A Book A Week

The plethora of streaming services in the entertainment industry has led to a wide variety of content, and many TV shows have their origins in literature. This is precisely the case with the acclaimed spy thriller series on Apple TV+, Slow Horses. As I approached the first season's conclusion, I realized it was adapted from Mick Herron's 2010 novel of the same name. Eager to experience the original source material without spoiling the show's conclusion, I paused my viewing and delved into the book instead.

The world is filled with stories of heroic secret agents who save the day. From James Bond to Jason Bourne, these thrilling adventures capture our imaginations, creating a romanticized view of espionage. But what about the agents who mess up? Indeed, not every mission goes as planned, let alone is successful. No, there are inevitably a few mishaps here and there, and those responsible for them must be handled with care. In the case of Britain's MI5, the "slow horses," as they're called, find themselves separated from the rest of the force, consigned to the disheveled Slough House—a last resort where the blacklisted agents will spend the remainder of their careers doing nothing more than busywork.

Slough House is the last place River Cartwright ever thought he would find himself. As the grandson of a decorated agent, he believed he would follow in his grandfather's legendary footsteps. Unfortunately, River was betrayed by a colleague and bungled a critical mission. Now, he stands on the steps of Slough House, left to try to pick up the pieces of his shattered career. When a young Pakistani student is kidnapped by a far-right group that plans to live-stream their victim's murder, River sees this as an opportunity to honor his duty and redeem himself. It won't be easy, especially as he is meant to remain in the shadows as a pencil pusher for the rest of his career, but River will stop at nothing to try to regain his spot as an agent.

In Slow Horses, Mick Herron envisions a group of antiheroes I couldn't help but cheer for. Unlike the polished agents in Ian Fleming's world, they are a band of misfits, each selfishly striving to escape the purgatory of Slough House and return to the glory of being an active agent. After a compelling start, the novel takes some time to find its footing. I'll confess to feeling a bit weary as Herron introduced each of the "slow horses" and the various elements of the plot. Around the halfway point, however, the story's trajectory began to unfold, and I could not put the book down. The characters bring a wit that injects much-needed levity into the weightier subject matter, resulting in a thrilling read and a promising start to the series.

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads. 

(2024, 18)

In the early 90's a group of high ranking officials from the Russian and American governments came together to form a highly classified initiative that could potentially lead to the death of millions of people. To ensure the security of the agreement, all involved parties sign a document that allows an international assassin to be ordered to eliminate anyone who leaks the information.

Fast forward to the present day, and the information has been stolen. With the threat of the horrific details of the plan being revealed, various entities begin to search for the documents, and the person who they believe could be responsible. Will Cochrane, an MI6 operative leads a team, in cooperation with the CIA, to attempt to find the man responsible for the missing papers. But the mission soon becomes far more personal. Someone has discovered Will's true identity, and threatens to release the information and to harm his sister, the only person on the earth who he truly cares about. The story quickly becomes an international tale of intrigue in which Will grapples with the implications of the released documents, faces the highly dangerous assassin, and attempts to discover the person or people who threaten to blow his cover.

The complexity of this novel makes it quite difficult to explain the plot without spoiling the twists and details that make it so compelling. Author Matthew Dunn is a former MI6 operative himself, so he brings a unique understanding of the inner workings of the secretive organizations that are explored in this book. This is the third novel to feature Will Cochrane, but the story itself stands alone as a completely realized narrative. It took me a bit of time to acclimate myself to all of the military jargon used throughout the novel, but the plot is intriguing enough that I was quickly able to work through it.

The character of Will Cochrane could have easily been a cold, one-dimensional man, especially given the secretive nature of his work. Where Dunn really excels is in extracting the emotions of this man who has essentially been trained to show none. It was fascinating to read about Will's internal battle of dealing with his inner feelings while never letting them betray the complex mission at hand. Overall, this is a fast paced, complex, international conspiracy novel that easily sets itself as a top example of the genre. Dunn is able to successfully combine his own personal experience as an MI6 operative with the conventions of modern thriller novels to create a unique and nearly flawless book.

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and GoodReads.

Charlie Davis is a man who has settled. Six years ago, he was living a life of excitement and purpose. As a journalist, he was based out of Uzbekistan, chronicling the people's turmoil from government oppression. While there, he met the love of his wife, Julie. A native of London, Julie worked in Uzbekistan, helping citizens and trying, like Charlie, to raise awareness of their situation. This life of excitement peaked one day during a protest demonstration.

