This series plunges into the shadowy world of British intelligence agents relegated to a dead-end department after catastrophic failures. Known as "slow horses," these agents are exiled to a bureaucratic purgatory, burdened by their past mistakes and tedious assignments. Yet, amidst the drudgery and disgrace, they often stumble upon dangerous conspiracies, proving that even those on the fringes of espionage possess a unique brand of resilience and skill. It's a gripping exploration of redemption and the unexpected heroism found in the most unlikely places.
Set in the world of British espionage, this series introduces a group of MI5 agents who, despite their significant failures, are driven by a shared desire for redemption. Their journey explores themes of loyalty, betrayal, and the complexities of intelligence work, as they navigate high-stakes situations to reclaim their honor. The narrative promises thrilling twists and a deep dive into the characters' struggles and motivations.
The CWA Gold Dagger Award-winning British espionage novel about disgraced MI5 agents who inadvertently uncover a deadly Cold War-era legacy of sleeper cells and mythic super spies. The disgruntled agents of Slough House, the MI5 branch where washed-up spies are sent to finish their failed careers on desk duty, are called into action to protect a visiting Russian oligarch whom MI5 hopes to recruit to British intelligence. While two agents are dispatched on that babysitting job, though, an old Cold War-era spy named Dickie Bow is found dead, ostensibly of a heart attack, on a bus outside of Oxford, far from his usual haunts. But the head of Slough House, the irascible Jackson Lamb, is convinced Dickie Bow was murdered. As the agents dig into their fallen comrade's circumstances, they uncover a shadowy tangle of ancient Cold War secrets that seem to lead back to a man named Alexander Popov, who is either a Soviet bogeyman or the most dangerous man in the world. How many more people will have to die to keep those secrets buried?
SHORTLISTED FOR THE CWA GOLDSBORO GOLD DAGGER AND THE IAN FLEMING STEEL DAGGER SHORTLISTED FOR THE THEAKSTON OLD PECULIAR CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR'If you read one spy novel this year, read Real Tigers' The Spectator'The finest new crime series this millennium' Mail on SundayCatherine Standish knows that chance encounters never happen to spooks.She's worked in the Intelligence Service long enough to understand treachery, double-dealing and stabbing in the back.What she doesn't know is why anyone would target her: a recovering drunk pushing paper with the other lost causes in Jackson Lamb's kingdom of exiles at Slough House.Whoever it is holding her hostage, it can't be personal. It must be about Slough House. Most likely, it is about Jackson Lamb.And say what you like about Lamb, he'll never leave a joe in the lurch.He might even be someone you could trust with your life .
*Discover The Secret Hours, the gripping new thriller from Mick Herron and an unmissable read for Slough House fans* *Now a major TV series starring Gary Oldman* 'A terrific spy novel' Ian Rankin Twenty years retired from the Intelligence Service, David Cartwright still knows where all the bones are buried. But when he forgets that secrets are supposed to stay hidden, there's suddenly a target on his back. The 'Old Bastard' raised his grandson to be a hero, not a slow horse. Now, far from joining the myths and legends of Spook Street, River Cartwright is part of Jackson Lamb's team of pen-pushing no-hopers at Slough House. Which doesn't mean he won't ditch everything and go rogue when his grandfather comes under threat. Lamb worked with Cartwright back in the day, and knows better than most that this is no innocent old man. So when a panic button raises the alarm at Intelligence Service HQ, it's Lamb who's called on to identify the body. And it's Lamb who'll do whatever's necessary to protect an agent in peril. 'A modern masterpiece' Irish Times 'Outstanding' Daily Telegraph
*Discover The Secret Hours, the gripping new thriller from Mick Herron and an unmissable read for Slough House fans* *Now a major TV series starring Gary Oldman* 'The best thriller writer in Britain today' Sunday Express At Regent's Park, the Intelligence Service HQ, new First Desk Claude Whelan is learning the job the hard way. Tasked with protecting a beleaguered Prime Minister, he's facing attack from all directions: from the showboating MP who orchestrated the Brexit vote, and now has his sights set on Number Ten; from the showboat's wife, a tabloid columnist, who's crucifying Whelan in print; and especially from his own deputy, Lady Di Taverner, who's alert for Claude's every stumble. Meanwhile, the country's being rocked by an apparently random string of terror attacks. Over at Slough House, the last stop for washed up spies, the crew are struggling with personal problems: repressed grief, various addictions, retail paralysis, and the nagging suspicion that their newest colleague is a psychopath. But collectively, they're about to rediscover their greatest strength - making a bad situation much, much worse. 'Mick Herron is the John le Carré of our generation' Val McDermid 'Dazzingly inventive' Sunday Times
*Discover The Secret Hours, the gripping new thriller from Mick Herron and an unmissable read for Slough House fans* *Now a major TV series starring Gary Oldman* *THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER* 'Sets a new bar for spy fiction' Financial Times In Slough House, the backwater for failed spies, memories are stirring, all of them bad. Catherine Standish is buying booze again, Louisa Guy is raking over the ashes of lost love, and new recruit Lech Wicinski, whose sins make him outcast even among the slow horses, is determined to discover who destroyed his career, even if he tears his life apart in the process. With winter taking its grip Jackson Lamb would sooner be left brooding in peace, but even he can't ignore the dried blood on his carpets. So when the man responsible for killing a slow horse breaks cover at last, Lamb sends his crew out to even the score. This time, they're heading into joe country. And they're not all coming home. 'The go-to author for British espionage' Guardian 'Bitingly intelligent, light of touch and frequently hilarious' Observer
'This tightly plotted tragicomedy will provide a welcome fix for addicts awaiting Herron's seventh Jackson Lamb novel' The Times 'Packed with Herron's trademark witty one-liners and sardonic humour . . . it's clear why Herron is a force to be reckoned with and the best thriller writer in Britain today' Daily Express 'A slim serio-comic offering . . . It plays out typically cleverly' Sunday Times If life in the Intelligence Service has taught John Bachelor anything, it's to keep his head down. Especially now, when he's living rent-free in a dead spook's flat. So he's not delighted to be woken at dawn by a pair of Regent's Park's heavies, looking for a client he's not seen in years. John doesn't know what secrets Benny Manors has stolen, but they're attracting the wrong attention. And if he's to save his own skin, not to mention safeguard his living arrangements, John has to find Benny before those secrets see the light. Benny could be anywhere, provided it serves alcohol. So John sets out on a reluctant trawl through the bars of the capital, all the while plagued by the age-old questions: Will he end up sleeping in his car? How many bottles of gin can he afford at London prices? And just how far will Regent's Park go to prevent anyone rocking the Establishment's boat?
Old spooks carry the memory of tradecraft in their bones, and when Solomon Dortmund sees an envelope being passed from one pair of hands to another in a Marylebone café, he knows he's witnessed more than an innocent encounter. But in relaying his suspicions to John Bachelor, who babysits retired spies like Solly, he sets in train events which will alter lives. Bachelor himself, a hair's breadth away from sleeping in his car, is clawing his way back to stability; Hannah Weiss, the double agent whose recruitment was his only success, is starting to enjoy the secrets and lies her role demands; and Lech Wicinski, an Intelligence Service analyst, finds that a simple favour for an old acquaintance might derail his career. Meanwhile, Lady Di Taverner is trying to keep the Service on an even keel, and if that means throwing the odd crew member overboard, well: collateral damage is her speciality. A drop, in spook parlance, is the passing on of secret information. It's also what happens just before you hit the ground.
