Author:Mick Herron
A welcome return to Slough House for all Jackson Lamb fans with the ninth novel in the series, the first visit proper since 2022’s Bad Actors. After the slight detour taken in the last book, the standalone but very much connected The Secret Hours, Herron picks up the narrative shortly after the events described in that tale, with the usual gang of miscreants and misfits all present and correct. River is still trying to get back to full health in the hopes of returning to active duty, while the others continue to while away the interminable hours on pointless tasks under Lamb’s watchful eye. When a book is noticed to be mysteriously missing from River’s late grandfather’s library, he, being at a semi permanent loose end, is sent to investigate further. Meanwhile an attempt is made to blackmail The Park by threatening to expose its complicity in murders committed during the height of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, a threat, which First Desk Diana Taverner soon realises, could be turned into an opportunity to settle some long standing old scores. This is an excellent addition to the series, as cleverly plotted as always, high on action and thrills with plenty of black humour, politics and satire thrown in for good measure, but it’s also quite a dark novel with an unexpected and brutal climax. The unfortunate people exiled to Slough House may be clowns as far as Lamb is concerned, but at the end of the day they’re his clowns and if they don’t all come home then there will be a price to be paid….
Length of Read:Long
Might appeal to people who enjoyed…
Fans of espionage fiction, the earlier books and of course the superb TV adaptation starring Gary Oldman, et al.
One thing you’ve learned
I’d really recommend this, and indeed the preceding novels, to anyone interested in spy fiction with a slightly different twist, but the newcomer really needs to read the books, and the connected novellas, in order from the beginning as the characters and storylines continually develop as the series progresses.
Thanks for the review, I’m looking forward to this and pre ordered the audiobook the other day when I realised it was imminent. I’ll be spending 12 hours and 6 minutes in the company of Mr Lamb and his cohorts as soon as this drops into my library. New series on Apple tv later this month as well.
I’ll wait for the paperback but have discovered his Zoe Bohm novels to tide me over til then. I’ll always thank the article writer who described Herron’s writing as ‘John le Carre written by Douglas Adams’. Tried Slow Horses, got hooked. And I don’t read a lot of novels.
“Down Cemetery Road” will be debuting late next month on AppleTV+, with Emma Thompson as Zoe Boehm and Ruth Wilson as Sarah Tucker. Possibly more from that series later, if the viewing figures are good.
Meanwhile, season 5 of Slow Horses has just started airing ..
Just started in on this. Finished the prologue and onto chapter one.
I just finished John Connolly’s latest Charlie Parker Children of Eve which I found a little disappointing.
Connolly needs to advance the Parker story, not just turn out slightly supernatural crime novels.
Yep. He’s treading water. I’m wondering if he has any firm end game in sight. I found this one particularly lacking in shape. It started then stopped without seeming to go anywhere in particular regarding plot development.