Review: Joe Country

Joe Country by Mick Herron
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

As someone else said, my least favourite of the series so far.

Lady Di Taverner is now First Desk and practically her first action is to sack the delectable Emma Flyte, who refuses to go quietly to Slough House. There's yet another new member of the Slow Horses, Lech Wicinski (although I don't give much hope for his chances the way the Slow Horses are dying in these books).

River Cartwright's grandfather has died, and his funeral at Spooks Corner is enlivened by the appearance of Lady Di, River's mother and his father Frank Harkness.

Meanwhile, Louisa is contacted by Min Harper's widow - her son has gone missing and she wants Louisa to find him - a job that takes her into the wilds of Pembrokeshire in one of the UK's rare white-outs.

Once again, Mick Herron plays sleight of hand, this time telling the reader at the outset that two Slow Horses have been killed and their bodies burned in a Welsh barn, you are then on tenterhooks the rest of the book trying to work out which ones. I do wonder how this suspense/play on the reader's imagination will play out in the TV series.

I am a bit disappointed with the way the series is progressing. Other than Jackson Lamb, Catherine Standish, and River Cartwright it seems to be a revolving door of Slow Horses (it feels like we lose two a book). Also Lamb is becoming omnipotent, I get that he's a bona fide ex-spy who has forgotten more than most spies have ever learned but even so ... is he ever wrong? Also, in the beginning River seemed to be a potential rising star who had been sacrificed by Lady Di - he showed great insight and seemed to be learning from Lamb (unlikely mentor as he might be), but lately he seems to have degenerated into a hot-headed idiot who only sees what is in front of him. Also, I really liked the two people who were killed off in this and I'm angry that they won't be carrying on.

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