The Drop – Mick Herron
Billed as ‘a Slough House novella’ (what happened to the ‘Jackson Lamb’ series?), The Drop doesn’t feature any of the regular Slough House crew, but it does introduce a few other bottom of the heap and dumped-upon minor operatives for the British Intelligence who are about to discover what happens when you upset Lady Di Taverner and start poking around in corners where you’ve no business being. John Bachelor’s only valuable contribution is that he has recruited an agent from the BND – Bundesnachrichtendienst – German Intelligence, although she might not be aware that she is officially an agent or may actually be a double agent. Or even a triple agent in that very left-hand not knowing the right hand way of intelligence services in these “friendly nation” times that Herron has been exploiting to tremendous effect in his Jackson Lamb novels. Bringing real world stupidity into the supposed prestige world of authorities like the national Intelligence services is however something that we...