The Secret Hours by Mick Herron

#132 Much hype and hyperbole ahead.

Hello, readers, I’ve missed you!

My house is nearly done with a major renovation that kicked off at the end of June.

Check out the before:

And after!

It’s exciting to be near the finish line and start using all the fun new features.

Today I’m going to gush about Mick Herron’s latest book, The Secret Hours, and encourage you once again to give Slow Horses a try.

---

The book gods have smiled down upon me from their shelves on high. I’m not sure what I did to deserve this, but it has never happened to me before and might never happen again so I’m going to enjoy the heck out of it.

Here’s what happened: I picked this book up thinking it was a standalone from Mick Herron. He’s taking a break from the Slough House series, I thought. I was looking forward to trying something new from an author I liked.

I bought the book. I didn’t read a blurb or any reviews. The one unavoidable piece of marketing I saw was: “A must for Slough House fans.” Ok, a little vague, but as a fan of Slough House, any new Mick Herron book is a must for me. I didn’t think much of it beyond that.

I started reading and the opening scene was thrilling and heart pounding. Herron writes action well and I was eating it up.

But wait, what’s this on page 30? A mention of…First Desk? That’s a Slough House thing. Is this another First Desk or THE First Desk?

Hold on hold on hold on hold on try not to skip ahead and look for other familiar names [does just that] OH! I know that name on page 137! Is this what I think it is??

Ok man, calm down. Probably just a throw away reference. But no, now it’s talking about another person that I definitely recognize. Same habits, same speech patterns, it’s definitely him! Holy fish and chips this is what I think it is!!

And so on.

I can’t tell you exactly why I got so excited to discover that this book takes place in the world of Slough House. I felt like I was being rewarded for the time spent reading the series. There were some easter eggs, some backstory, and some questions answered that have been kicking around since book one. As a new fan who only started the series this year, I’m curious if long time fans were as pumped as I was.

While The Secret Hours certainly can stand on its own as a clever and thrilling spy novel, that’s not how I recommend you read it. Work your way through the 8 book Slough House series like you would an 8 course meal. There’s no rush; have fun with each one. Begin with the hors d'oeuvre: Slow Horses. If you like it, try the soup: Dead Lions. Sprinkle in the novellas along the way like you’d sprinkle parm on pasta. When you’ve finished the rich and well crafted meal, take in The Secret Hours as a warm and satisfying nightcap. By then the world and characters will feel safe and familiar.

Thanks for reading. If you’ve read any books in this series I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Until next time,

-Kyle