Slough House

Slough House

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  • Create Date：2021-02-10 04:18:17
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
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  • Author：Mick Herron
  • ISBN：9781641292368
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Summary

Notes From Your Bookseller

With writing that is cool， sly and funny， Mick Herron gives us world-weary M15 spies that are more in Smiley territory than James Bond's。 Every character in Herron's Slough House is complicated and dynamic。 Read it for the plot。 Read it for the spy craft。 Savor the story。 Herron's world is riveting。

In his best and most ambitious novel yet， Mick Herron， “the le Carré of the future” （BBC）， offers an unsparing look at the corrupt web of media， global finance， spycraft， and politics that power our modern world。

“This is a darker， scarier Herron。 The gags are still there but the satire's more biting。 The privatization of a secret service op and the manipulation of news is relevant and horribly credible。”—Ann Cleeves， author of the Vera Stanhope series

At Slough House—MI5’s London depository for demoted spies—Brexit has taken a toll。 The “slow horses” have been pushed further into the cold， Slough House has been erased from official records， and its members are dying in unusual circumstances， at an unusual clip。 No wonder Jackson Lamb's crew is feeling paranoid。 But are they actually targets？  

With a new populist movement taking hold of London's streets and the old order ensuring that everything's for sale to the highest bidder， the world's a dangerous place for those deemed surplus。 Jackson Lamb and the slow horses are in a fight for their lives as they navigate dizzying layers of lies， power， and death。

Editor Reviews

CrimeReads Most Anticipated Crime Fiction of 2021

Praise for Slough House

“I'll tell you what， to have been lucky enough to play Smiley in one's career; and now go and play Jackson Lamb in Mick Herron's novels—the heir， in a way， to le Carré—is a terrific thing。”
—Gary Oldman

“Out of a wickedly imagined version of MI5， [Herron] has spun works of diabolical plotting and high-spirited cynicism， their pages filled with sardonic wit， their characters approaching the surreal 。 。 。 Mr。 Herron goes about this with bouncing black humor and a set of characters whose appearance and manner would be over the top in any other era。 Happily for Mr。 Herron—if alas for us—events continue to produce rich material for his special gifts， and we hope he is scribbling away making good use of it all。”
—Katherine A。 Powers， The Wall Street Journal

“This is a darker， scarier Herron。 The gags are still there but the satire's more biting。 The privatization of a secret service op and the manipulation of news is relevant and horribly credible。”
—Ann Cleeves， author of the Vera Stanhope series

“Richly imagined and ridiculously entertaining espionage novels。”
—The Seattle Times

“Slough House is the best yet。”
—Times Literary Supplement （UK）

“Herron has certainly devised the most completely realised espionage universe since that peopled by George Smiley。”
 —The Times （UK）

“Mick Herron is one of the finest writers of his generation。”
—Steve Cavanagh， author of the Eddie Flynn novels

“Mick Herron’s Slough House series has quietly become one of the greatest spy series the world has ever seen。 And now a soon-to-be television adaptation starring Gary Oldman should make Herron and his heroes into household names”
—CrimeReads

“The recent passing of the late， great John le Carré leaves a gaping hole， so the arrival of his heir apparent’s new book could not be better timed。”
—Everything Zoomer

“Combining some of the cleverest dialogue in the genre with unexpected bursts of violence， Herron brings to the spy novel—not known in the post-Bond era for its sense of humor—an Elmore Leonard–like ability to make us laugh and cry almost simultaneously。”
—Bill Ott， Booklist， Starred Review

“Once again， Herron captures the dramedy of the battle between spies and bureaucrats better than anyone else on either side。”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Revenge， betrayal， and gallows humor abound in Slough House， the seventh installment of Mick Herron’s ripping good series of spy novels。 This time out， MI5’s disgraced spies are being hunted by Russian assassins and there’s no one they can trust to help them。 Herron’s deft plotting and taut writing make his books the best spy thrillers being published today。 Make room on your shelf beside LeCarre and Deighton。 His books are fantastic， and Slough House is no exception。”
—David Enyeart， Next Chapter Booksellers （St。 Paul， MN）

“Genuinely thrilling。”
—The Daily Telegraph

“Superb。”
—Irish Times

“Brilliant。”
—Literary Review （UK）

“I think this might be the best Jackson Lamb outing yet。”
—Christopher Brookmyre

“I enjoyed Slough House tremendously。 Witty， clever and horribly on point。 Lots to laugh about while being careful not to miss a word。 This isn't a book to skim read。”
—Kit de Waal

“[Jackson Lamb] Herron's glorious creation propels the story to the bitter end where the non-stop barrage of jokes is fatally undercut by a final shocking twist。”
—Evening Standard 

“An excellent writer。”
—The Sunday Times （UK）
Praise for Joe Country

The Guardian Best Crime Novels of 2019
The Spectator Best Books of 2019

“Suspense， spycraft， dry wit and vulgar humor are all well-deployed in this satisfying work by Mr。 Herron， whose style can accommodate everything from a tough action scene to a lyrical elegy。”
—Tom Nolan， The Wall Street Journal

“Herron writes squeakingly well-plotted spy thrillers。 More than that， he composes—at the rate of a pulpist—the kind of efficient， darkly witty， tipped-with-imagery sentences that feel purpose-built to perforate my private daze of illiteracy。 More than that， he’s a world-bringer， the creator of a still-growing fictional universe with its own gravity， lingo， and surface tension。”
—The Atlantic 

“Herron blends character， place and espionage into a riveting melange that I’ve only encountered in the best of John le Carré or Len Deighton 。 。 。 Read one and you're hooked for the whole series。”
—The Globe and Mail

“Herron’s morbidly witty backdrop hosts incisive storytelling with a rich mix of engaging characters。”
—Financial Times

Praise for the Slough House novels

“Terrific spy novel 。 。 。 Sublime dialogue， frictionless plotting。”
—Ian Rankin

"[Herron] really is funny and his cynicism is belied， here and there， by flashes of the mingled tenderness and anger that seem to define Britain’s post-Brexit self-reflections。"
—Charles Finch， USA Today

"Scathingly funny。"
—Newsweek

“Irony and black humor abound。”
—Newsday
 
“[Herron is the] le Carré of the future 。 。 。 The characters are brilliant。”
—Patrick Neale on BBC’s The Oxford Book Club
 
“Heroic struggles， less-heroic failures and a shoot-out-cum-heist 。 。 。 with no let-up in the page turning throughout。”
—Esquire

"Slough House， in this winning series， is where incompetent or disgraced British spies spend their days on meaningless busywork。 That is， unless they stumble into genuine espionage。 Herron is a subtle stylist， and he strikes a perfect balance of big-hearted humor and thrilling spy stuff。"
—The Seattle Times

“Hilarious and suspenseful 。 。 。 Sharper than most espionage fiction being written today and manages to stay uncannily contemporary。”
—St。 Louis Post-Dispatch

From the Publisher

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Reviews

B&NJulesH ，

I envy anyone who gets to read Slow Horses （Mick Herron's first book in the Slough House Series） for the first time。 Slough House is so rich in characters that it can be taken as a standalone story。 As you finish reading about this group of world-weary， funny， and dedicated M15 spies you will want more。 The plot is riveting。 You will get caught in its web as the rhythm of the agents' work and machinations of their government employers take over。

