Connecting the Dots
The chapter-by-chapter quick list provides a nice, simple overview of how the songs align to each chapter. But, given nearly every chapter has multiple scenes, the song-to-scene editorial offers a bit more context to create that 'instant replay reverie' experience, making each melody meaningful and memorable.
NOTE: At the end of each excerpt you'll see a more insights placeholder/link that will jump you to that particular song on the lyric-to-line commentary page. Each link will be made 'live' only when the corresponding commentary is available.
PROLOGUE
Days Gonna Come —The Fureys
Compelling in lyric, melody and performance, this
thundering Irish ballad serves as an overarching theme for this first book (if
not the entire series) [More insights...]
CHAPTER 1―Lost in Fraught
My Hero — Foo Fighters
While a simple, introductory sketch of Dr. Jon
Markston, this song is a playful nod to Jon’s underground reputation in the IC,
but it’s also astutely indicative of how Charlie views his academy professor (not
to mention why both Qadir and Sherman exhort his help) [More insights...]
CHAPTER 2―Authors Anonymous
Katherine — Simon Apple
This breezy track makes for an insightful glimpse into
Katherine McKenna. As a poignant accompaniment for the narrative backstory that
underscores her trek to the bookshop, it represents a slice of what we see in
her now… and perhaps some contextual bits to be uncovered later [More insights...]
Intrigue — Toby
With full 'Zoe' potential, Intrigue exposes
Katherine's calculatingly repressed thoughts as she studies and engages with
the 'stranger' in the bookshop [More insights...]
You Fascinate Me So — Mark Murphy
Jon's distracting internal monologue is an equal prompt
for a Zoe-like number as he takes in the curious and captivating woman
who has inexplicably thrown him off his game [More insights...]
CHAPTER 3―Reconnaisance Rendezvous
(Here's To) the Ghosts of the Past — Dot Dash
This ironic nod to the unexpected turns of events the
two friends are about to share with each other harks back to their mutual
past intersection which neither relish revisiting [More insights...]
I've Just Seen a Face — Jason Consolacion
This sentimental cover of the classic Beatles tune sets
the perfect tone for Jon’s reflective, amorous grin… an out of place grin
prompting Qadir to tease Jon about the woman who put the besotted smile
on his face [More insights...]
CHAPTER 4―Querying Quondam
Follow the Clues — Zoo Trippin'
While equally on point with the mysterious, clue-rich
conversation from the previous chapter, this song is a great companion for Jon's
meandering trek from Bloomsbury to Marylebone as he makes his way to the
Quondam office, only to be met with more mystery from Margret [More insights...]
You've Got Something I Want — Blossom Dearie
This Blossom Deary original is a nod to Katherine's alluring
tease to Jon, coaxing him to give her his 'story' [More insights...]
Aristotle — HawkBaby
Spurred more by the chorus than verse, this is a high-level
nod to the first reveal of Jon and Katherine's shared fondness for Aristotle [More insights...]
You Fascinate Me So — Blossom Dearie
This second little lilt from Blossom Dearie is a subtle
turnabout of Jon's distracting fantasy in the bookshop as Katherine's own intrigue
shifts from the 'story' to the person [More insights...]
CHAPTER 5―Quid Pro Quo
I've Been Seeing Things — They Might Be Giants
This is playful take on Donovan's hit-or-miss success tailing
Katherine on her morning walks to the bookshop, which, as revealed through Margret and Harold's side bet, has had hit-or-miss success during his protective detail training [More insights...]
BONUS SONG: Tea For Two — Blossom Dearie
Not a proper inclusion for the playlist (in the sense
that the lyrics do not represent a plot point or character perspective), but
the song itself is referenced as the tune Jon is whistling in Katherine's
office as he rinses the cups at her tea station [More insights...]
Hey John — Monica Ramey
This smooth Monica Ramey cover of a Blossom Deary original
is an ironically on-point expression of Katherine's realization that she is
quite taken by Jon, no longer exclusively interested in his 'story' [More insights...]
CHAPTER 6―Delicate Disclosure
In the Clues —Martin Wardley
An amusing sentiment to underscore Qadir's door-bump encounter with
'Mr-Needs-a-Shave' at The Guardian, which is then followed by his flashback
to Iraq and his work with Jon's covert detachment '64' [More insights...]
Stuck In the Middle Again — Curtis Smith
Jon's internal admission that his convoluted methods to
extract the information he seeks from Katherine have gone nowhere, thus his
surrender to greater disclosure, find several eerie parallels in these lyrics [More insights...]
Trouble Me — Megan Joy
Here again, the insightful lyrics seem to parallel Katherine's
sentiments… encouraging and assuring Jon that he can trust her with his delicate
disclosures [More insights...]
CHAPTER 7―More Complicated Lane
Help! — Ed Payne
Although not overtly solicited by Jon, this Beatles
cover serves as a more direct proclamation that he both needs and wants Margret’s
volunteered help to reconnect him with Katherine later [More insights...]
Stuck in the Middle with You — Karizma Duo
This cover from the Karizma Duo stands as a playful
parallel to the verbal exercise between Margret and Katherine after Jon leaves
the office, debating what information would be innocuous enough to reveal to
Jon, while revealing a not so innocuous secret to Margret [More insights...]
CHAPTER 8―Chemistry Lesson
What Are You Hiding — The Bullocks
This ditty is meant as a humorous take on Margret's
frustration with Harold, while also revealing her comfort level to let down her
'posh' with him and speak plainly [More insights...]
