OK Story line. Took a while to get through.

Two years ago, a hostile Prime Minister launched the Monochrome inquiry, investigating "historical over-reaching" by the British Secret Service. 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.

Slow Horses author can write a MI5 thriller.

I wasn’t aware he had so many titles. More my husbands genre but it was interesting ti finish.

I started this and couldn’t get into it, so I did not finish the Audiobook. Not sure if it was the narrator or that the book itself was slow, but I just wasn’t feeling it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

Mick Herron has written the perfect stand-alone MI-5 thriller for fans of his Slough House series.

With his typical apology, intelligence, and WIT, Mr. Herron has provided us with another perfect spy mystery which tells the story, in this case of the "Kaleidoscope project".

Another wonderfully entertaining read from a marvelously talented author.

The Secret Hours is a stand-alone novel by award-winning, best-selling British author, Mick Herron. The audio version is narrated by Gerard Doyle. When the government initiates its inquiry into historical overreaching by the intelligence services, First Desk is dismissive with her PA about its impact, but is nonetheless making contingency plans. One of the civil service staff seconded as secretary to the inquiry believes it will be a launchpad for his career; the other is under no such illusion. First Desk leaves them in no doubt that access to files will be extremely challenging.

Two years on, by day 371 and after 136 witnesses, secretary second chair, Malcolm Kyle is fully resigned to the knowledge that Monochrome, fed only volunteered information from the public, is “a toothless committee, which has wasted all these months chewing empty mouthfuls”, when a highly classified file appears in his shopping trolley, a file concerning something that happened in Berlin in 1994. The right thing to do is to send it back to Regents Park, but he and Griselda Fleet, secretary first chair, are just disgruntled enough to put the file before the committee. On whose behalf they are poking this sleeping tiger remains a guessing game.

After two decades in his cottage in North Devon, Max Janacek is almost exactly what he pretends to be, a retired academic. When he disarms the woman breaking into his kitchen, and narrowly escapes her associates, he knows his cover has been blown, but by whom, and why? Certainly not the Park, and the inept effort rules out other intelligence services. And living under the radar all this time means the why must relate to his past.

In early 1994, a smart young civil service officer going under the name of Alison North was sent to Berlin, supposedly a routine secondment, but tasked by David Cartwright with covertly observing the activities of the 2IC in the Berlin Station house, Brinsley Miles. With barely nine months’ experience at the Park, Alison was unlikely to uncover anything that might taint a seasoned former joe like Miles. And yet…

While not a Slough House book, fans of the series must read this one, it has important back story on several key characters and will surely be relevant in the next book of the series. The story behind a certain photograph that features in Herron's short story, Standing By The Wall is revealed, and the transcripts of Monochrome sessions, all boring and irrelevant, demonstrate that Herron has a firm grasp on how British government bureaucracy really works.

It takes but a few lines to conclude that First Desk is still Diana Taverner. It is eventually clear just who Alison North is, and even if he is never mentioned by that name, the guy with the mysteriously appearing cigarette who punctuates his speech with farts and tells off colour jokes could be none other than Jackson Lamb, a deduction reinforced by “This monster hasn’t the manners of a zoo-bred warthog. Though he does have the looks and the charm, as you’ve doubtless discovered already” and “Miles can be abrasive. A bit of a foul-mouthed pig. He was trying this identity on for a joke once, and the wind changed, so he stayed like that.”

Herron’s tightly-plotted tale features political machinations around privatisation, a Regent’s Park mole, an executed asset, betrayals, blackmail and a trap to catch a murderer. As always, he gives the reader plenty of dark humour, some marvellous turns of phrase and a very satisfying conclusion. Topical, funny and very clever.
This unbiased review is from an audio copy provided by NetGalley and RB Media.

Mick herron perfectly blends intense thrills with humor. Spy thrills and political intrigue, all around fun.

I am grateful to NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. 

‘The Secret Hours’ is the latest novel by author Mick Herron. Although several of the characters have been encountered in the Slough House series, this new book is to a large extent a Jackson Lamb stand-alone novel. I enjoyed the Slough House series and throughly enjoyed this book, perhaps even more than the preceding ones.

The previous books do not need to be read to enjoy The Secret Hours, although they do add to the pleasure of re-visiting familiar characters, some in their younger days, in a different world. Mr Herron’s novellas also add some background richness to the characters and plots, in particular Standing by the Wall.

The setting is post-covid current day London and Dorset with a large part of the book also taking place in Berlin during the early 1990s. A present-day Government committee is revisiting ‘Monochrome’, an MI-5 operation in Berlin from 1994. As with the Slough House series, there are spooks, politicians, businessmen as well as ‘ordinary’ people going about their lives. These people, old and young, rich, powerful or ordinary are almost always compelling characters, well developed and portrayed.

