Slow Horses

Paperback, 408 pages

Published Nov. 24, 2020 by Soho Crime.

ISBN:
978-1-64129-297-9
Copied ISBN!

View on OpenLibrary

4 stars (5 reviews)

Slough House is Jackson Lamb's kingdom; a dumping ground for members of the intelligence service who've screwed up: left a secret file on a train, blown a surveillance, or become drunkenly unreliable. They're the service's poor relations - the slow horses - and bitterest among them is River Cartwright, whose days are spent transcribing mobile phone conversations. But when a young man is abducted, and it's threatened that he'll be beheaded live on the Internet, River sees an opportunity to redeem himself. Is the victim who he first appears to be? And what's the kidnappers' connection with a disgraced journalist? As the clock ticks on the execution, River finds that everyone involved has their own agenda ...

11 editions

Maybe I just don't like spy thrillers

2 stars

I found the first third of this book a real struggle and only finished it because I wanted to read it ahead of seeing the TV series. The remainder of the book is more enjoyable, but it does shamelessly set a cliffhanger every 5 pages or so, through misinterpret-able references or missing information.

The idea of the far right rising I will grant is pretty prescient from 2010, mind. There's some great ideas, but I don't really like description such as "looked like Timothy Spall, gone to seed". Yes, I can imagine it, but I find it jarring.

Fantastisk spionhistoria

5 stars

Slöa HÀstar Àr en fantastisk bok om MI5:s slutstation för anstÀllda som gjort bort sig pÄ nÄgot sÀtt och som omplacerats sÄ att de kan göra minimal skada. Tanken Àr att de ska sitta dÀr och göra trÄkiga uppgifter tills de slutar, men pÄ nÄgot sÀtt dras de ÀndÄ in i en hÀndelsekedja som gör att det hamnar i hÀndelsernas centrum. Otroligt bra berÀttad, med ett avslappnat tempo. Sedan Àlskar jag kontors-spion historier likt filmen Spy Game, och det kÀnns som detta Àr lite i samma genre. Kan helt klart rekommendera denna bok som sommarlÀsning.

reviewed Slow Horses by Mick Herron (Slough House, #1)

As good as they get

3 stars

Read the book after watching the series of the same name that just came out. Both very good. Granted not the complexity of John LeCarre but the style is something else. Herron's style is dripping " spy novel" and every sentence is a pleasure to read.