It took me a little while, but I finally decided on another spy novel by Mick Herron. This one is an older stand alone and nothing like my favorite Slough House and Jackson Lamb books. It’s read by Julia Franklin rather than Gerard Doyle – and I much prefer Doyle.  Oh well.  The narrator is particularly annoying when she’s doing the children’s voices but otherwise she’s okay.  

Reconstruction 
by Mick Herron 2003
Read by Julia Franklin 12h 55m
Rating:  C / crime-suspense thriller

It starts very slowly – inch by inch and minute by minute we get to the young bad guy demanding admission to the nursery school, getting it, and holding the kids and adults hostage.  Then we progress with the situation as one teacher shows her instinctive courage and the other adults shrivel up. But slowly it transpires that the hostage taker is the boyfriend of a secret agent but they have to keep it quiet because they are are gay.  Meanwhile Milo, the boyfriend, has gone missing along with a quarter of a million dollars.  

Herron is known for his unique writing style and story structure and with every single one of the Slough Horses series it worked for me.  But not this one.  I think I might have to wait for the next Jackson Lamb (Slough Horses) book.  Gerard Doyle is an excellent reader and although Julia Franklin is quite good there’s something missing.  I have no idea what.