Gram ，

The 7th in the Slough House series may be the best yet。 Mick Herron mixes dark humour with thrilling action to produce another chilling spy thriller。 The story unfolds with the "slow horses" （rejects from Britain's Security Service） discovering their digital files have been wiped while it seems a Russian hit squad are set to wipe them out physically。 Along the way there are swipes at Brexit and Britain's current Prime Minister side by side with stinging put downs and smart arse one-liners from J The 7th in the Slough House series may be the best yet。 Mick Herron mixes dark humour with thrilling action to produce another chilling spy thriller。 The story unfolds with the "slow horses" （rejects from Britain's Security Service） discovering their digital files have been wiped while it seems a Russian hit squad are set to wipe them out physically。 Along the way there are swipes at Brexit and Britain's current Prime Minister side by side with stinging put downs and smart arse one-liners from Jackson Lamb， boss of the Slow Horses and the man who knows where the bodies are buried and which skeleton belongs in which closet。 Meanwhile， the head of the Security Service， Diana "Lady Di" Taverner is coping with the possible fall out from a revenge killing she ordered and the creeping privatisation of the UK's intelligence services。 The story rattles along at breakneck pace and ends on a cliffhanger which， hopefully， will be resolved soon。 If you haven't read the Slough House series， start at the beginning and enjoy the ride。 Highly recommended。 。。。more

Eric Lee ，

This， the seventh book in the Jackson Lamb series， does not disappoint。 I imagine most everyone who reads it has already devoured the previous six books。 For us， the return of Lamb and his “slow horses” — spies cast aside by MI6 — is reason enough to spend a few hours in their company。 But this book also shows a side of Lamb we don’t often get to see — a man who despite all his insults and abuse of his staff is the most loyal and protective boss anyone could want。 You do not want to mess with hi This， the seventh book in the Jackson Lamb series， does not disappoint。 I imagine most everyone who reads it has already devoured the previous six books。 For us， the return of Lamb and his “slow horses” — spies cast aside by MI6 — is reason enough to spend a few hours in their company。 But this book also shows a side of Lamb we don’t often get to see — a man who despite all his insults and abuse of his staff is the most loyal and protective boss anyone could want。 You do not want to mess with him， as several characters in this book will discover。 And yes， the book does end on a cliffhanger。 So we wait， impatiently， for number 8 … 。。。more

Jill Westerman ，

I read an article about Mick Herron on the publication of this book and decided to read the first in the series， Slow Horses。 Two weeks later having devoured the first six novels I began this latest installment。 I loved it。 Once again Jackson Lamb and the lacklustre Slough House team are in trouble - with the usual line of unpleasant foes lined up - Diana Taverner， Peter Judd and various foreign assassins。 As ever the most troublesome are the closest。 Throw Novichok poisoning and a new populist I read an article about Mick Herron on the publication of this book and decided to read the first in the series， Slow Horses。 Two weeks later having devoured the first six novels I began this latest installment。 I loved it。 Once again Jackson Lamb and the lacklustre Slough House team are in trouble - with the usual line of unpleasant foes lined up - Diana Taverner， Peter Judd and various foreign assassins。 As ever the most troublesome are the closest。 Throw Novichok poisoning and a new populist leader into the mix and we have the start of another gripping， dark but oh so very funny outing for the slow horses。 Roddy Ho's mental musings are even more hilarious than ever - as he wonders whether a baseball cap with 'Spook at work' would be an appropriate buy。 Lamb is as revolting as ever and the rest of the team perform their roles - for me River is always the central character after Lamb - the inheritor of his grandfather's skills and as quietly competent as Lamb is， but with more morals - for the moment at least。 I almost dropped a star because of the cliffhanger ending - I never like these， and in particular when we will have to wait some time for the next in the series。 But overall this is such a delight that it is worth 5 stars。Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a review copy。 。。。more

Gareth Sykes ，

Another great book in the Jackson Lamb series， long may they continue。

Bolexio ，

Best yet in the series。 Superb

PattyMacDotComma ，

5★“For a city is an impermanent thing， its surface ever shifting， like the sea。 And like the sea， a city has its sharks。”London is full of sharks and spooks and， in this case， hit squads。 There is a war going on between Russian and English spies， and as the book opens， the Russians are retaliating against the assassination of one of theirs。There’s a fair bit of politics in this one， where Peter Judd， a former Parliamentary minister， “a politician whose greed for power was so naked it required a 5★“For a city is an impermanent thing， its surface ever shifting， like the sea。 And like the sea， a city has its sharks。”London is full of sharks and spooks and， in this case， hit squads。 There is a war going on between Russian and English spies， and as the book opens， the Russians are retaliating against the assassination of one of theirs。There’s a fair bit of politics in this one， where Peter Judd， a former Parliamentary minister， “a politician whose greed for power was so naked it required a parental advisory sticker” has plans to raise his public profile by stirring up the Yellow Vests behind the scenes。 You know， fuelling the fires of dissent。 Brexit is never named but is occasionally referred to only in phrases such as “budgetary fallout from You-Know-What”。 “Even unelected， Judd remained a big beast in the political jungle。 But Diana had done her growing up on Spook Street， where big beasts numbered among the daily kill。”Judd and Diana Taverner have had a longstanding acquaintance。 Possibly an earlier affair？ I don’t remember。 She is First Desk at “Park”， which is Regent’s Park， Secret Service headquarters。 She is the supreme boss – except when her budget is at stake， when she may resort to outsourcing “funding”。 Judd is applying pressure and telling her how he wants her to appear and what he wants her to say on a TV broadcast that he hopes will rattle some cages for his benefit。“‘You hardly need me to write your script。’ ‘I’m starting to get the impression that that’s exactly what you think I need，’ Diana said。 ‘If you prefer， we could shoot you behind a screen。’‘I could probably arrange something similar for you。’”And we know she could。 In fact， we almost wish she would。 But Herron doesn’t keep us in one scene for very long。 The action moves between Slough House， the Park， Diana Taverner and her crew， Judd and a TV guy， River out in the field， Shirley drunk and drugged， and weird， funny Roddy Ho。 But – just as we’re in a dark alley with a torch flickering at the other end or on a back road at night with headlights suddenly appearing – BOOM！ We are moved to the club where Judd and Taverner are conversing or back to Jackson Lamb， being his disgusting self somewhere。Lamb is the boss of Slough House， theoretically working for Taverner， but even she doubts it。 In each book he becomes more repugnant and more clever。 He seems to appear without apparently arriving。 More like the apparition of a homeless man from a dumpster。 In one scene， at a kind of party where he is smoking a particularly fragrant Russian cigarette:“Lamb had found a bottle of malt and was in a corner smoking， looking like a bin someone had set fire to。”He smokes constantly， farts， throws butts on the floor， lighters out the window， and demeans his people。“Lamb rolled his eyes。 ‘God， you’re a drag to have around。 Moan moan moan。 It’s like being shackled to the ghost of Bob Marley。’ ‘I think you mean Jacob。’ ‘Depends，’ said Lamb。 ‘Which was the one surrounded by wailers？’”He is protective of his joes – his spooks – when they’re on missions， but he gets his money’s worth。“ ’And if you’re now serving two purposes instead of one， it’s like I’ve just halved all your salaries。’ He beamed。 ‘Win win。’”You get the idea。 I’ll make no attempt to discuss the plot， but there certainly is one and it’s up-to-date， post-Brexit but pre-Covid。 Fans will enjoy seeing favourite characters。 Drinker and coke user Shirley Dander: “Shirley could handle criticism as well as the next guy， but the next guy was a touchy bastard。。 。 。 。 。 。 a thing about Shirley Dander’s partners was that they tended to die; their brains misted against an office wall， or their insides spilt on snowy Welsh hillsides。”Kinda takes the shine off wanting to work with her。Roddy Ho， about himself: “ Roddy Ho was the Duke of Digital; everyone knew that。 He was Master of the Monitor， Lord of the Laptop， but that was only half the story。 Take him away from his screens and he was also King of the Kerb， Sultan of the Streets， the something of the Pavements。”Roddy does know how to hack into almost everything， but that’s where it stops， long before the kerb or the streets。 His boss has no filters。 “‘It’s like having my own personal Yellow Pages，’ said Lamb。 ‘Or， you know。 Just Pages in his case’”I am not cherry-picking quotable quotes。 If you went through Herron’s books with a rake you’d end up with an enormous pile of excellent， quirky phrases， put-downs and descriptions。 I was delighted to see River Cartwright back， the first Slow Horse we ever met， I think， but he is in terrible peril， and the tension builds。 I will warn you only that Herron does kill people off – see the reference to Shirley’s past partners。Such good writing， such memorable characters， and such timely stories。 Loved it！ Thanks to NetGalley and John Murray Press for the preview copy。 More please！p。s。 Great interview with the author titled: "Mick Herron: 'I look at Jackson Lamb and think: My God， did I write that？ My mother reads this stuff！'"https://www。theguardian。com/books/202。。。 。。。more