A very pregnant Julie attended the demonstration with Charlie and her old friend and romantic flame, Alisher Byko and his wife and son. In the heat of the demonstration, a passionate Byko stood on the statue of the Uzbekistan leader and begin to speak in resistance. In that same instant, the government's police arrived and began shooting at the protesters. Charlie climbed a tower to get a better vantage point for photographing the horrific scene. From this higher view, Charlie witnessed Byko's wife and child being murdered. He felt a shot of pain in his back and soon realized that he too had been shot.

Fortunately, those days are behind them now. Charlie accepted a position at the LA Times and Julie stays home, raising their two children. Everything seems to be normal. But as is often the case, especially if you're reading a thriller, turmoil rests just below the surface.

Julie has recently returned from a trip to New York to visit her sister. To celebrate, she decides to take the family for a day of fun at Disneyland. In a rather terse exchange, Charlie states that he has to go into work, so Julie ends up taking the kids herself. In this moment, we are first given a glimpse into a bit of tension in their marriage. At the LA Times office, Charlie is informed by his boss that he will have to start traveling for overseas reports, as a means to justify him keeping his job. Charlie is fearful of the change, especially after his experience six years ago, but agrees to discuss it with Julie.

But he never gets that chance. On their return trip from the happiest place on earth, Julie and the kids get stuck in typical LA traffic. She is on the phone with Charlie, discussing alternate routes, and agrees to call him as soon as she escapes the largest part of the traffic. But the call doesn't come. Fearful for her safety, Charlie races to the area he sent her to. There, he finds police surrounding her car. The kids are both safe, but Julie is nowhere to be found.

Distraught, Charlie quickly learns that Julie never visited her sister in New York. Instead, she flew to London. What drew her to her old home country? Even more troubling, what caused her to lie to him? The police are convinced that Julie was having an affair. They suspect that Charlie found out about the affair, and, enraged, murdered his wife. Determined to find his wife and clear his name, Charlie sets out on an international investigation that forces him to relive the darkest parts of his past to guarantee a safe future.

This is the debut novel of author Hank Steinberg, the mastermind behind the hit television series Without a Trace. Steinberg brings that television sensibility to his writing by keeping a quick pace and suspenseful plotting. His characters all seem genuine, and I immediately felt for Charlie as a kind of average guy just trying to ensure the future of his family. The opening two thirds, in particular, are a really stellar example of what a thriller should do. We are given just enough history on the characters to be interested in their actions, and the narrative moves just fast enough to keep us wanting to continue. Unfortunately, the last third of the novel takes a turn into the ridiculously unbelievable. In the moment of what could have been a shocking reveal, we are instead treated to a twist that betrays the fantastic writing that precedes it. This does not, however, stop the action and entertainment factor. Steinberg's television experience ensures a good ride throughout the entire novel. I only wish that the ride wasn't interrupted by a momentary bump of disappointment.

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and GoodReads.

Like many other deceased authors, Michael Crichton and Sydney Sheldon immediately come to mind, author Andrew Britton's untimely death in 2008 has not halted the production of new novels under his name. Of course, this opens the whole debate about ghost writers and unreleased manuscripts that are passed off as new material from bestselling authors. Despite my growing dislike of this practice, the book jacket summary seemed promising enough that I decided to give The Operative a read.

After years as a counter terrorism operative, Ryan Kealey is finally adjusting to a more peaceful lifestyle. This newfound peace is quickly shattered when Kealey finds himself smack in the middle of a large-scale terror attack at a charity gala. With many deaths and injuries, the CIA fears that some of their units may be compromised. Now Kealey is the only man who is both trusted by the US Government and capable to discover the truth behind the attack. As he delves into the depts of the conspiracy, he discovers unimaginable secrets that could shatter the stability of the entire country.

There is nothing horribly wrong with this novel. The writing is serviceable, the characters do what they are intended to do, and the story comes to a solid, if a bit predictable, conclusion. To my taste, however, the pacing and structure of the story is too disjointed. The opening and build up to the main action takes entirely too much time. When Kealey is finally allowed to begin his investigation, the part that should be the most interesting, he blazes through to the conclusion without the intelligence and suspense that modern thriller readers have come to expect. Overall, the novel was a fine diversion, but ultimately not worth the time.

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and GoodReads.

(week 50, book 45)