where his father’s a jeweler and gem cutter. His parent have fled Belgium and wended their way through France and Spain, trying to stay ahead of the German onslaught. They send their young son ahead to the Palacio, with assurances that they will join him there within days. Days turn to weeks, weeks turn to months, and months turn to years. The boy befriends and is befriended by the Palacio’s staff and residents, all refugees of various nations and backstories themselves. The war continues, the boy becomes a bar mitzvah and a man, and ultimately the war ends. The potential for a great story here.

Tiago-Stanković doesn’t stop with this potentially great story: he adds in the stories of the Palacio’s guests and staff, some interesting, some not, some confusing, some not. Estoril’s an engaging novel, sometimes made less so by the side stories and portraits.