Questions About London Rules (Slough House, #5)

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I've totally enjoyed Mick Herron's Slough House series and am now halfway through (I'll be finished by tomorrow, I'm sure) London Rules. Jackson Lamb is a huge favorite and I wonder... who would play him in a movie?

Geenance So it turns out that Gary Oldman will play Lamb. I think that's a good pick. Do you?…moreSo it turns out that Gary Oldman will play Lamb. I think that's a good pick. Do you?(less)

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Can a first-time reader of the series get into this book, or should one really begin with the first book?

George If nothing else, starting in the middle spoils the unpredictability of who lives and who dies.

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This question contains spoilers... (view spoiler)

Bryan Hallett

This answer contains spoilers… (view spoiler)[Excellent question. I started again from scratch because I couldn't remember precisely what happened in the previous books, even though each can be read stand alone. I started making notes and summarising plots and characters to produce such a summary, but don't know if it will ever go anywhere other than my own hard drive.
Summary of the summary
Slow Horses. River Cartwright "crashes" Kings Cross and is consigned to Slough House. Meanwhile a gang of activists kidnaps a student and threatens to behead him on Youtube. It emerges this is a plot by Regent Park 2nd desk, Lady Di, in order to highlight the far right as a legitimate target. Jackson Lamb works this out, the student is freed, and he turns the screws on Lady Di. Min Harper and Louisa Guy start a relationship. Sid is apparently killed in action. It turns out that Spider Webb at MI5 fed River dodgy info at the training, as he potentially knew Lady Di's involvement in the whole affair
Dead Lions. Min and Louisa are recruited by Spider Webb to run security on an important meeting with an influential Russian. This seems dodgy, and during investigations, Min is killed, leaving Louisa heartbroken. Lamb investigates the death of an ex agent suggesting he was killed by someone who fled to a small village.
River is sent there undercover and suspects an army of Russian sleepers in based there, poised to attack London. This all turns out to be about a robbery, which new Slow Horse, Marcus Longridge helps foil. Spider is critically wounded.
Real Tigers. Slough House lynchpin, Catherine Standish is kidnapped as part of a complex plan to test MI5 security by new Home Sec, Peter Judd. The "Tiger team" charged with doing this, start acting on their own agenda resulting in a shoot out at a data storage facility. MI5 first desk, Ingrid Tearney, is compromised and moved aside as a result. Jackson evades assassination by a Peter Judd crony.
London Rules. MI5 is now led by Claude Whelan, and River's grandfather, former spook, David Cartwright is losing his mind. A rogue terrorist sets off a bomb in a shopping centre and it turns out, he was part of a cell established by River's father, ex CIA Frank Harkness, supported by David C. In the ensuing complications, Marcus is killed and new Slow Horse, JK Coe, mercilessly kills the perpetrator.

There's much more , but I hope this is a reasonable enough summary so far. (hide spoiler)]

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Do I need to read to first books to understand London rules?

George Perhaps not, but there are other considerations. See https://www.goodreads.com/questions/1... on this platform.

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