Reviewing and collecting spy fiction and nonfiction
Publishers are always looking to refresh the backlist of authors and sell more copies. In the 70’s the beautiful painted book covers went out of fashion and photo covers came into vogue. The UK publisher Fontana had paperback rights to many of the well known thriller writers of the time like Desmond Bagley, Alastair Maclean, …
Continue reading Broken Covers – John Creasey Part Two
In anticipation of Mick Herron’s US release of London Rules, the fifth book in his Slough House series, I did a re-read his Slough House related work. Herron's short story/novella The Drop was released a few months after London Rules in the fall of 2018. Read more I've written on Herron and other Slough House …
Kate Atkinson’s latest book Transcription tells the story of fictional spy Juliet Armstrong. She’s an eighteen year old who is recruited to assist with an operation to track German spies in London during WW2. While a colleague reels them in from the apartment next door, she transcribes their recorded conversations. Atkinson jumps between three timelines …
In anticipation of Mick Herron’s US release of London Rules, the fifth book in his Slough House series, I did a re-read of the first four books. London Rules was published after the novel Spook Street. Find a glossary on Slough House terms here and the full list of pieces on the book series here. …
In anticipation of Mick Herron’s US release of London Rules, the fifth book in his Slough House series, I’m doing a re-read of the first four books. Spook Street appeared after the novel Real Tigers in 2017. Read more on other Slough House books here. "First law of Spook Street. Secrets don’t stay secret.” The …
There is a lot going on in Mick Herron's Slough House books and following in the tradition of John le Carré he's created his own spy jargon. As the series continues I thought having a cheat sheet may be helpful to refresh our memories as we return to the series after a break between books. …
The Throwaway by Michael Moreci is a spy thriller made for the moment. It’s a fast moving read that jumps right into the story and throws its lead into a situation that quickly spins wildly out of his control. Mark Strain is an on the make Washington D.C. lobbyist with a growing family who is …
