As those who know me well are aware, I am fond of well-crafted spy novels, and prefer those set in the immediately post-war Cold War period. A recent lucky dip in the pile of “arcs” (advance reader’s copies) that is constantly in our store turned up Gavin Scott’s The Age of Treachery, billed by its publisher as the first in a “brand new post-war mystery series”. The author is a Brit who has honed his skills in Hollywood writing for commercial television; this is his first novel, and I found it impossible to put down. It is a combination of mystery and spy novel, with a bit of romance thrown in for good measure. The author has done his research, and I found the section set in Berlin immediately after the war easily the best part of the book. In any event, I think our customers will really enjoy this book, and will clamour for the promised sequel. (The Age of Treachery, on sale April 19th, TP $19.50)

One more spy book while we are at it. This one is Real Tigers, by Mick Herron, number three in his series set in Slough House, the dilapidated building in London where MI5 buries its screw-ups. This time one of their number is kidnapped; the kidnapper wants information as ransom. The story gets beautifully complicated. Most readers like this series a lot. (Available in hard cover $26.95, no date for paper version yet.)