The Marylebone Drop: A Novella

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Forgotten the title or the author of a book? Our BookSleuth is specially designed for you. Visit BookSleuth All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher. 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.

The Marylebone Drop: A Novella by Mick Herron: 9781641290135

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. 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. 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. 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. 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.

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 (Slough House) by - Biblio The Marylebone Drop: A Novella (Slough House) by - Biblio

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. 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.So when he sees an old-school drop take place in a favourite Marylebone restaurant, he immediately recognises it for what it is. He admires the tradecraft. And he reports it to his MI5 handler, John Bachelor. 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.