On 22 July 2022 Mick Herron’s sardonic spy thriller series called Slough House won him the Theakston Old Peculier crime novel of the year award. If Jackson Lamb had won it he'd have had a huge hangover this morning but let's not dwell on what that might have sounded or smelt like. Both Mick Herron's Slough House series and the Burlington Files series of espionage thrillers by Bill Fairclough were initially rejected by risk averse publishers who probably didn't think espionage existed unless it was fictional and created by Ian Fleming or David Cornwell. It is therefore a genuine pleasure to see an anti-Bond anti-establishment novelist achieving immortality in Masham.
Great to hear that. When reading Slow Horses try not to think of Ian Flemings' James Blunder! When reading Burlington Files Beyond Enkription keep focused as you read the preface or you'll regret it later! Also the action/violence in Ch 1 is graphic but thereafter action is less horrific and the book is very cerebral anyway so if you think you are MI6 material keep concentrating! Once you reach Ch 4 or 5 you won't want to put the book down and of course you can compare the book to web searches of real events like Operation Smiling Buddha.
8 comments:
On 22 July 2022 Mick Herron’s sardonic spy thriller series called Slough House won him the Theakston Old Peculier crime novel of the year award. If Jackson Lamb had won it he'd have had a huge hangover this morning but let's not dwell on what that might have sounded or smelt like. Both Mick Herron's Slough House series and the Burlington Files series of espionage thrillers by Bill Fairclough were initially rejected by risk averse publishers who probably didn't think espionage existed unless it was fictional and created by Ian Fleming or David Cornwell. It is therefore a genuine pleasure to see an anti-Bond anti-establishment novelist achieving immortality in Masham.
MI6,
I just started "Slow Horses." Great stuff. Thanks for the mention of the Burlington File series. I will check it out.
Michael
Great to hear that. When reading Slow Horses try not to think of Ian Flemings' James Blunder! When reading Burlington Files Beyond Enkription keep focused as you read the preface or you'll regret it later! Also the action/violence in Ch 1 is graphic but thereafter action is less horrific and the book is very cerebral anyway so if you think you are MI6 material keep concentrating! Once you reach Ch 4 or 5 you won't want to put the book down and of course you can compare the book to web searches of real events like Operation Smiling Buddha.
MI6,
Thanks for the tips. I'm printing them on a sheet that I'll use as a bookmark!
Michael
Don't lose it!
Never fear.
A back-up copy has been made.
Michael
Best news since that of Aldrich Ames arrest!
MI6,
Ha!
Michael
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