Down Cemetery Road, by Mick Herron

When a house in her quiet Oxford street is blown up and a small child goes missing, frustrated housewife Sarah sticks her nose in and employs a private detective when the police seem uninterested. She then finds herself embroiled in a violent conspiracy involving an Ministry of Defence cover-up and rogue agents. Dark and twisty, this debut novel has some major plot flaws and really needed a couple more drafts to answer a few questions the editor should have asked, but Herron’s skill in character development is clear. Sarah is a compelling heroine, deep and complex, who must shake off her stultifying marriage and regain her true self in order to survive. Billed as a Zoe Boehm thriller, the PD’s ex-wife and partner makes only fleeting appearances until riding in to try to save the day towards the end. Written 20 years ago, the novel has been republished to cash in on the success of the Slow Horses franchise. It’s worth a read, if only to chart the writer’s progress.