Bookthesp1 ，

Unputdownable Slough of Despond - with jokesReviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 February 2021Another winner from Mick Herron。 Followers of this series are probably invested fully in the characters and get that Slough House is a character in itself the decrepit building being a metaphor both for the down at heel reprobates it houses but also perhaps for a country rocking back on its heels due to brexit and a leader who bears a passing resemblance to the louche and plotting Peter Judd - who is be Unputdownable Slough of Despond - with jokesReviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 February 2021Another winner from Mick Herron。 Followers of this series are probably invested fully in the characters and get that Slough House is a character in itself the decrepit building being a metaphor both for the down at heel reprobates it houses but also perhaps for a country rocking back on its heels due to brexit and a leader who bears a passing resemblance to the louche and plotting Peter Judd - who is becoming something of a nemesis in this book for Lady Di Tavener。Suffice to say Herron uses contemporary events to fuel his plot - the Novichok poisoning in Salisbury is used as a backdrop for other Russian hit squads and the slow horses are under threat both from them and the machinations at The Park where the real spies are supposed to work 。Herron seemed a little uneasy about which characters should be foregrounded but Taverner and Judd dominate as does a high insult rate Lamb （ wonderful still in his Uber anti PC） and the likes of Shirley Dander and paedo scarred Lech。 River also motors the plot and there are a few newcomers and old hands making reappearances。 Standish and the wonderful comic creation Ho are less obviously involved （ reduced to supporting roles here） but the jokes and wordplay from Herron still comes thick and fast counterpointing the very real tension engendered by the Russian hit squads in town。 Brexit is mentioned obliquely but the book was written pre Covid。 There is a definite sense of this countries diminishing place in the world and the slow horses as cogs in a machine gone mad。For me this is not the best in the series - but it’s still pretty unputdownable and the writing ratchets both tension and comedy to equally good effect。 When the title for this volume was announced it seemed a little flat and disappointing- didn’t the first book Slow Horses do it better？ But Herron is now so confident in his milieu he clearly wanted to be clear that the book is partly about the usual battle for survival of the building itself in an ever changing landscape- the decrepitude of Slough House a metaphor again for a country gone to seed- a sort of slough of despond if it wasn’t for the jokes。It will be interesting to see where Herron goes next with this series- this volume feels like a watershed moment。 Can we clear something up？ Herron is not the new Le Carre - they are difficult creatures entirely though just happen to write about the same subject - thank you and as Jackson Lamb might say 。。。。。。 are you still here ？？？！ 。。。more

John ，

Another winner from Mr。 Herron。 What a great series this is。 One burning burning question in my mind （aside from the release date of Slough House 8） is whether Gary Oldman will do justice to Jackson Lamb in the same way that Alec Guiness nailed George Smiley。

I Read， Therefore I Blog ，

The 7th in Mick Herron’s SLOUGH HOUSE SERIES is another fast-paced， action packed spy thriller that adds biting satire to the temperature of the nation。 There is a sense of pieces being moved ready for further developments， most notably in the change in dynamic between Judd and Lady Di， and it’s not clear what the return of Sid will mean long term but the devastating ending and the question it leaves means I am very keen to read the next book。

Anne Ayres ，

Pre-ordered the signed copy， pre-ordered the audio book （Sean Barrett is a god！） Then 4 minutes into 4th February I started to download a copy to my e-reader too！ Does this make me a Top Fan or merely an obsessive？ Was then happily reading till 1。30， when I began to lose track of Peter Judd's - ah - congratulatory speech to Diana - or perhaps as he would say， his -ah - "Orationem Gratulatoriam"， so reluctantly laid it down until morning。My real book-with-pages arrived on 5th so I continued from Pre-ordered the signed copy， pre-ordered the audio book （Sean Barrett is a god！） Then 4 minutes into 4th February I started to download a copy to my e-reader too！ Does this make me a Top Fan or merely an obsessive？ Was then happily reading till 1。30， when I began to lose track of Peter Judd's - ah - congratulatory speech to Diana - or perhaps as he would say， his -ah - "Orationem Gratulatoriam"， so reluctantly laid it down until morning。My real book-with-pages arrived on 5th so I continued from there。 What an amazing read， I loved it。 Loose ends from previous books tied up， Lamb as politically incorrect and monstrous as ever and great little gifts （or are they called Easter eggs） to Radio 4 comedy listeners - in the form of Louise's reference to yellow cars or Shirley finding herself at Mornington Crescent。 Tightly plotted， new characters for Lamb to insult， old ones to identify with or simply enjoy， and brilliantly ascerbic visualisations of London and the contemporary scene。 His observation of the extreme right and the extreme left meeting round the back is something I've actually said myself！ I've been waiting since newly published Joe Country for this and my only wish is for Time to get on with its Wingéd Chariot and bring us closer to the next one - when？ When？ When？ 。。。more

Tracey ，

Fantastic。 Lamb gets better and better。 What an ending！ Can't wait for the next installment。 Fantastic。 Lamb gets better and better。 What an ending！ Can't wait for the next installment。 。。。more

