When I grow up I want to write a book like this. With more twists than an episode of Strictly Come Dancing, this one starts off slowly and builds progressively through to a max speed finish. Maybe I wasn't quite as sharp as usual when I was reading this one, but I didn't see the final twists until quite late in the book. It certainly sets up nicely for the next book in the series, but I've got a couple of other books on my must-read list that I really need to get to first. London Rules has to wait a few weeks.
Jackson Lamb is such an unlikely hero. We've still not found out why he is head of Slough House or what he did to end up there but hopefully Herron goes into that in a future book. He's a dinosaur from another age, but can still move quickly when he wants to and bite hard when he has to. While totally dismissive of his team to their faces, he always has their backs and will pull out all the stops for them. You'd certainly rather have him on your side than as an enemy.
The characters here have none of the glamour of "real spooks", but his team seem to find plenty of unlikely action. More often than not, the really dirty stuff that everyone else is trying to avoid. This book focuses on River Cartwright, his relationship with his grandfather (the O.B. - Old Bastard) and the OB's Cold War past as he succumbs to the ravishes of dementia.
I'm thoroughly enjoying Mick Herron's writing. I love how graphic his imagery is and how I can almost hear and smell the scenes he's describing. You certainly wouldn't want a "scratch 'n' sniff" special edition. This book was simply a joy to read. I love all the backstabbing and subterfuge that's going on throughout the series and watching the characters evolve. We've lost some early names and gained some new ones, but Jackson Lamb remains constant throughout.
I feel properly invested in this series now and can't wait to start on the next book.
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