Our Rating:

Library Formats:

Books, Large Print

Age Group:

Adult

Genre:

Thriller

I LOVED this book!

The characters are well-rounded and in-depth, with back stories delivered naturally rather than forced, the settings are vivid if squalid, and the plot is makes it hard to put down.

This is the first story in the ‘Slough House’ series, which focusses on a MI5 department made up of failures, lead by a terrible person actively trying to make them quit. They are misfits and losers who are supposed to stick to reviewing 1990’s parking tickets, but itch to do ‘real’ spy work.

This book revolves around a kidnapping by terrorists, and the Slough House team get themselves involved – some eagerly, some reluctantly, some ineptly.

Jackson Lamb, who leads the team, is one of the funniest and awful characters in literature; I found myself laughing out loud and cringing in equal amounts. Under his alcoholic, scruffy, rude exterior he is a genius and terrifyingly loyal to his team, whilst bullying and harassing them.

River Cartwright’s frustration and boredom are palpable. The grandson of a legend, he was unjustly made a ‘slow horse’ and is desperate to do anything to get back to the world of proper spies.

The supporting characters are all relatable if depressing. The alcoholic who has accepted their fate, the ignorant techie who just doesn’t care, the idiot who left a file on a train and it ruined their life… they’re all engaging and I found myself rooting for them even through all their flaws.

I highly recommend this and the rest of the series – always funny, always engaging, always cringeworthy!

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Our Rating:

Library Formats:

Book, eBook, eAudiobook

Age Group:

Adults

Genre:

Historical Fiction, Thriller

This book is part of our Centenary Collection.

Eye of the Needle was one of the BBC’s 100 Books that Shaped Our World and no wonder, as it is one of the best thrillers of the last half-century and screams “just one more chapter”. This is quite something, given that the plot – a German spy is on the brink of scuppering the allies’ plans for D-Day in 1944 – has a well-known real-life ending. In fact, the allies’ plans went undiscovered and D-Day was a success.

So why, given the reader knows how things turn out, is the book such a page-turner? Firstly, as with another “what if?” – Frederick Forsyth’s Day of the Jackal (based on an attempted assassination of French Charles de Gaulle) – you are willing to suspend disbelief. So you are never quite sure what will happen next. Second, the quality of the writing – pacey and as clear as a pane of glass. This was Ken Follett’s breakthrough book and although he went on to write many others – including the Century trilogy and Kingsbridge series – nothing lives up to Eye of the Needle for characterisation and those twists and turns that make you want to read on.

The book was made into a film in 1981 starring Donald Sutherland but nothing matches the immersive-ness of the book itself. So, if you’re looking for a holiday read, or an absorbing alternative to a box-set, this may be for you – but be warned, there are some adult themes. Just make sure you put up the “do not disturb” sign while you’re reading it.

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Our Rating:

Library Formats:

Book, eBook

Age Group:

Young Adult

Genre:

Adventure, Thriller

A good book for any reluctant teenager who wants to read a story that is not about magic and wizards!

The author has created a series of stories about the young James Bond. Silverfin is the first of the series and introduces the young James Bond – it begins with James starting at Eton and of course with any James Bond adventure he meets his first enemy and starts breaking the rules.

However soon he finds himself on the shores of Loch Silverfin and something deadly is definitively can be found in its waters. James of course is itching to find out and makes a discovery that threatens to unleash a new breed of warfare.

This book is definitively for young adults aged between 13-15 years because of some of the content but it is a great read – full of adventure and fast paced action.

Review by Keynsham Library Staff

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