ARC Review: Politics and Spies

The Secret Hours by Mick Herron

Publication Date: September 12, 2023

Summary from NetGalley:

Two years ago, a hostile Prime Minister launched the Monochrome inquiry, investigating “historical overreaching” by the British Secret Service. Monochrome’s mission was to ferret out any hint of misconduct by any MI5 officer—and allowed Griselda Fleet and Malcolm Kyle, the two civil servants seconded to the project, unfettered access to any and all confidential information in the Service archives in order to do so.

But MI5’s formidable First Desk did not become Britain’s top spy by accident, and she has successfully thwarted the inquiry at every turn. Now the administration that created Monochrome has been ousted, the investigation is a total bust—and Griselda and Malcolm are stuck watching as their career prospects are washed away by the pounding London rain.

Until the eve of Monochrome’s shuttering, when an MI5 case file appears without explanation. It is the buried history of a classified operation in 1994 Berlin—an operation that ended in tragedy and scandal, whose cover-up has rewritten thirty years of Service history.

The Secret Hours is a dazzling entry point into Mick Herron’s body of work, a standalone spy thriller that is at once unnerving, poignant, and laugh-out-loud funny. It is also the breathtaking secret history that Slough House fans have been waiting for.

ARC provided by Soho Press via Netgalley for an honest review.

Confession:

This book opens with a thrilling life or death chase through the English countryside that will leave you somewhat breathless. The action does taper off from there, but the rest of the story is so finely crafted that you don’t really miss the fast paced action. This is a stand alone book within the Slow House world, but it will delight fans of the series and create new ones.

There are quite a few new characters in this story, but many old ones that will be recognized by fans. Although it may take a bit as no one uses their real names and even their codes names are sometimes not the correct ones. But you will recognize them from their acerbic dialogue and actions.

Griselda Fleet and Malcolm Kyle have been set the task of trying to find evidence of wrongdoing by MI5. We see most of the present day action through them. They are of course hindered from the start by First Desk, and things just never really take off for the Monochrome group. It is disheartening to see these two just trying to do their jobs but being stopped by people with more power than they have. It really wore them both down. But once they get the Otis file, their fires are lit once again, and they must get to the bottom of it.

I can’t really say much about the plot without giving things away, and it is way too complex to talk about here. But it does have a dual timeline between the present day and events that happened in 1994 in Berlin. It is in Berlin that some of the more beloved characters from Slow House will make their appearances. The story is tightly woven between past and present and involves a lot of political intrigue and a revenge plot. I can’t speak much about the present day politics, not being a British citizen, but I knew enough not to be totally lost.

I really enjoyed this stand alone and highly recommend it to everyone. If you have never read a Slow House book, this would be a good introduction. It has some backstory on some of the most well known characters and it is an entertaining read. Fans will enjoy learning more about their favorite characters and will understand them better for it.