The Secret Hours

By: Mick Herron

Narrated by: Gerard Doyle

Length: 12 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

A gripping standalone spy thriller from the #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of Slow Horses, with a riveting reveal about a disastrous MI5 mission in Cold War Berlin—an absolute must-listen for Slough House fans.

New from the author of Slow Horses, now an Apple Original series from Apple TV+, starring Gary Oldman and Kristin Scott Thomas.

Two years ago, a hostile Prime Minister launched the Monochrome inquiry, investigating "historical over-reaching" by the British Secret Service “to investigate historical over-reaching.” Monochrome’s mission was to ferret out any hint of misconduct by any MI5 officer—and allowed Griselda Fleet and Malcolm Kyle, the two civil servants seconded to the project, unfettered access to any and all confidential information in the Service archives in order to do so.

But MI5’s formidable First Desk did not become Britain’s top spy by accident, and she has successfully thwarted the inquiry at every turn. Now the administration that created Monochrome has been ousted, the investigation is a total bust—and Griselda and Malcolm are stuck watching as their career prospects are washed away by the pounding London rain.

Until the eve of Monochrome’s shuttering, when an MI5 case file appears without explanation. It is the buried history of a classified operation in 1994 Berlin—an operation that ended in tragedy and scandal, whose cover-up has rewritten thirty years of Service history.

The Secret Hours is a dazzling entry point into Mick Herron’s body of work, a standalone spy thriller that is at once unnerving, poignant, and laugh-out-loud funny. It is also the breathtaking secret history that Slough House fans have been waiting for.

©2023 Mick Herron (P)2023 Recorded Books

gave background on Molly (archieves), Lamb, & R Cartwright's GF.

had to concentrate on audible reading & rewind at times bcz very dense. failed to develop Max as a character post initial appearance. Too much detail to really flesh out current characters.

Changing Gears

With The Secret Hours, Mick Herron has changed gears, mounted a new play — without ever having struck the old set. A recurring conceit (‘spook speak’) of casting returning characters, but ones seen from a different angle, with names, aliases (or no explicit name at all) typical of the spy genre at which he excels, moves the reader over familiar ground, drawn in as if meeting many of them for the first time. The tone is conversational, more droll (if that’s possible) than previous reads. The dramatic engine is much more that of a stage production, less an action pic.

I found myself wondering, absent a background of the Slough House series, if readers would find the book as accessible. Can’t answer that one, having devoured all of the previous, what is it seven, eight? At once the book is an extension of and a prequel to the Slow Horse brigade. Herron’s instinct, his intuitive sense of a need to rotate away from the relentless degradation of the house of failed spies, kept fresh previously with the addition of new caricatures and (truthfully) intriguing plot twists, bears fruit. Secret Hours relies less on plot and conflict (although both are certainly present, albeit less ‘dramatically’) and more on character, tone, and point of view. The action moves, but at a more considered, self-conscious pace. I don’t often laugh aloud while reading — but hard not to with the abundance of quirky, linguistic curve balls, pitched by Herron.

For me, a ‘best read’ to date.

Not his best.

Character code names and flip flopping chronology made for a confusing story that had little momentum. Gerard Doyle was excellent as usual.

Great backstory!

It was the prequel (ish) I have been waiting for! And of course, a Gerald Doyle performance treat!

Must Listen

A must for any Slough House fan. Mick Herron is a genius….as is Gerard Doyle

Another Great Story

I’ve read all the Mick Herron Slough House books and listened to them as well. They are so intricate and rich, and this book is no exception. Here we get a backstory of several well known Slough House characters. Herron never names them and most readers will take awhile to figure out who is who , but that’s part of the fun. It builds to a very satisfying ending.

Unexpected back story

Unparalleled reader narrating deep history of vivid characters from earlier books. Totally worth time! Buy it.

Fantastic story!

An exciting look into Slow Horse characters’ backgrounds, full of surprises and plot twists right up to the end!

Backstory

Herron does it again. Good work Mick, and please keep it up. I remain a fan.

So good

Great to have more lines drawn in…pays off to be patient with the story.