Sarah Sansom ，

I can’t quite begin to do justice to how excited I was to get my mitts on this latest instalment in the superbly caustic Jackson Lamb spy-thriller series。 Its timely arrival has played merry-hell with my TBR though … but it was too good to wait in line。Jackson Lamb is a deeply distasteful character。 And yet the moment I opened the cover （or should I say door？） of Slough House I more or less galloped up those familiar death-trap stairs into London’s most soul destroying office with something that I can’t quite begin to do justice to how excited I was to get my mitts on this latest instalment in the superbly caustic Jackson Lamb spy-thriller series。 Its timely arrival has played merry-hell with my TBR though … but it was too good to wait in line。Jackson Lamb is a deeply distasteful character。 And yet the moment I opened the cover （or should I say door？） of Slough House I more or less galloped up those familiar death-trap stairs into London’s most soul destroying office with something that could be likened to sheer joy。 You’ve been gone too long Lamb。 Your abusive， repellant presence has been sorely missed by this morally-compromised fan。Slough House welcomes its readers back into Brexit-smeared London， with the Salisbury poisonings serving as malingering source of shame to Britain’s security services。 MI5’s ‘first desk’， the indomitable Diana Taverner isn’t known for letting bygones live up to their idiom， but with bean-counters and bureaucrats working tirelessly to thwart her fighting spirit， the unthinkable suddenly became appealing。 From within the bastion， hitherto Russian-proof， concrete and digital firewalls of Regent’s Park （affectionally coined The Park to insiders）， Diana orchestrates an expensive， off-the-books retaliatory hit in Kazan。 The book reluctantly joins Diana at a bombastically pompous， self-congratulatory dinner arranged by slimy ex-politico Peter Judd … and it’s no coincidence that they’re sharing their table with Judd’s latest BFF， Damian Cantor; influential online news tycoon， and the richest man in the country under thirty-five。With Judd on a king-making mission， and Diana beginning to regret her decision to sell her shadow to the devil， it’s only a matter of time before Jackson Lamb gets a whiff of something familiarly Cold-War ish。 And when his slow horses start noticing they’ve acquired new， three-dimensional shadows， Lamb does what Lamb does best … farts and lights up the next knock-off fag。 In keeping with the six preceding books， this is the point at which the slow horses bring their own， bruising form of spy craft and justice to the streets of London … with the occasional sojourn to the leafy suburbs of Kent where a recently murdered slow horse finds herself at the wrong end of a gun， again。 But whilst The Park and Slough House both aspire to the same restorative outcome， they set about it in their own signature styles: Diana through calculated manoeuvres， and Lamb through blunt force trauma。 Whilst they’re on wildly divergent paths， they’re inevitably headed for a catastrophic collision。For all its sardonic repartee and acerbic humour， Slough House is not flippant， comedic spy novel。 Far from it。 It’s shrewd， compelling and acutely pitched; narrated by a borderline-bitchy raconteur with a singular talent for encouraging the reader to reconsider current affairs and social tenor。 The fast-paced plot twists and turns， and then turns again， with a satisfying amount of intricacy and a few helpful self defence techniques thrown in for good measure。 Whilst the fate of one character - left shackled to the floorboards of a recently vacated shop - chimes with a deliciously rich clang of comeuppance， it’s the superbly precipitous cliff hanger that really hammers-home the author’s prowess for savvy， suspense。 If you’re a fan of Gene Hunt （Life On Mars / Ashes To Ashes television series）， then Jackson Lamb is your new politically incorrect antihero。 He’s a legend to the spy world and firm favourite of my bookish cravings。 Oh， and if you weren’t already eyeing our political leadership through the career-ending / soft-focus （depending on your channel choice） lens of British media， then Slough House will undoubtedly encourage you to do so with a whole new air of enlightened cynicism。Slough House is the seventh Jackson Lamb book。 I really cannot recommend these hugely enjoyable spy-thrillers highly enough … and I unequivocally believe this isn’t a series to start anywhere other than the very beginning。 There’s a LOT of history here， and the characters’ backstories make up important elements of this latest instalment。 So … be patient … go back to where it all began （in the pages of Slow Horses） and I promise you’ll be so caught up in this whip-sharp story that you’ll find yourself cracking the spine of Slough House in no time at all。 。。。more

Marie-Clare ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Nooo。。。 don't leave me this way！Loved the revival of a 'proper' Cold War antagonism and the return of earlier characters just not prepared for such a nihilistic conclusion。 It snatches death and defeat from the jaws of a half-decent win and ends on a real downer， all round， for all concerned。 Killing off another main character is one thing; this is a scorched earth ending。 It's really well plotted， shocking， believable and 'right' in its way but。。。 too much， too bleak！ And not a great for a Lock Nooo。。。 don't leave me this way！Loved the revival of a 'proper' Cold War antagonism and the return of earlier characters just not prepared for such a nihilistic conclusion。 It snatches death and defeat from the jaws of a half-decent win and ends on a real downer， all round， for all concerned。 Killing off another main character is one thing; this is a scorched earth ending。 It's really well plotted， shocking， believable and 'right' in its way but。。。 too much， too bleak！ And not a great for a Locked Down Saturday night in。 Bummer。 。。。more

Sara Tilley ，

Bought with my own money- not an ARC。It seems like ages since the last instalment so it was an unadulterated pleasure to settle into the world of Jackson Lamb once more。 I’m really not sure how the tv series will work without the brilliant narration of Sean Barrett。 It takes a while to untangle the various plot threads but， once again， it’s a carefully worked tale of grievances， scheming and fallout。 It’s almost Le Carré for quite some time but then Lamb and The Rodster remind you where you a Bought with my own money- not an ARC。It seems like ages since the last instalment so it was an unadulterated pleasure to settle into the world of Jackson Lamb once more。 I’m really not sure how the tv series will work without the brilliant narration of Sean Barrett。 It takes a while to untangle the various plot threads but， once again， it’s a carefully worked tale of grievances， scheming and fallout。 It’s almost Le Carré for quite some time but then Lamb and The Rodster remind you where you are。 It’s a typically dark tale but some of the lines and descriptions are laugh-out-loud funny， and I felt like cheering on at least one occasion。 With cagey references to recent events， this instalment feels quite ‘real’ however， I’m perplexed by the gender of the first victim。 。。。more

Sheryl Garratt ，

Yet another treat in the Slow Horses spy series， featuring the repulsive yet irresistible old cynic Jackson Lamb and his motley crew of spook rejects。

Ed ，

I have been eagerly expecting this book for much of England’s long lost time in lockdown so when it arrived I consumed it like a drunken Maccies。 I must admit that I’ve read this book in a haze and really wanted it to be the excellent Herron of old。 Believing that Herron is the best British thriller writer out there is a hill I am willing to die or at least break a leg on。 However this wasn’t it。 The dialogue was sparkling， the characters comfortable like an old pair of reliable trainers but the I have been eagerly expecting this book for much of England’s long lost time in lockdown so when it arrived I consumed it like a drunken Maccies。 I must admit that I’ve read this book in a haze and really wanted it to be the excellent Herron of old。 Believing that Herron is the best British thriller writer out there is a hill I am willing to die or at least break a leg on。 However this wasn’t it。 The dialogue was sparkling， the characters comfortable like an old pair of reliable trainers but the plot and the narrative fell flat of Herron’s previously dizzying heights。 Hopefully next year he returns to top form。 。。。more

