The Marylebone Drop: A Novella

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Old spooks carry the memory of tradecraft in their bones, and when Solomon Dortmund sees an envelope being passed from one pair of hands to another in a Marylebone café, he knows he’s witnessed more than an innocent encounter. But in relaying his suspicions to John Bachelor, who babysits retired spies like Solly for MI5, he sets in motion a train of events that will alter lives. Late-Arrival Spoiler: Hannah’s existence as a Double Agent is mentioned in the promo blurb, which effectively spoils the first Bachelor novella, The List. A drop, in spook parlance, is the passing on of secret information. It’s also what happens just before you hit the ground. Old spooks carry the memory of tradecraft in their bones, and when Solomon Dortmund sees an envelope being passed from one pair of hands to another in a Marylebone café, he knows he’s witnessed more than an innocent encounter. But in relaying his suspicions to John Bachelor, who babysits retired spies like Solly for MI5, he sets in motion a train of events that will alter lives.

The Marylebone Drop: A Novella by Mick Herron - BingeBooks The Marylebone Drop: A Novella by Mick Herron - BingeBooks

Sinister Spy Agency: The BND. Framing Wicinski for possession of child porn is pretty hard to morally justify. The Alleged Boss: Pynne is Hannah’s MI5 handler and he thinks he's in charge, but she’s easily manipulating him and many of the decisions are actually hers. As first seen in The List, John Bachelor is at the least important end of the scale. He looks after "the milk round", elderly foreign assets who’ve retired to the UK. Loose Lips: Hannah’s inexperienced MI5 handler, Richard Pynne, tells her that someone’s run a search on her BND handler, Peter Kahlmann. And, later, he tells her who it was. Which allows the BND to discredit Wicinski via a Frame-Up. All Abusers Are Male: Averted. Hannah requests a move from the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills because her manager’s behaviour (late night phone calls, gifts, requests for private meetings) is making her uncomfortable. Nash immediately assumes the manager in a man, Pynne corrects him. And Hannah is lying about all of this anyway, trying to get a role that’s more useful to her BND handlers.Forgotten the title or the author of a book? Our BookSleuth is specially designed for you. Visit BookSleuth Double Reverse Quadruple Agent: MI5 think Hannah Weiss is a double agent spying on the BND. The BND know she’s a triple agent spying on MI5. Double Agent: MI5 is running Hannah Weiss as a double agent in the BND. Or at least they think they are. He Knows Too Much: Wicinski's unexpected search through MI5's files for Kahlmann’s name puts him into this category for Kreutzmer, who's not taking any chances.

The Marylebone Drop: A Novella - Mick Herron - Google Books The Marylebone Drop: A Novella - Mick Herron - Google Books

Bad Boss: Subverted. Hannah’s boss appears to be sexually harassing her, but Hannah - a Triple Agent - is lying in an attempt to get a role that’s more useful to her BND handlers. Richard Pynne is the new and inexperienced handler who’s taken on Hannah Weiss, the Double Agent Bachelor recruited at the end of The List. Perhaps Solomon’s report will give him an opportunity to do something noteworthy. Or perhaps, as he has before, Bachelor will simply screw it up. Bachelor's a barely competent MI5 agent who’s slowly circling the drain. He’s facing financial ruin, has lost his home and the only notable success of his career - an operation that inserted a Double Agent into Germany's secret service, the Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND) - was reassigned to someone more capable. Thoroughly gripping espionage, focused on intelligent plotting over action for its own sake—think le Carré, but with a heartier dash of dry humor.”Code Name: Hannah Weiss, MI5’s double agent in the BND, is randomly assigned "Snow White" as her code name. It seems a little too close for comfort. Peter Kahlmann (who's actually just a cover identity for Martin Kreutzmer) is Weiss’s BND handler, who’s far more competent than Pynne or Bachelor. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher. Herron]is superb at evoking the le Carré-esque air of ennui, cynicism and self-loathing which permeates an intelligence service on its uppers, but which remains—the alternative being too awful to contemplate—duty bound to keep calm and carry on.” The Bad Guy Wins: By the end of the story Solomon’s dead, Alec Wicinski’s been framed for possession of child-porn and MI5 has moved Hannah Weiss to the Brexit office, still unaware that she’s a BND triple agent.