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The Secret Hours

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The Secret Hours

By: Mick Herron
Narrated by: Sean Barrett
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About this listen

A new standalone novel from 'Britain's greatest living thriller writer' and author of the bestselling Slough House series, now a TV series starring Gary Oldman.

THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER*

*A 'Book of the Year' in The Times, Sunday Times, Guardian, Observer, Daily Telegraph, Spectator, Sunday Express, TLS, Irish Times*

'Pure class' Ian Rankin 'Pitch-perfect' Lee Child

'A powerful standalone spy thriller from a true contemporary master' Daily Telegraph

Trying to investigate the Secret Service is like trying to get rid of the stink of dead badger. Hard.

For two years the government's Monochrome inquiry has produced nothing more than a series of dead ends.

The Service has kept what happened in the newly reunified Berlin under wraps for decades, and intends for it to stay that way.

But then the OTIS file turns up.

What classified secrets does it hold? And what damage will it create?

All Max Janácek knows is that someone is chasing him through the pitch-dark country lanes and they want him gone.

WE ALL HAVE JOBS TO DO IN THE DAYLIGHT. IT'S WHAT YOU DO IN THE SECRET HOURS THAT REVEALS WHO YOU REALLY ARE.

'Wonderful . . . high action, a spinning moral compass, and hidden motives on every page' Michael Connelly

*Mick Herron's The Secret Hours was a Sunday Times Number Four bestseller in hardback in the second week of September 2023

2024, Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award, Long-listed

2024, Crimefest Last Laugh Award, Short-listed

2024, CWA Gold Dagger for Best Crime Novel, Long-listed

2024, British Book Awards Thriller of the Year, Short-listed

©2023 Mick Herron (P)2023 Hodder & Stoughton Limited Crime Thrillers Espionage Modern Detectives Mystery Political Spies & Politics Suspense Thriller & Suspense Thriller Fiction Exciting

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All stars
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Loved the Berlin vibes, the promise and the betrayal, the shenanigans and the wonderful writing.

Just stonkingly good

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I loved the plot lines but the sloppy editing was really annoying s it happened too often.

Fabulous plot, sloppy editing!

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Classic Mick Herron - bleak and funny in equal measure. Brilliant reading by Sean Barrett. Choc a block with lines that make you want to buy the book to savour them properly. You’ll get most out of it if you’ve read the earlier Slow Horses books first - and there’s no downside to that. Wondering if one or two of the negative reviews were posted by Anthony Sparrow…

Great writing, great performance

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Like so many Jackson Lamb fans I think this is what we have been waiting for, all the background details to the Slough House stories. It take a while to get going, and to start with I was bored, but as things fall into place and reach a satisfactory climax, it was a really good listen. Sean Barrett still a brilliant narrator.

Long awaited

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The book starts off fast, and then falls into such a meandering lull in the early stages that I almost gave up. But I persevered and it was worth it, because it does improve. The novel turns out to have all of Herron's usual twists and turns, cynicism and dry humour. It tells the back story to some of the Slow Horse characters while telling a new story at the same time. Very clever and very touching in places. A great story, made even better by Sean Barrett's usual fantastic narration.

Stick with it

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The combination of Sean Barrett's reading and Mick Herron's characters is always a heady mix. But this is a highly satisfying culmination of the Slow Horses characters and the current political mire, whilst remembering that the "good old days" weren't all that good either.
Thoroughly enjoyable crawl through the mix of moralities that Mick Herron so skillfully knits together.

Just brilliant!

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Whilst not exaclty a Slough House story it fits very neatly in the canon. Reading the short novella 'Standing by the Wall' would give some recent background it's not really necessary. This was a treat all of its own.

Yes, there are some glitches in the narration from the magnificent Sean Barrett, however it's surely down to the editing for them still to be present. Some TV shows revolved round bloopers which have been cut, here they haven't been! I can forgive SB for that.

The joy of this book is that it very neatly and cleverly ties up a number of loose ends from the Slough House series and gives further background insight to some of the regular characters at the same time. I guessed who the star witness was fairly early on during her evidence giving so it was pleasing to listen to it all pan out. The secondary tale tied in so well, I almost whooped!

In the absence of a mainstream SH novel this filled the gap very well. Clever witty writing is always welcome, coupled with the brilliant narration of SB I will listen to this one more than once.

A real treat!

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This is one of the best of the Jackson Lamb series, although Slough House itself does not feature. Instead, Herron takes us back to Berlin in the 90s in a wonderfully rich and dark back story. The characters whose back stories are thus fleshed out are thinly veiled by their "work names", and identifying them adds to the fun! Sean Barrett narrates brilliantly as usual.

One of the best of the Jackson Lamb series

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Loved getting the history of some of the main characters which we know and love so much. As always, wonderfully read by Sean Barrett!

Another brilliant addition to the Slow Horses series

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My first Mick Herron book but it certainly won't be the last. He is so wry and sometimes laugh out loud funny with wit and choice turns of phrase. I really was unsure about the narration to start with but either I adjusted or it improved.

Really funny and stylish writing

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