Christopher Connor

Spy novels come thick and fast with the likes of Mick Herron, Charles Beaumont and I.S. Berry emerging as leading new voices in the past few years. One who has ridden this wave of new authors and established himself among the upper echelons of spy fiction is David McCloskey, a former CIA analyst. His debut novel, Damascus Station, which dealt with the event of the Arab Spring, was an instant sensation. His two follow-ups, Moscow X andThe Seventh Floor are loosely interlinked through some shar...

John le Carré needs no introduction at this point; his legacy is immortalised on both the page and screen. While his Smiley novels are staples the world over, from Call for the Dead to his re-introduction to the world of The Circus in 2017’s A Legacy of Spies, this series has come to define espionage fiction as we know it. Before the rapturous response to the BBC’s adaptation in 2016, few would have held The Night Manager in the same regard as the Smiley series. Indeed, outside of the hard-co...

Chris Connor reviews the second episode of the Game of Thrones prequel A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms…
After a promising opening episode that introduced us to a new corner of Westeros’ history, the story of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms picks up in episode two. Ser Dunk and his newfound companion Egg continue their travels to Ashford. Ser Dunk spends much of the episode trying to remind an assortment of noble figures and royalty of his liege, Ser Arlan. While much is lifted directly from the...

Based on Helen Macdonald’s best-selling 2014 memoir, H Is for Hawk has been a feature at several major film festivals, including Telluride and London. With the film opening on the 23rd January across the UK, we spoke to director Phillipa Lowthorpe about the unique challenges presented by the film, particularly in its breathtaking nature sequences. Philippa also discussed collaborating with Room author Emma Donoghue and the performance of Claire Foy as Macdonald.
When did you first become awar...

Chris Connor reviews the first episode of HBO’s new Game of Thrones prequel A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms…
George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire reached a whole new audience with Game of Thrones, and despite a less-than-positive response to the finale, has maintained a sizable crowd with the prequel series House of the Dragon. The latest small-screen take on Martin’s work is A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the first season of which adapts his 1998 novella The Hedge Knight. With a secon...

Photo: Max Miechowski
Over the course of two albums, Dry Cleaning have forged a distinctive sound and built a die-hard fanbase. Their third, ‘Secret Love’, has the usual blend of gnarly guitars and spoken word wit, but greater emphasis on post-punk hooks and producer Cate Le Bon’s input leads to a more mainstream-ready effort, albeit one that retains a spirit of experimentation at its core. It doesn’t reinvent their approach as much as it adapts it into something newly thrilling.
Hit My Head ...

There has never been a shortage of Agatha Christie adaptations from fan favourites like ITV’s Poirot serials with David Suchet to a more mixed set from the BBC since 2015; it feels like there is something for everyone, covering all corners of her extensive oeuvre. The latest adaptation of her work is Netflix’s Seven Dials, based on the 1929 novel The Seven Dials Mystery. All three episodes are now available to stream.
Christie’s original novel is a loose follow-up to her earlier book The Secr...

Since releasing his first album in 2019, Zach Bryan’s earnest, unique spin on Americana has earned him acclaim and a rapidly growing fanbase. As prolific as he is popular, he returns with his sixth album, ‘With Heaven on Top’, which delivers more of what fans have come to love across 25 tracks, clocking in at over an hour.
It is another massive undertaking in a discography filled with them, but one that is varied and continually interesting despite its length. ‘With Heaven on Top’ is a record...

Chris Connor reviews Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials…
Agatha Christie adaptations come thick and fast, from Kenneth Branagh’s big screen adventures as Hercule Poirot to a string of BBC versions. The latest small screen take on the Queen of Crime’s work is Netflix’s Seven Dials, based on the 1929 novel of the same name. This version comes from Chris Chibnall (Broadchurch, Doctor Who) in one of his strongest projects in some time.
Seven Dials is a fast-paced, witty miniseries that takes some libe...

Released: 12th January 2026 (digital release)
Director: Paul Schrader
Starring: Richard Gere, Uma Thurman, Michael Imperioli, Jacob Elordi
Paul Schrader’s career as a writer/director had a second win in 2017 with First Reformed. He soon followed this with similar dark character studies, The Card Counter and Master Gardener, forming a loose trilogy. Now he returns with Oh, Canada, which originally premiered in 2024 as it finally receives a UK release digitally. It is a departure from the tone ...

Chris Connor chats with Is This Thing On? composer James Newberry…
Bradley Cooper’s third feature as a director, Is This Thing On? has earned rave reviews. Following Will Arnett’s Alex Novak as he embarks on a sudden stand up career, the film focusses heavily on Alex and his wife Tess (Laura Dern), in a character driven piece. We spoke with the film’s composer James Newberry about scoring the stand-up sequences, collaborating with Bradley Cooper and the use of drums in the score…
When did you...

Chris Connor chats with Pluribus composer Dave Porter…
Pluribus was one of the biggest hits of 2025 for Apple TV+. The series reunited composer Dave Porter with Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul showrunner Vince Gilligan, and we spoke with Dave about scoring this most unique of sci-fi shows, the evolution of his collaboration with Gilligan and influences on the show’s sonic palette.
Can you talk us through your starting process for Pluribus and your first steps?
Yeah, you know, I think if you...

It’s been quite the decade for new spy fiction authors. David McCloskey has emerged as a real tour de force with four highly acclaimed novels, starting with Damascus Station while IS Berry, Charles Beaumont and Merle Nygate have also emerged as names to look out for. One of the latest to join this crop of exciting new talents is Sam Guthrie, a former diplomat whose debut novel, The Peak, shows plenty of promise with a unique spin on the current sociopolitical landscape across Australia, Hong ...

The smash hit espionage drama The Night Manager is back for a second season after a decade away. The first episode premiered on BBC One in the UK on New Year’s Day, with new episodes weekly and the show is also available to stream on the BBC iPlayer. For viewers outside the UK it will be available on Amazon Prime Video from 11 January.
This long-awaited new season continues the adventures of Jonathan Pine (Tom Hiddleston), ten years after his infiltration of Richard Roper’s arms-dealing organ...

Inspector Lynley has returned to screens with a new spin on Elizabeth George’s books, drawing from later novels in the series as it kicks off with A Place of Hiding.
The reboot finds Thomas Lynley and Barbara Havers at the very start of their working relationship, which the stars of the series, Leo Suter and Sofia Barclay, explaining why they believe the reboot stands out from other detective shows.
“So, there are all those bits that we love about detective shows. We have the suave car, the t...