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.

And a couple with their marriage on the rocks go on a hike through the Derbyshire countryside as another way to avoid their real problems. Hailed as the master of the modern spy thriller, Mick Herron's skill for tension, humour, and memorable twists are captured in his short stories, collected here for the first time.