Nobody Walks

By: Mick Herron

Narrated by: Gerard Doyle

The death of Tom Bettany's estranged 26-year-old son brings him back to London. His return sparks the interest of everyone from mobsters to MI5 officers - he may have thought he left his old life as a spy behind, but nobody just walks away.

Tom Bettany is working at a meat processing plant in France when he gets the voicemail from an English woman he doesn't know telling him that his estranged 26-year-old son is dead. Liam was smoking dope on his London balcony when he fell. Now for the first time since he cut all ties years ago, Bettany returns home to London to find out the truth about his son's death. It may be the guilt he feels about losing touch with his son that's gnawing at him, or maybe he has actually put his finger on a labyrinthine plot, but either way he is going to get to the bottom of the tragedy, no matter whose feathers he has to ruffle. But there are many people who are interested to hear Bettany is back in town, from incarcerated mob bosses to the highest echelons of MI5.

©2015 Mick Herron (P)2015 Recorded Books

Character development; plot — conspiracy upon conspiracy

Excellent performance of a novel that develops the world around Slough House with many familiar characters and one very memorable new one. I only wish Jackson Lamb had had a conversation with Tom Bettany!

Superb and gripping story beautifully read by this special narrator

Like other Mick Heron books, this one is crisp, makes you feel like you're there, is unsparing about the ruthlessness of the Service, and is beautifully and dramatically read by the narrator-he changes his voice to occupy the range of characters and it works very well.

I always like the stories that Mick Heron tells

I always like his stories and the narrator was very good as well, the ending was a bit disappointing.

So-so

Weak ending to the book, not really plausible considering the characters’ tradecraft. At times hard to follow. It was okay.

Sad

Spoiler alert, did not like the ending. I feel like I was cheated. It’s not very unlike what probably happens in life but if your going to have all the great genius twist and turns, the good guy needs to be one step ahead. I know “good guy” can be up to interpretation in his works but I’m going with the dead kids father and I really wanted him to have a great back up plan.

Slough House Adjacent

I enjoyed this side trip into a different part of Herron's spy world. To have a protagonist who was formerly a much despised Dog was a treat.

Dissension in the Dogs

I love this spin-off of the Slough House and the character Tom Bettany is pretty darn likable. More please.

Nobody walks, nobody wins

I gave this book a lot of stars because Herron’s pros reads like poetry and I would listen to Gerard Doyle read the ingredients on a bottle of Lysol. The inner workings of MI5 are a bit terrifying and while I am a big fan of the Slough House series, this offering feels more chilling. There is a slight overlap between the two books but this one stands alone as a stark reminder of the pitfalls of an organization filled with individual agendas and the ability to use broken people for their own Self-serving agendas.

If you have read all the Slow Horses …

A stand alone MI 5 thriller, but it is related to some of the Slow Horses characters. I liked learning more of the back story of Dame Ingrid Tierney.

Excellent addition to Slough House series

The main character - Martin Boyd/Tom Bettany is a beautifully-rendered addition to Mick Herron's group of anti-heroes.