The Secret Hours

"Though Mick Herron’s latest thriller connects the dots between the sins of the post-Cold War era and the messy, contemporary misadventures of the popular Slough House spy series, it’s also fantastic as a standalone. That said, if you’ve read the previous books, the breadcrumbs are a delight to follow. After years of dead ends and low-level testimony, two career MI5 civil servants are grappling with a new development in a career-killing assignment investigating whether (or how badly) the UK’s elite intelligence service has overreached their authority in covert operations. When a bombshell case file mysteriously lands in their laps, they’re told to shut it all down. Instead, Griselda and Malcolm call the crucial party to testify. Deadly consequences, riveting flashbacks, and revelations ensue."