by Patrick Ogle

Yes, another Slough House book by Mick Herron. This one is CALLED Slough House.

What else can I say about these books? Well, there is, at least, ONE thing; these books get noticeably darker as they go on and Slough House is the darkest yet. I am poised to read the final (existing) Slough House book, Bad Actors shortly and we will see how dark THAT one is.

I steadfastly avoid plot summary because I don't want to spoil anything if someone happens to read this but it is also the fact that these are spy books and there are marked similarities between the plots of many of the books. It is the nature of spy books.  

This isn't to say the books are the same but rather to point out that these books are MORE about the characters than the broader plot elements. They get put in similar situations in many of the books because the characters are spies (well...sort of...). I would compare it to a series dealing with attorneys where the protagonists often wind up in court. It is hardly shocking lawyers wind up in court or spies...well....SPY. This also refers to BROAD plot elements like "there are people trying to kill a member of the team." Obviously there are more subtle elements to the various plots.

What Herron does best is create characters you really like or hate. Even some of the "bad" ones you develop empathy for and feel vaguely bad when something happens to them. There are kind characters, funny characters, characters you would like to have a martini with and characters you would never, ever want to meet in person. Even the minor characters seem to require an emotion of the reader. 

It is probably a requirement that someone writing a series make you care about the characters in one way or another. Keeps readers reading.

I am personally glad I read this book without having to wait a year or so for the next one to come out as I NEED to know what happens ASAP.

by Patrick Ogle
(as a note? this was finished in February. The post date is just that)

London Rules and Joe Country by Mick Herron. So Yet another in the series by  Herron. These get better and better as you read through the series. Keep in mind, they are pretty good from the beginning as well. As readers, of course, it may be that we get more and more "at home" with the characters and their predicaments as we read.

Is there a hint of earlier books in London Rules? Yes. It is probably tough to not tread over the same ground here and there in such a series. It isn't duplication of the entire plot but rather some parts that drive the action. The plus side is how well the characters are developed at this point.  MANY of these books revolve around a team of assassins or terrorists being in England. Just the back story and level of competence, changes from book to book. This is, of course, the sort of thing you don't notice while you are reading. I ripped through this book in a day and some change.

Naturally I am going to contradict myself a little with regard to Joe Country. Joe Country is the best reviewed book (where I've read reviews) but was a bit of a lull for me. It wasn't the plot or the characters but rather one segment of the book where you know there are going to be fatalities. This isn't giving away much since the first few pages tell you this. I just felt , at the end, this was drawn out too long and that the subterfuge revolving around "who will it be?" was kind of tiresome.

The good news this isn't the whole book or even a large percentage. It just bogged me down. The writing was still funny and the characters as smart as ever. They even give hints as to the origins of certain characters whose anti-social behavior the book rests on. There is a bit of Jackson Lamb backstory that you might just read past but I thought "ahhh" when I read it.

It is impossible to not love these books.