Hannah ，

Published today！ This is the 7th book in the Slough House series and another well-written page-turner。 It was a pleasure to read。 Set in temporary London， the Slough House series always incorporates real events; this time Brexit。 Jackson Lamb is an aged spy with a love for cigarettes and snide remarks， yet he always defends his shunned slow horses。 But when mysterious fatal accidents befall several slow horses and Slough House is wiped from records at the Service， it marks an uncertain future fo Published today！ This is the 7th book in the Slough House series and another well-written page-turner。 It was a pleasure to read。 Set in temporary London， the Slough House series always incorporates real events; this time Brexit。 Jackson Lamb is an aged spy with a love for cigarettes and snide remarks， yet he always defends his shunned slow horses。 But when mysterious fatal accidents befall several slow horses and Slough House is wiped from records at the Service， it marks an uncertain future for the dilapidated building in central London and its peculiar inhabitants。 As usual， the plot is complex and intricately tied to the meddling of foreign and domestic spies， as well as London’s political infighting utilising spies to push agendas or tighten the grip on power。 I received the 6th book from NetGalley two years ago and loved the series so much that I went back to read every single book in the series。 As such， I was very happy to receive this ARC。 It is not necessary to have read other books in the series， but it definitely helps to understand the different characters’ backgrounds and the Slough House team’s journey。 Thanks to NetGalley， John Murray and Mick Herron for this ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Karen Ross ，

Stop all the clocks！ Mick Herron's latest novel comes as a belated Christmas gift， necessitating a day where reading is the only priority。 If I have any criticism， it's that the initial stages of the story are a touch too fragmented， with narrative threads left hanging a little too loose。 Having said that， the bigger picture reveals itself just fine。And should the day job ever lose its charm， Herron could easily get a job as the PM's speechwriter: his channeling via Peter Judd is pitch perfect i Stop all the clocks！ Mick Herron's latest novel comes as a belated Christmas gift， necessitating a day where reading is the only priority。 If I have any criticism， it's that the initial stages of the story are a touch too fragmented， with narrative threads left hanging a little too loose。 Having said that， the bigger picture reveals itself just fine。And should the day job ever lose its charm， Herron could easily get a job as the PM's speechwriter: his channeling via Peter Judd is pitch perfect in this one！This book also contains what might - just - be my favourite-ever laugh out loud Slough House line 。 。 。 towards the end of the story， where Judd names his all-time favourite headline。And what a shocking cliff-hanger of an ending！ Bring on book eight。 。。。more

Mary Picken ，

What more is there to say about Mick Herron’s sharp， witty， satirical and incisive series？ Seriously， if you are not reading this series you are missing out。 Slough House is the latest and my goodness its wit does not miss and hit the wall。Horribly echoing contemporary politics （pre-pandemic） Herron takes all the most implausible elements of our actual political scenario and takes them one tiny step forward until the blurring of fact and fiction is all too real and nothing seems unlikely at all。 What more is there to say about Mick Herron’s sharp， witty， satirical and incisive series？ Seriously， if you are not reading this series you are missing out。 Slough House is the latest and my goodness its wit does not miss and hit the wall。Horribly echoing contemporary politics （pre-pandemic） Herron takes all the most implausible elements of our actual political scenario and takes them one tiny step forward until the blurring of fact and fiction is all too real and nothing seems unlikely at all。Lady Di Taverner， current occupant of the First Desk has not responded well to the Russians planting Novichok in Salisbury and in her whiter hot anger she makes a terrible mistake and seals a deal with the devil， in the form of politician Peter Judd。 ‘There were those who’d said of Peter Judd， during his years as a contender for the highest office in the land， that his clowning masked a laser-like focus on his own best interests’。 It’s not long before she realises that if you sleep with foxes， you get fleas。 And Lady Di is itching all over。 Right wing politics and an ambitious rich media owner have combined to be her nemesis as knowledge and power are the only currencies that matter in today’s Britain。Taverner thinks she has it under control， but one of her tidbits of knowledge that she deliberately lets slip is the wiping out of the Slough House employees from the digital intelligence database。Roddy Ho， idly hacking into the database as is his wont， notices first that they have all been deleted from the files。 That’s not something that the foul-mouthed Jackson Lamb is going to overlook and as he moves his corpulent body around London， rather faster and with more stealth than anyone would expect he begins to discover an astonishing scenario playing out that is the inevitable consequence of everything that has happened to date。Bringing into play everything from Boris Johnson to Nigel Farage; Brexit to Russian interference in political democracies and even the Gilet Jaunes， Herron’s razor sharp wit dissects the current political absurdities with the sharpest of filleting knives。The Slow Horses themselves are still in a bit of shock after the events of the last book and the knowledge that they are once more invisible， but for a reason， makes them feel more unsettled than ever。But the Slow Horses work best when under threat and this strange and unruly bunch are not yet ready to give up。 As privatisation creeps into the Intelligence Services by the back door， Lamb is not going to put up with such nonsense any longer than he has to。With some memorable scenes， Lamb goes dark with the Slow Horses in order to find and face down the forces of darkness， and once again Slough House is under serious threat。There are many laugh- out-loud moments in this exhilarating and penetratingly sharp prose that just touch perfection: ‘This was the spook trade， and when things went awry on Spook Street， they generally went the full Chris Grayling。’ And the mental picture created when Lamb is in the flat of a gay American person of restricted growth listening to him claim that his Russian partner has been murdered by Putin’s death squad is just beautiful。Herron makes you care about these misfits; you hurt when they hurt and this book is as heart-breaking and touching as its predecessors。 It also feels a bit darker， but I think that’s because it is so close to the bone – so plausible it hurts。Verdict: An immense， brilliant book in a fantastic and beautifully written series。 Herron is a razor sharp writer whose descriptions make you sit up and take notice and his wit is scathing and so well directed。 And that prose: rich， dark， intense and utterly， completely， wonderful。 Just brilliant。 All the stars， each of the books。 。。。more

Kate ，

I've run out of superlatives with which to praise this outstanding spy series but Mick Herron has done it again。 This is quite possibly my favourite of the series so far， although it has stiff competition。 I love the way that these clever books astound， horrify， but also tug on the heart strings。 And then there's Roddy Ho。。。。 Brilliant。 Truly brilliant。 Review to follow shortly on For Winter Nights。 I've run out of superlatives with which to praise this outstanding spy series but Mick Herron has done it again。 This is quite possibly my favourite of the series so far， although it has stiff competition。 I love the way that these clever books astound， horrify， but also tug on the heart strings。 And then there's Roddy Ho。。。。 Brilliant。 Truly brilliant。 Review to follow shortly on For Winter Nights。 。。。more

