Slow Horses

by Mick Herron

eBook, 336 pages

Published June 1, 2010 by Soho Crime.

ASIN:: B004HW7DZ2

(7 reviews)

London, England: Slough House is where the washed-up MI5 spies go to while away what's left of their failed careers. The "slow horses," as they’re called, have all disgraced themselves in some way to get relegated here. Maybe they messed up an op badly and can't be trusted anymore. Maybe they got in the way of an ambitious colleague and had the rug yanked out from under them. Maybe they just got too dependent on the bottle—not unusual in this line of work. One thing they all have in common, though, is they all want to be back in the action. And most of them would do anything to get there─even if it means having to collaborate with one another.

River Cartwright, one such “slow horse,” is bitter about his failure and about his tedious assignment transcribing cell phone conversations. When a young man is abducted and his kidnappers threaten to broadcast his beheading live on the Internet, River sees an opportunity to redeem himself. But 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 has his own agenda.

12 editions

Stephen reviewed Slow Horses by Mick Herron

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.

Mattias Eriksson 📚⛵ reviewed Slöa Hästar by Mick Herron (Slough House, #1)

Fantastisk spionhistoria

5 stars

Slöa Hästar är en fantastisk bok om MI5:s slutstation för anställda som gjort bort sig på något sätt och som omplacerats så att de kan göra minimal skada. Tanken är att de ska sitta där och göra tråkiga uppgifter tills de slutar, men på något sätt dras de ändå in i en händelsekedja som gör att det hamnar i händelsernas centrum. Otroligt bra berättad, med ett avslappnat tempo. Sedan älskar jag kontors-spion historier likt filmen Spy Game, och det känns som detta är lite i samma genre. Kan helt klart rekommendera denna bok som sommarläsning.

airdog 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.