CHAPTER 9―Major Help
Stuck in the Middle — Adam Harvey (feat. Guy Sebastian)
This fun yet striking duet is a perfect pairing for the
friendly yet adversarial tête-à-tête between Harold and Jon during their
spontaneous café meet up and ‘verbal waterboarding’ [More insights...]
What Are You Hiding — Podplays (feat. New Hope Honkytonk Revival Band)
Sparked by Jon's musings at the end of the chapter,
it's the perfect underscore for the soup-shopping scene intimated between
chapters 9 and 10, which provides the Walter Mitty-like flashback that kicks off
chapter 11 [More insights...]
CHAPTER 10―Predictably Unpredictable
Stuck in the Middle with You — Amy & Stuart
This quirky duet rendition of the recurring stanza is a
humorous nod to the ignored banter that cast Jon a third wheel to Harold and
Margret's dominating debate about Katherine’s state [More insights...]
Man Behind the Curtain — The Bears
Ironic in its simplicity (much like Harold himself),
this unique find is an obvious call-out to the so-titled exchange between
Harold and Katherine (… and could easily be a repeating theme song for the mischievous
Major MacAlister) [More insights...]
I Like You, You're Nice — Janet Seidel
Making yet another playlist-cameo, this Blossom Deary
original covered by Janet Seidel encapsulates Katherine's unexpected comfort-level
with Jon’s impromptu return to her office with takeaway for two [More insights...]
CHAPTER 11―Pay No Attention
Trouble — Cage the Elephant
Concurrent to the dubious exchange that closed chapter
10, this lyrically poignant pairing opens chapter 11 where we find Harold
staged at the restaurant across the street, spying on Jon and Katherine while simultaneously
redirecting Margret’s texting wrath [More insights...]
Trouble Me — Gabriel Mann
Another tune-turnabout for the couple (harking back
to chapter 6), now it’s Jon’s turn to implore and encourage Katherine to share
her burdens with him [More insights...]
Deep End — Ruelle
Katherine's recognition that she has allowed herself to
become too invested too quickly (which could compromise both her and Jon) is
hauntingly captured in the Deep End lyrics [More insights...]
CHAPTER 12―Two
Stuck in the Middle with You — The Penguins Band
The fourth cover of this classic melody is a
lighthearted rendition to underscore Qadir's third run-in with Mr-Needs-a-Shave
while enjoying happy-hour drinks with his colleagues from The Guardian down
at The Angel tavern [More insights...]
Some Other Time — Blossom Dearie
This ironically fitting tune marks the fifth and final Blossom
Dearie playlist-nod, providing the melody in Katherine's head as she dances
with Jon—a trigger for the sentimental flashback to Anne’s “Blossom-Dearie-style
croon” of the tune to serenade her beloved husband Harold before he deployed [More insights...]
All of the Above — Slowrush
Playing on the 'C: all of the above' expression
repeatedly bantered between the two, this soldierly cadence is a lament for Jon
after Katherine reveals his Quondam lead is a dead end [More insights...]
Warm Whispers — Missy Higgins
Following Katherine's unintended disclosure about her parents’
death and her mother's 'milk and honey' mission in the 'promised land' of
Ireland, Jon comforts her with his warm whispers before quickly
lightening the mood [More insights...]
CHAPTER 13―The Man
Like Someone in Love — Bruno Major
Ignoring Harold’s eavesdropping from behind the wheel,
this skipped-beat rendition is an echo of Jon's heart during the backseat
banter he and Katherine exchange during the trip to Waterloo station [More insights...]
You'd Better Go Now — Diana Panton (feat. Don Thompson)
As Jon and Katherine’s time together comes to a
definitive end, this denotes the soft signal that Katherine is intentionally
re-raising her protective shields [More insights...]
CHAPTER 14―Behind the Curtain
Someone Following Me — Freddie Steady KRC
Changing gears for the impromptu meet-up between Jon
and Qadir, this twangy tune is a firm fit for the discovery of the MI6
operative who tracked Qadir to the train station [More insights...]
I've Just Seen a Face — Victoria Lanser
As the final melodic turnabout of Jon’s wistful musings
to Qadir in chapter 3, Katherine's lament to Harold wishes for a life so
unencumbered that she could simply follow her heart without the inevitable fall
of high-impact dominoes [More insights...]
Life In Her Yet — Rag'n'Bone Man
Harold's internalized regret for Katherine, lamenting
how complicated her life has been and the troubles from which she has yet to be
freed, is powerfully delivered through this gritty dirge [More insights...]
CHAPTER 15―Planes, Trains and Artful Reveals
Moonlight Kiss — Bap Kennedy
Drawing on Jon's wordplay for the 'Moonlight
[chocolate] Kisses' he snuck into Katherine's carryon bag, this reminiscent tune
is serendipitously on-point for their playful texting/mobile chat from
the train/airport lounge [More insights...]
Desert Storm — Rhett Robertson
Cuing in as Jon begins to clock Katherine's trepidation
about her Dubai trip, then his press for what's behind it, this tapped and
plucked requiem could easily reflect thoughts running through both Jon's and
Katherine's minds [More insights...]
CHAPTER 16―Strangers on a Train
Lucky to Be Me — Mark Winkler
Paralleling the ups and downs of Jon's 'rollercoaster'
day, this upbeat melody wedged between two Storms captures the renewal
of Jon's hope for a future not spent alone, but "a future that might be
shared" [More insights...]
Storm Coming — Once Monsters
With lyrics eerily meaningful, this final opus teases
at the puzzle pieces of Jon's 'It's time' revelation while steering
unswervingly into the swelling Desert Storm forewarned [More insights...]