The book builds the characters and plots slowly. Humdrum bureaucratic events in the present day are juxtaposed with events of sudden violence and action in Dorset. The plot gradually moves to Berlin in 1994 and the ‘Monochrome’ Operation. Mr Herron’s descriptions of locations, especially London and Berlin are wonderfully atmospheric. The language and descriptions are a pleasure to read and reread. They may be minor details and background descriptions, but they are gems of prose and add so much to his characters, locations and events. His dry-humour also provokes an occasional chuckle or smile. Wonderful stuff.

The main plots are intertwined, complicated and it is not obvious where they are going. Slowly they come together as events, past and present, are described. The reappearance of familiar characters is such a delight. Some are smallish cameos, others play a much larger role. All are appealing and I sincerely hope Mr Herron allows us to revisit them in the future. Both the older, familiar characters as well as the newer, younger ones.

Encountering Jackson Lamb in his Berlin days is perhaps the heart of this book. He is in his element of course, in the field, and is obviously the man we have come to know in Slough House. But Mr Herron has fleshed out this man in his younger days, adding layers to his persona. Lamb is a more thoughtful and nuanced person; a more complex character.

My one, small disappointment is related to Mr Herron’s thinly disguised portrayals of political figures, some of whom seem easy to identify given the book is partially set in the very recent past. These governing politicians and senior government advisors are single dimension characters, cliches, almost cartoonish, always the bad guys, with no redeeming characteristics. Mr Herron could do better.

In closing, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. A wonderful addition to Mr Herron’s body of work. The plot is complicated, complex and ultimately satisfying. The characters are well developed and engaging, with all their strengths and weaknesses. This is probably my favourite Mick Herron book to date; I wish him all the very best with the publication. I eagerly look forward to more from this author.

One further comment: I was provided with the audio-version of The Secret Hours. I’m usually a reader of text but was pleasantly surprised to listen to this book. The voice was soothing while also being evocative of the characters, both male and female, British and European. The audio-version added to my enjoyment of this wonderful book.

The government has decided that there’s a need for more oversight on MI5 and so the the Monochrome inquiry was set up. But the First Desk didn’t become Britain’s top spy without always knowing how to keep out any unwanted scrutiny. It becomes clear very fast that it’s been designed to fail but just as it’s about to be disbanded, a document is surreptitiously slipped into the shopping cart of one of the inquiry’s members.

In his novel, Mick Herron gives us a very smart very entertaining view of the world of espionage. It can be read as a standalone but anyone who has read part or all of his Slough House series will recognize many names as well as Herron’s characteristic sly humour. But either way, you are in for one wild ride. I listened to the audiobook of this novel narrated beautifully by Gerard Doyle

I received an audiobook of this novel from Netgalley and RBMedia in exchange for an honest review

This was a bit hard for me to get into at first but once I did I was all for this wild ride. I did not expect some of those twists and turns! This was my 1st book by Mick Herron but it will def not be my last! It makes me wonder if this is how MI6 actually functions or not? If so I wonder how they get anything done in time to save anyone or any secrets!

#TheSecretHours
#NetGalley.

Two years ago, the Monochrome inquiry was set up to investigate the British secret service. Monochrome's mission was to ferret out misconduct, allowing the civil servants seconded to the inquiry, Griselda Fleet and Malcolm Kyle, unfettered access to confidential information in the service archives but they are blocked at every turn, Monochrome is circling the drain. Until the OTIS file appears out of nowhere.
A stand alone book but it does have links to Slough House. A very well written book with strong characters who are well portrayed. The pace is good & never lags. An interesting & intriguing read. I both read the book & listened to the audiobook & I must admit I preferred the audiobook as Gerard Doyle did a great job with the narration.
My review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

I have read many books by this author and sadly, admit that this one was not for me.

The story of M15 and the intersection of present political corruption and past wrong doings had great potential as a premise. Herron’s sharp and sometimes humorous dialogue was on full display and frankly the best part about The Secret Hours. However the pace of the plot gave way to character studies which bogged down the story and brought me out of the narrative.

Gerard Doyle’s narration is spot on, once again the perfect choice! I will definitely try this one again in print to get a better handle on the many multi dimensional actors in the various timelines.

As I keep my “positive only pledge” on my social media platforms, I will not been posting a negative review and hope readers who will be drawn to it will enjoy it.

This novel is marketed as a stand-alone, but it’s more of a hybrid. . . historical origin story with background on many characters in the Slow Horses universe, intertwined with the simmering results of those actions and their consequences today. Many of the characters we’ve met in the series are here, some with their names coyly withheld to make the reader guess at the start.

I listened to the recorded version, with thanks to the author, Recorded Books and Netgalley. I was mesmerized, thought about it for a couple weeks, started to listen to it all over again, and finally read the physical book as well. It just kept getting better.

Mr. Herron moves from action to satire to humor to shock, seamlessly. Many others have remarked on the tempo and intensity of the opening act. I had to steel myself to listen carefully as the backstory in Berlin began to develop. The second time I listened I caught more Easter eggs and cringed since I knew what was coming. I won’t mention details but the Chekhov’s gun is horrific. The great reveal is heartbreaking, and changes perspective on all that has come before in the Slow Horses novels.

