Dolphin Junction by Mick Herron #DolphinJunction @johnmurrays #ShortStories #BookReview

 

Mick Herron is 'Britain's finest living thriller writer' (Sunday Express) and author of the bestselling and award-winning Slough House novels. Dolphin Junction captures his trademark tension, humour, and suspense in the form of short fiction, collected here for the first time.

When a wife leaves her husband under suspicious circumstances, he sets off in search for her, unprepared for the guilty secrets he's about to drag back into the light.

A man is tempted by a luxury apartment with a top-of-the-range kitchen. But there is a heavy price to pay for this glamorous new life.

A couple go on a hike through the Derbyshire countryside, to ignore the fact their marriage is on the rocks.

And there is a peek into the past of Jackson Lamb, the boss of Slough House, as well as stories featuring the shrewd detective Zoë Boehm and her hapless partner Joe Silvermann.

Dolphin Junction displays Herron's craft for deftly plotted storytelling, dark wit, and memorable twists.

Dolphin Junction by Mick Herron was published on 11 November 2021 by John Murray in hardback. I bought my copy online. 

I really do need to read more by Mick Herron. I'm behind with his series and reading this collection of short stories has confirmed to me what a superb writer he is.  Eleven short stories in total, ranging from over 40 pages to just 10, these are an absolute joy to read. His writing is sharp and precise, with that touch of dry humour that always runs through his work. It must be very difficult to create a full story in such a short page span, but he's done it here and these really do work. 

Four of the stories feature Zoe and Joe from his Oxford series and Jackson Lamb from the Slough House series features in one of the others. It's always great to find characters that the reader already knows, however, even if you've not read any of his novels, you can't help but be entertained by these fleeting glimpses into the characters from them. 

My favourite of the collection is 'The Usual Santas', maybe because it is that time of the year, but oh, how I loved this stinging and funny tale of a collection of shopping mall Santas.

There's everything in here, including a nod to the horror genre, all have a fabulous twist and as would be expected, they can all be classed as crime fiction. 

I enjoyed this collection and would heartily recommend these stories to anyone who appreciates well written fiction with dark humour. This is an exceptional book, perfect for dipping in and out of, but beware, once you start, you may not be able to stop! 

Mick Herron’s Slough House novels have been shortlisted for eight CWA Daggers, winning twice, and shortlisted for the Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year three times. 

The first, Slow Horses, was picked as one of the best twenty spy novels of all time by the Daily Telegraph, while Joe Country, was a Sunday Times top ten bestseller.

Mick Herron was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, and now lives in Oxford.