Nicholas Masters ，

I was so excited for the latest edition of Slough House that I read the last two Novella’s （that I somehow missed） as a prelude to the series namesake。 But let me tell you， that little taster took nothing away from the moment that I was re-introduced to the Slow Horses and more specifically that larger than life （excuse the pun） first interaction with the larger than life （yes， he deserves a fat joke） Jackson Lamb。 Damn have I missed that guy！The new edition of Slough House doesn’t disappoint。 I I was so excited for the latest edition of Slough House that I read the last two Novella’s （that I somehow missed） as a prelude to the series namesake。 But let me tell you， that little taster took nothing away from the moment that I was re-introduced to the Slow Horses and more specifically that larger than life （excuse the pun） first interaction with the larger than life （yes， he deserves a fat joke） Jackson Lamb。 Damn have I missed that guy！The new edition of Slough House doesn’t disappoint。 It actually does it utmost at negatively disappointing， if that was ever a concept to aim for。 I loved re-uniting with the Slow Horses， and loved the underlying story line equally。 The inclusion of ‘fictional’ current events， with the Novichok poisoning and current cabinet and PM （“…。。regard him as a cross between a game show host and a cartoon yeti”） was brillaint。If you love Slough House， you’ll love Slough House！If you are new to Jackson Lamb and his team of colourful misfits， do yourself a favour and start from the beginning。Thank you NetGalley and John Murray Press for a review copy。“’We’re Slough House’， he said。 Then added， ‘Hasta la vista baby，’ before following the others down the stairs” 。。。more

Beverley ，

https://beverleyhasread。wordpress。com/So here we are， book 7 in the Jackson Lamb/Slough House series of books。 Book 6， Joe Country ended somewhat precipitously and I have to admit to worrying about the motley crew of MI5 spies over the past 18 months or so。 Upon opening Slough House it seems that my fears were not completely unfounded。Losing one ex-member of Slough House is an accident but when a second is murdered it appears that somebody has it in for Jackson Lamb’s band of exiled spies。 They https://beverleyhasread。wordpress。com/So here we are， book 7 in the Jackson Lamb/Slough House series of books。 Book 6， Joe Country ended somewhat precipitously and I have to admit to worrying about the motley crew of MI5 spies over the past 18 months or so。 Upon opening Slough House it seems that my fears were not completely unfounded。Losing one ex-member of Slough House is an accident but when a second is murdered it appears that somebody has it in for Jackson Lamb’s band of exiled spies。 They also seem to have all been removed from the database and Diana Taverner – First Desk at MI5 – may or may not have a hand in it。 Throw in some tussling between the UK and Russia over novichok poisonings in our fair land and a retaliation which seems to have waved a red rag at a bull and well， things are not rosy in spy-land。Bubbling away in the background are political manoeuvres by Peter Judd， a power hungry Etonian Machiavelli with a penchant for using complicated and old fashioned words to sound intelligent （familiar？） and his new ally Damien Cantor a media genius who owns his own TV Channel， Channel Go。 The dance between Peter and Diana is a joy to read with skilled word play and one-upmanship between two people who both want to come out on top。 Peter is using Channel Go to push his own agenda and， due to a rare misstep by Diana， he has her well and truly under his thumb， leading her to confide in her old adversary Jackson Lamb。Lamb is his usual grotesque， flatulent， sharp-witted and deceptively agile man with a sharp tongue and quick mind。 Protective over his group of spies （just don’t tell them that） when he discovers they are being followed and are potentially in danger he sets wheels in motion and lays traps。 Always one step ahead with an eye on a knife hurtling towards his back he is not to be underestimated。This book feels very current， from the references to Brexit， Russian spies， and the rise of the right to the harnessing of TV and social media for political gains。 The members of Slough House are merely the pawns in the larger game being played with River， the fabulous Roddy， Shirley， Louisa， Catherine and newest member Lec working against Regent’s Park， the home of MI5。Of course， the star of the show is the writing。 Nobody writes like Mick Herron。 This is a tense and taut spy thriller but is also political satire with its tongue firmly in cheek。 Writing a book which deals with Russian spies， novichok poisoning， right wing uprisings， illicit gains， grief and death and keeping moments of humour is a difficult balancing act， but as ever， Mick Herron deftly handles it。 I found myself laughing out loud one moment whilst being pole-axed the next on more than occasion with one event in particular taking my breath away。 It is another winner for me。 。。。more

Martina ，

Coming 9 February 2021 from Soho Press！ One of my favorite series。 Crazy things happen in Slough House， home of the not so A+ members of British investigation。。。。。 And led by one of the most loathsome men on earth。。。。。 Can't wait！ Coming 9 February 2021 from Soho Press！ One of my favorite series。 Crazy things happen in Slough House， home of the not so A+ members of British investigation。。。。。 And led by one of the most loathsome men on earth。。。。。 Can't wait！ 。。。more

Carolyn ，

‘Slough House didn’t recharge batteries， it sapped power。 It’s as if there were negative ley lines， special coordinates where forceless fields met， sucking all spirit from whoever stood there， and Slough House was slap bang on that junction。’Slough House， the home of the ‘slow horses’， the rejects and drop-outs from the British Secret Service at Regent Park， forever condemned to endless paperwork until they retire or resign to find a more fulfilling career。 Over them all rules Jackson Lamb， ‘Slough House didn’t recharge batteries， it sapped power。 It’s as if there were negative ley lines， special coordinates where forceless fields met， sucking all spirit from whoever stood there， and Slough House was slap bang on that junction。’Slough House， the home of the ‘slow horses’， the rejects and drop-outs from the British Secret Service at Regent Park， forever condemned to endless paperwork until they retire or resign to find a more fulfilling career。 Over them all rules Jackson Lamb， shambolic， unwashed， uncouth， rude and cynical but underneath the façade always brilliant and always looking out for his Joes。 They might be discarded， dysfunctional Joes but they’re his Joes and， even though he might abuse and belittle them on a regular basis， he’d do his utmost to protect them。Roddy （‘The Rodster’） Ho， computer wizard， social misfit and ultracool chick magnet （but only in his own imagination） has discovered an anomaly he calls the Weird Wiping; every one of the Slough House employees have been wiped from the Secret Service database。 They’re still being paid but their personnel files have disappeared。 Is this some new game that Diana Taverner， newly appointed First Desk and Head of the Service is playing and if so， what does it mean for the slow horses？Diana Taverner may have made a mistake in trusting a politician （what was she thinking？）， to help fund a project on foreign soils。 Now she finds herself beholden to the owner of a media news channel with a manipulative politician pulling her strings。 Meanwhile slow horses are dying in fatal accidents and Lamb’s team are starting to feel that they’re being watched。 The latest activities of Slough House play out against a background of contemporary British politics with Brexit chaos， novichok poisoning of ex spies by Russian agents on British soil and street demonstrations by the disaffected and disgruntled populace unhappy with the current government。 As ever， the writing is razor sharp， the dialogue clever and witty， the carefully laid out plot unpredictable and the humour sardonic and biting， sneaking up to cause sudden outbursts of laughter。 The uneasy relationships between the misfits of Slough House are evident as they attempt to work together but somehow， we can also glance their fears and vulnerabilities and feel a fondness and affinity with them as events move beyond their control。 Lamb’s clandestine meetings with Diana are always entertaining with their repartee a delight。 Despite her revulsion at his decrepitude， she is fully aware of the devious and brilliant mind lurking beneath the façade。 This much anticipated addition to this excellent series was indeed worth the wait。 But oh， that cliffhanger of an ending， Mr Herron！ Please don’t keep us holding our breath too long for the next episode！With thanks to Soho Press and Netgalley for a copy to read。 Publication 9th February。Original review posted at Suspense and Mystery magazine。 。。。more