The way the different plot threads come together is just masterful. The climax is satisfying, until you consider the human cost over the decades. Will anything improve, or will politics continue in its cynical manner? I fear it’s the latter.

I continue to be enamored of First Desk, whose management style I’d like to emulate. Just kidding. . .I mention the restaurant scene where they’re scurrying to get digital surveillance as one of the funniest set pieces in my recent memory. The facial recognition system almost gives them Captain Picard as a match. Whoop! And they give some “likes” to the Instagrammer whose phone they hacked. Really funny. . . until you remember why it’s important.

So, what’s next? The Service is able to cover its major mistakes, I think, and can score some points. What will happen to the characters we’ve come to cherish, who are so damaged? Mr. Herron leaves us on an ambiguous note, which he does so well.

This one will stay with me for a long time. I’d give it 10 stars if I could!

THE SECRET HOURS by Mick Herron is a stand-alone spy thriller from a master of his craft; Herron has won numerous awards and is often compared to John LeCarré or even Ian Fleming. In this novel, spies are investigating spies due to the establishment of the politically motivated Monochrome inquiry, staffed by Griselda Fleet and Malcolm Kyle, two civil servants without stellar pasts. The much more exciting parts of the book involve Max, a retired spy suddenly forced to go on the run. All leads back to events in 1990s Berlin. Called "gripping, cryptic, tragic, and suspenseful," THE SECRET HOURS received starred reviews from Booklist, Library Journal, and Publishers Weekly and is an ABA Indie Next Pick for September 2023. The audiobook has an excellent beginning – quite vividly describing a dead badger and Max’s escape from his rural cottage. Sadly, it then shifts to bureaucratic politics with little differentiation between characters and is therefore less compelling for a stretch. Overall, though, the text combines Herron's talent for writing action-adventure and amusing, witty satire. Definitely a title that will be enjoyed by readers of spy fiction.

Herron's latest reminds the reader: The past never remains in the past. The Secret Hours explores the Cold War in the 1990s, corruption of the Stasi, the bureaucracy and politics involved spy craft, new identities, never forgotten vendettas, the importance of power . . . all the things that make spy novels great. The reader will settle into their chairs comfortably at the beginning but will find themselves on the edge of their seats by the novel's end. This book is Herron's best yet.

Loved this book!

This was my first Mick Herron, and as I have recently discovered a love of Spy Thriller and Espionage books, his name comes up on best of the best lists a lot so I was thrilled to be selected for this one.

The narration was done really well, Gerard Doyle has a pleasant voice that allowed me to relax and get lost in the story--I will say that the audio version did make it a little harder to follow as the book was broken down into sections with multiple POV characters in each section so not seeing the page breaks to signify, I found myself lost a few times and having to back track to figure out if it was the same scene or not.

Dealing with spies, alias', and codenames could be a little hard at times, but when they all came together and being able to see how the puzzle pieces of then and now fit together was truly exceptional. I will definitely be reading some more Mick Herron in the future.

After the opening scene of this book, I thought I would really enjoy it, but perhaps the medium I "read" this in (audiobook) was not suited to the kind of book that it turned out to be. I got really lost and found the plot difficult to follow.

The premise of this book really caught my attention, and while it was well written, I did find it to be quite slow paced, which was unexpected. All in all, a clever story, but not as gripping as I thought it might be.

I believe this is my first book by this author.
Although I did enjoy the book, I felt like there were just WAY TOO MANY characters involved, and I had a hard time keeping track.
That being said, the book takes a look into the British Secret Service, Prime Minister, etc.
The Monochrome Inquiry was launched to try investigate problems in the past, basically causing much the same in the present. The book goes between 1994 and present time, and has multiple SPY characters who change names and identities, frequently, therefore it was hard to keep up with them, at least for me. Also, different names for people in Britain, as opposed to the US...so that also threw me off.
Lots of dark humor is infused throughout which definitely kept me laughing!
But also lots of dark stuff, for real.
Interesting ending, but also perfect!
Thanks to NetGalley and Recorded Books for the ARC of the Audiobook!
3 1/2 ⭐️⭐️⭐️for me!
Release date is 9/12/23, so look for it on shelves shortly!

The Secret Hours by Mick Herron

I made it 20% of the way through this book before setting it aside. There wasn't anything particularly bad. I just couldn't get interested in it. There was a lot of background early on that made it hard for me to get invested in the characters, and I found myself just not caring if I kept going or not. Nothing was that memorable. Maybe I'll come back to it another time, but it won't likely be anytime soon. The writing was fine - just not my style.

The narration was good.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #RBMedia for a free copy of #TheSecretHours by Mick Herron. All opinions are my own.

This standalone will satisfy any and all fans of the Slow Horses series. The back story of two of our favorites gets filled in, in the best Herron way possible. As always, smart, funny, thrilling, and a little poignant. I loved the print version so much I requested the audio and devoured them both. Gerard Doyle is one of the best readers out there!