Slough House / Mick Herron

 

Slough House by Mick Herron
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you aren't reading the Slough House spy novels yet, what are you waiting for? Pick up a copy of Slow Horses and get going! You are unlikely to regret it and you have lots of reading pleasure ahead.

I couldn't put this book down last night—I read until I ran out of words. Mick Herron nails the spy genre, creating characters that I care about, turning them loose in a dangerous city, and giving them enemies both foreign and domestic to cope with. Herron has a keen grasp on contemporary politics and you have zero doubts about his views on the state of affairs. I love his dark sense of humour and his sharp commentary on politicians and bureaucrats in addition to the espionage biz. I appreciate how Herron works events from the current news into his plotlines: Brexit, Yellow Vests, Novichok and Russian “tourists," for example. Although some of his references may not age well, I think the quality of the narrative will hold up to the test of time.

Despite the attrition rate at Slough House, many of the regulars are still there. Jackson Lamb takes his place at the centre of this novel, asserting his exclusive right to bedevil his slow horses. It's like siblings—we can bad mouth each other, but we'll stand together against the criticism of others. Though the slow horses may be failures, they are his failures, they are still joes, and Lamb protects them or avenges them as necessary. Don't get me wrong—I’ve always appreciated Lamb. He is the archetype of the horrible boss, but when the chips are down, he defends his own and I love him for it. We still don't know why he's attempting to drink and smoke himself to death or why he dresses like a homeless person, but those characteristics provide excellent cover.

Unusually, Herron ends this volume on a cliffhanger. The next book cannot come out fast enough for me! I will be on tenterhooks until that time, but at least I know there will be another book. I will make an appropriate sacrifice to the Goddess of Book Publishing in thanks.




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