David Gooch ，

Worth the wait as ever and written in typical Herron style。In this next Slow Horses book the are some problems。 They have disappeared off the official list so it appears they don't exist。 That is something they need to look at and while they do some of their old number （ex slow horses） start getting killed。 It surely can't be coincidence can it？Jackson Lamb and his motely crew are trying to find out what is going on？ Why has the park disowned them。 Are they bumping the slow horses off and just w Worth the wait as ever and written in typical Herron style。In this next Slow Horses book the are some problems。 They have disappeared off the official list so it appears they don't exist。 That is something they need to look at and while they do some of their old number （ex slow horses） start getting killed。 It surely can't be coincidence can it？Jackson Lamb and his motely crew are trying to find out what is going on？ Why has the park disowned them。 Are they bumping the slow horses off and just what can or will Lamb do about this one？Herron never fails to deliver in these Slow Horses books and writes with ease that the story moves along and before you know it your half way through this instalment。 I really enjoyed this one as Lamb and crew try to discover what is going on and try to mount a fight back。 I don't want to give too much away but it is worth the read for the style， story and wit that is in these books。 If you haven't read the Slow Horses then do and start at book one， you won't be disappointed。 If like me you count the days for the next book then this doesn't disappoint so hurry up and get it， you know you want to。 。。。more

R。J。 Harries ，

This is the seventh full novel in the brilliant Slough House / Slow Horses series of witty contemporary spy thrillers and it is another fine instalment。 If you have not read them all yet， then don’t worry， because you are lucky enough to be able to savour six more fabulous adventures before this one。 If you are a fan， then this will not disappoint， with entertaining prose， acerbic commentary， razor sharp humour， pithy dialogue， erudite insight， and two sophisticated and interlinked plots。Slough This is the seventh full novel in the brilliant Slough House / Slow Horses series of witty contemporary spy thrillers and it is another fine instalment。 If you have not read them all yet， then don’t worry， because you are lucky enough to be able to savour six more fabulous adventures before this one。 If you are a fan， then this will not disappoint， with entertaining prose， acerbic commentary， razor sharp humour， pithy dialogue， erudite insight， and two sophisticated and interlinked plots。Slough House starts off with a snapshot of an event， and an unknown character， that makes more sense a few more chapters in。 Then we have the brief descriptive tour of Slough House， narrated by an invisible estate agent， and then we are briefly reacquainted with the Slow Horses， Louisa， River， Roddy， Shirley， Lech， and Catherine， before catching up with Jackson Lamb at a very curious little shop in Soho， and Diana Taverner， the wicked witch of the first desk at Regents Park。Jackson Lamb has found out that Slough House and the Slow Horses have been removed from all formal records kept at Regents Park。 We also find out about some ex Slow Horses who have had accidents and are dead and one important name from the past who is on the run。 Clearly Jackson Lamb and the team have work to do to save themselves from some kind of oblivion。Diana Taverner has been dealing with the fallout of Russian agents wreaking havoc in the UK and appears to be getting herself tangled up in a web of deceit spun by the manipulative puppet master， Peter Judd， and his latest vile crony who runs a media company and news channel。There is treachery afoot with deadly consequences and a cliff-hanger ending， but while we may have to wait for the next instalment to clarify everything and see what happens， Jackson Lamb is as rude and non PC as ever， with some superb comments， that made me laugh out loud， and Roddy Ho is as deluded as ever， living in a dream world where he thinks he’s Jason Bourne， at one point he is on the tube， thinking how superior his observation skills are， as Louisa kicks him， not to miss his stop。I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher， John Murray， for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Peter Newman ，

I wasn’t having the best of weeks。 A family member died of Covid and， you know， 2021 was about as far removed from the joy of 2020 as A to B。 To compound my joy， I was revisiting an old novel I had begun years ago to see if there was anything there。 There wasn’t。 I gave up。 Then I opened ‘Slough House’。 This confirmed two things for me: I have the same talent in my entire body as Mick Herron has in a clipped toenail and I should abandon writing prose forever。 Immediately。And that good writing – I wasn’t having the best of weeks。 A family member died of Covid and， you know， 2021 was about as far removed from the joy of 2020 as A to B。 To compound my joy， I was revisiting an old novel I had begun years ago to see if there was anything there。 There wasn’t。 I gave up。 Then I opened ‘Slough House’。 This confirmed two things for me: I have the same talent in my entire body as Mick Herron has in a clipped toenail and I should abandon writing prose forever。 Immediately。And that good writing – the really good， exceptionally paced， the stuff described and as winningly put together as this， will offer an escape from grief and lack of talent in a way we should cling to like a life raft。Because， by God， he’s good。It didn’t take long for me to be laughing – not something I expected on that day， I don’t mind admitting。 ‘Slough House’ begins， after the Prologue， with the traditional disembodied guided tour of our favourite， dilapidated office building。 It’s been a wind， a cat and now it’s a rat – sorry， an estate agent， （even worse。） “Authentic period detail there， and the seventies is a decade that’s coming back， isn’t it， what with the riots， the recession， the racism – ha！ Our little joke。 But no， really。”When we lost the Maestro at the fag end of last year， Herron’s name came up quite a bit。 I’ve had my say on Le Carré elsewhere http://pajnewman。com/2020/12/14/write。。。 and my abiding love for the work but one of the irritations I find is the constant repetition in some circles citing Herron as the new Le Carré。 He isn’t。 He’s the current Herron and we better embrace him now because he’s to be savoured and enjoyed while he’s on the go。 Le Carré， Lord knows no stranger to anger at politicians or lacking cynicism， never wrote a sentence like “This was the spook trade， and when things went awry on Spook Street， they generally went the full Chris Grayling。” But you just know he’d have liked to。He’s not the new Le Carré， despite the terminology of his own making and the Connie-like Molly in the Archives。 He’s the current Herron and we better embrace him now because he’s to be savoured。I say “savoured” but I’m， well， lying。 I last read one of the Slow Horse novels， Joe Country， in May 2019 http://pajnewman。com/2019/05/07/slow-。。。 and I should have done my due diligence before starting this one。 But I’m a glutton for Herron and so I had to sheepishly beg Slow Horse expert – owner of honeyed tones and producer of Slough House podcast Barbican Station https://spywrite。com/mick-herron-slou。。。 extraordinaire， Jeff Quest- to remind me who had died and how because I’d lost track。In my defence， prose like:‘But she deserved to die。 Even Gandhi would admit that。’ ‘Did it never occur to you that for a supposed backwater of the Security Service， we suffer a lot of fatalities？’ ‘I’ve always assumed that was down to public demand。’Prose like that is so good it needs to be gulped down。And so what does this instalment of the series bring？ Sort of everything you want。 Jackson Lamb is still a big man with a foul mouth and an odd imperviousness to HR complaints。Di Tavernier is exactly as evil as you hope。 Peter Judd is as duplicitous， sleazy and so toned down compared to real world politicians he’s almost preferable。 Satire？ “The paths to power of current world leaders – paths including conspiracy to assault， knee-jerk racism， indeterminate fecundity and cheating at golf – were so askew from the traditional routes that only an idiot would have dared forecast future developments。” Check。This time， it’s not just Slough House which has come to life。 Even the other buildings in the area are personified and living in petrified fear。 “Down here， a few timid retail premises huddled; the kind that looked like they’d not survive ten minutes in the open air。”Mick Herron is about to go stratospheric。 He’s already part of a dominating duopoly of the finest spy writers around alongside Charles Cumming。 In my opinion， they soon to be joined by Simon Conway， whose novel ‘The Stranger’ was hands down the best novel I read in 2020 http://pajnewman。com/2020/08/03/autho。。。 （including Cumming’s exceptionally strong ‘Box 88’） https://www。amazon。co。uk/dp/B082QVZYW。。。But as soon as Gary Oldman dons the dirty mac of Lamb for Apple TVs adaptation， he’s going to reach a new audience。 With that will come the petty jealousies， the hatchet the reviews， the constant nagging that he’s not as good as he was。 Well， if this novel proves anything， it is that he is。 At one stage， the narrator says: ‘Make it， don’t fake it’ was Channel Go’s mission statement， unless it was its mantra， or its logo。 But its general thrust was to encourage choleric rage in its viewers， so， if nothing else， Cantor had tapped into the spirit of the times。”As had Cantor， so too has Herron。 And long may he continue to do so。 。。。more

