David dismisses River's theory that Bough's death was the work of the FSB or related to a conspiracy, but warns River to be careful. Readers will be pleased to learn there are two and a half further volumes of this series for their entertainment and enjoyment.

To be fare, there were line gapes when the character scenarios changed but I managed to miss quite a few of them.So the friendly old man trowelling his flowerbeds with a silly hat on remained the strategist who’d helped plot the Service’s course through the Cold War, and River had grown up learning the details. Driving out of London, Zeppo and Larry reveal that they never intended to go through with killing Ahmed and entertain the idea of releasing him, becoming increasingly concerned with Curly's erratic behaviour and rhetoric.

Nor did Dickie Bow, but all he cared about was the hood, who had immediately disappeared in a sea of bodies. Herron is too creative by half to meet those "typical" conjectures, but he fulfilled the most important one -- for a funny and cynical sequel with further character development. Herron has collected a great collection of characters all wounded in one way or another and the action proceeds in the great British tradition of the bumbling anti-hero who is being tricked and may not survive or if he does survive may not do so with credit. In Paddington the monitors wiped departure times, flagging everything ‘Delayed’, and stalled trains clogged the platforms; on the concourse luckless travellers clustered round suitcases, while seasoned commuters repaired to the pub, or rang home with cast-iron alibis before hooking up with their lovers back in the city.Running out of petrol, Curly announces he still plans to behead Ahmed and die resisting arrest, but Zeppo takes over after pulling a handgun he secretly took from Black's corpse. So when the man responsible for the death of a slow horse breaks cover, Lamb sends his crew out to even the score.