The German Messenger by David Malcolm
England, December 1916. The most destructive battle in world history has finally ended at the Somme and Europe is in the paralysis of a trench warfare. It seems no-one can win. Harry Draffen is a major in military intelligence. He has such a mixed family…
The Unfortunate Englishman by John Lawton
John Lawton is not the most prolific author, so when a new book comes along it is something of an event. He made his name with the excellent Frederick Troy novels, and in 2014 he gave us a new character in Then We Take Berlin…
Real Tigers
Mick Herron has carved out something of a niche with his accounts of the more disfunctional side of the espionage industry. London’s Slough House may sound imposing, but it is basically a scrapyard for spies who, for whatever reason, screwed up their careers with MI5. We…
First look: Gunther returns in The Other Side of Silence
Philip Kerr’s damaged but noble German cop Bernie Gunther is back for another episode and here’s your chance for a first look at The Other Side of Silence. Gunther bestrides the 20th century. We know he fought in World War I but Kerr has kept that…
The Travelers by Chris Pavone
In an expertly assembled first few chapters, Chris Pavone sets the scene nicely. The Travelers of the title is a magazine, and so much more. It’s a brand, an idea, an aspiration, an experience and, indeed, a lifestyle. You could say it’s the Grand Dame…
Real Tigers by Mick Herron
With Nobody Walks, Mick Herron did something a little different to his previous efforts, though still within the espionage genre, albeit tangentially. Now he returns to the fictional world of his Slough House series and its slow horses. You may recall that Slough House is…
Spy Out the Land by Jeremy Duns
It might sound strange for a reviewer to describe rough, tough, bloodthirsty crime thrillers as their comfort zone, but it’s good to step away from the genre you know and love occasionally. Welcome to the world of spies, double agents, double-crossing and danger, evoked in…