Steve T ，

The Jackson Lamb novels by Mick Herron are quite brilliant and I thoroughly enjoyed the latest addition to the series。 As with previous novels it is intelligent， carefully plotted and extremely funny。Once again we find ourselves in Slough House with Jackson Lamb who is head of a team of secret service rejects。 Slough House is where agents from Regents Park are put out to pasture （or， if you prefer， shunted into a sidings） if they don’t measure up to the job。 Jackson Lamb is a corpulent， alcoholi The Jackson Lamb novels by Mick Herron are quite brilliant and I thoroughly enjoyed the latest addition to the series。 As with previous novels it is intelligent， carefully plotted and extremely funny。Once again we find ourselves in Slough House with Jackson Lamb who is head of a team of secret service rejects。 Slough House is where agents from Regents Park are put out to pasture （or， if you prefer， shunted into a sidings） if they don’t measure up to the job。 Jackson Lamb is a corpulent， alcoholic slob who hurls abuse （most of it cruel and personal， and yet most of it extremely funny） at anyone and everyone。 However， Lamb is extremely clever and， when he can be bothered he is a master tactician。We are in a world of immoral， unscrupulous and manipulative politicians and spooks that are much the same。 Russia has sent a team to the U。K。 to assassinate the Slough House team as they believe， incorrectly， that they are an elite squad that has carried out an assassination on Russian soil。 The Russians have not only been misled but they have also been given an out of date list of staff at Slough House。 So when ex Slough House employees start to die Jackson Lamb knows that something is amiss and needs sorting out。In my opinion the spy novels by Mick Herron are among the best around。 If you’ve read the previous Slough House novels then you won’t be disappointed with this one。 If you haven’t discovered these novels yet then start at the beginning with Slow Horses and enjoy brilliant， intelligent spy stories that are also very funny。 。。。more

Nick Brett ，

Mick Herron had already established his writing talents well before he started his Slough House stories but the series has really taken off and continues to excel。Slough House is the decaying building that houses a group of cast off British spies。 The “slow horses” that the establishment would rather forget about。 Their leader， Jackson Lamb is an odious man of considerable experience and cunning and is a joy of a character。This is an incredibly current book， with “references” to many current pol Mick Herron had already established his writing talents well before he started his Slough House stories but the series has really taken off and continues to excel。Slough House is the decaying building that houses a group of cast off British spies。 The “slow horses” that the establishment would rather forget about。 Their leader， Jackson Lamb is an odious man of considerable experience and cunning and is a joy of a character。This is an incredibly current book， with “references” to many current political figures and events such as Brexit （although like Voldemort， never to be actually named）。 The roots in this story are set in the Salisbury poisoning but bleed into revenge， assassination and media manipulation。 Why would the Slow Horses of Slough House be targeted and what happens when you mix it with Jackson Lamb， a man outraged if anyone picks on his team， because that’s HIS job。This is as brilliant as you would hope for。 A clever plot， strong characterisations and some stunning dialogue and observations。This is a thriller and does occasionally go to dark places but the author does write with a deep wit and delivers laugh out loud moments that fit the characters perfectly while not taking anything away from the fact this is a thriller。My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advance copy。 。。。more

jeff popple ，

Mick Herron’s Slough House is probably one of the most eagerly awaited spy novels of 2021。The seventh book in Herron’s highly acclaimed series about Jackson Lamb and the slow horses of Slough House， it finds the team in a higher level of agitation than usual。 They are still reeling from the bloodbath at the end of Joe Country， and it now seems that they have been wiped off the MI5 database。 Some of them are also certain that they are being followed。 When death strikes former members， it seems th Mick Herron’s Slough House is probably one of the most eagerly awaited spy novels of 2021。The seventh book in Herron’s highly acclaimed series about Jackson Lamb and the slow horses of Slough House， it finds the team in a higher level of agitation than usual。 They are still reeling from the bloodbath at the end of Joe Country， and it now seems that they have been wiped off the MI5 database。 Some of them are also certain that they are being followed。 When death strikes former members， it seems that the slow horses are being targeted。To give away any more of this exquisite plot would be a crime， other than to say that， as usual， the Service’s First Desk， Diana Taverner， is busily plotting away in the background。 This time， however， it seems that she has gone too far in accepting the help of arch-manipulator Peter Judd in mounting a retaliatory attack against the Russians in response to the Novichok poisonings。As with the previous books in the series， the plotting is superb and Herron adroitly brings together his various strands in a clever and idiosyncratic manner。 There are the requisite twists and turns， and there is probably a higher level of suspense and action， than in the previous books， as Slough House steadily moves to its thudding conclusion。 The dialogue sparkles and Lamb is in brilliant repulsive form， especially during his encounter with a gay dwarf， who plays an important role in the story。 My favourite line， however， surprisingly belongs to Roddy Ho towards the end of the novel and cannot be revealed here。The characterisations are nicely nuanced and very witty， especially those external to the slow horses。 Lamb is perhaps becoming too much of a caricature of himself， although in couple of scenes Herron skillfully reminds us that he still has the tough street smarts of a good agent。 Regular readers of the series will also enjoy the return， albeit sometimes very brief， of characters from the earlier books。In all， a very enjoyable read that also effectively uses its pre-COVID Brexit background to make some astute reflections on the state of society， especially in Britain。 Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of the bookSee the full review and reviews of other recent spy novels at: https://murdermayhemandlongdogs。com/s。。。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Slough House

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Slough House&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Slough House&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0