Slow horses, by Mick Herron

 

I've been reading about what a great TV series this is, but since I don't currently subscribe to Apple TV, I decided to read the books, a very good decision! I loved this book which starts at a moderate pace but which quickly had me riveted. There are a lot of characters who need to be introduced in the beginning, and they were hard to keep track of at first, but once past that initial 50 or so pages, the book really picks up and moves at a quick pace. I like the way secrets are revealed along the way, each time providing a little twist or turn that changes how you think about the characters and what's actually going on. The premise is that all of the MI5 agents relegated to Slough House have made some mistake that resulted in them being shoved aside to perform menial tasks in the hope that they'll quit rather than be fired. When they're asked to take on a few minor errands that end badly, the head of Slough House, Jackson Lamb (played by Gary Oldman in the TV series) realizes that something much bigger is going on, and he is forced to put all of his agents in the field to save someone from a gruesome death and set things right. Highly recommended!

Caveat emptor, by Ruth Downie

 

I continue to be impressed with the excellent writing in this series. Caveat emptor is the 4th in the Medicus series which follows a 2nd century doctor in Roman Britain. In this entry, Ruso is back in England with his now-wife, Tilla, and looking for a job as a doctor. His friend Valens had promised to help him find a position, but instead he found him a temporary job as an investigator for the tax office. A tax collector in a nearby town has gone missing along with the month's tax receipts, and his wife Camma is strongly denying that he is responsible for the theft. Ruso and Tilla go with Camma and her infant back to their town to investigate, and are later helped by the arrival of Albanus and Valens. They follow the money trail, which leads to a potential forgery ring, but find the town leaders, all British, to be eager to cover up what has happened. I really enjoy the period detail provided in these books, including everything from the food to clothing and decor, and I find them to be very well written.

Murder in the forum, by Rosemary Rowe

In this 4th volume in the Libertus Roman series, author Rosemary Rowe has presented us with the sudden death of Perennis Felix, a high-ranking Roman visiting Libertus' city of Glevum. Upon arriving, Felix had executed a slave in a gruesome manner, then arranged to have a banquet held in his own honor. During the banquet he chokes on a nut, but then dies from what turns out to be poison. There are many with potential motives, including his daughter and her lover, whom he will not allow to marry and who both suspect the other. As Libertus and his assistant Junio investigate the murder, they follow one lead after another before uncovering the truth, along with a much larger conspiracy than expected.
 

Death in the clouds, by Agatha Christie

 

This is the 10th Hercule Poirot mystery that I've read and features Poirot solving a crime that took place in an airplane cabin while flying from France to England. A woman has been murdered with a poisoned dart. Even though multiple devices could have been used to blow the dart, including a blowpipe, a flute, and cigarette holders, no one saw any such thing happening. There are also many potential suspects on board since the woman who was murdered was a money lender and several of those on board were her customers. Once on the ground, Poirot attaches himself to the investigation and ultimately solves the crime. As usual, it was very entertaining. One thing I found interesting was a mention of the Great Depression in America, but no mention of any political unrest or aggressions in Europe, even though the book was published in 1935.