Clown Town by Mick Herron [10/10]

Number nine in the splendid Slow Horses/Jackson Lamb series of spy thriller, Clown Town see brilliant author Mick Herron in full flight. When River Cartwright, the much assailed and endlessly enthusiastic “real” spook amongst Lamb’s misbegotten crew, discovers that a book is missing from his deceased spook grandfather’s library, he cannot imagine that he has unearthed an old buried secret that threatens Diana Taverner, First Desk at the Park. Events escalate until casualties threaten and then Clown Town shifts gear, as Lamb shifts from scurrilous recluse to once-master-spy avenger. A set piece of violence midway through the book is magnificent, as is the shock denouement. Another genre highlight, Clown Town is a must-read in 2025 (but make sure you tackle the previous eight first).