Spook Street (Slough House, #4) in Reading the Detectives

Mar 12, 2017 Susan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This is the fourth in the Slough House series – which is, to my mind, the best spy series since Le Carre. I really feel this series should be read in order; the first novel is, “Slow Horses,” but however you discover them, if you enjoy witty, dark, intelligent and realistic spy novels, then you need to give these a try.

The novel begins with a bomb in a shopping centre, which, of course, the Secret Services are involved in investigating. Well, all except the residents of Slough House, which is wh This is the fourth in the Slough House series – which is, to my mind, the best spy series since Le Carre. I really feel this series should be read in order; the first novel is, “Slow Horses,” but however you discover them, if you enjoy witty, dark, intelligent and realistic spy novels, then you need to give these a try.

The novel begins with a bomb in a shopping centre, which, of course, the Secret Services are involved in investigating. Well, all except the residents of Slough House, which is where the rejects are housed. Those members of the intelligence service who should have been sacked because of various problems – whether it is gambling addiction, alcoholism, drug addiction, making a monumental mistake or just being of no use to those at the Park. Instead, they are left, chomping at the bit, doing repetitive administrative tasks and dreaming of being back in the action.

Since the last book, much has changed. There is a new First Desk in Claude Whelen, and a new Head Dog in Emma Flyte. However, these two will soon learn that part of being involved in the Secret Service is that there are secrets and many are kept even from those who should be in the know – and which may come back to bite those who have inherited them. Also, talking of secrets, River Cartwright is concerned about his grandfather, the former spook, and near legend, who is growing old and forgetful. He is also becoming talkative and that, when you have access to the kind of information he once held, can be dangerous.

If River was concerned about his grandfather, he was right to be so. For it seems that his unguarded comments have brought unwanted attention and that means that it is up to Jackson Lamb to get involved. As with all of these novels, there is a real sense of danger and possible death, tucked between the pages of dark humour and action packed storyline. There is a new slow horse in the disturbed, edgy, J.K. Coe, Moria Tregorian has been brought in to replace Catherine Standish and, bizarrely, Roderick Ho seems to have somehow found a girlfriend…

Without doubt, this is a fantastic read. Yes, there are gunfights and secret meetings and undercover agents, but Mick Herron wraps up the spy stories with a good dose of reality. These agents are real people, with real problems and are not superhuman. More is the pity, for Herron makes it clear that those charged with protecting us often pay with their lives. Still, I hope that there are more books in this series to come, because each book just seems to get better and it is a series I am so glad that I discovered. ...more

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Feb 28, 2017 Maine Colonial rated it really liked it

Shelves: mystery, espionage, quirky, eurocrime, british, police-procedural

Slough House is the home of the “Slow Horses,” those MI5 agents who have screwed up one too many times. For some, one screwup may be enough, like when an agent leaves sensitive intelligence documents on the Tube. For others, like those with alcohol, gambling, anger-management and general dickishness issues, the transfer across the river from MI5 headquarters was more of a last straw kind of thing.

Why transfer the losers to Slough House instead of just canning them? The idea is that while firing Slough House is the home of the “Slow Horses,” those MI5 agents who have screwed up one too many times. For some, one screwup may be enough, like when an agent leaves sensitive intelligence documents on the Tube. For others, like those with alcohol, gambling, anger-management and general dickishness issues, the transfer across the river from MI5 headquarters was more of a last straw kind of thing.

Why transfer the losers to Slough House instead of just canning them? The idea is that while firing could lead to messy and annoying employee claims and litigation, banishment to Slough House will incentivize the Slow Horses to terminate employment on their own initiative. And who wouldn’t? Slough House is decrepit, with dodgy heating, no security, and obsolete equipment. The Slow Horses have to share offices with other Slow Horses, and of course each thinks s/he’s the one case where banishment was just a big misunderstanding, while all the other Slow Horses are wankers. But the best incentive to quit is the boss, Jackson Lamb. Lamb wears all his recent meals on his clothing, uses flatulence as a weapon/torture device, and has a tongue that could julienne granite. I’d say he doesn’t suffer fools gladly, but he doesn’t suffer anyone gladly; he’s as likely to casually insult the head of MI5 as the newest Slow Horse.

The Slough House series began with Slow Horses, then Dead Lions and next Real Tigers, making Spook Street #4 in the series. It’s not necessary to read the books in order, but I think it’s preferable to at least begin with Slow Horses to get the full, um, flavor of Jackson Lamb and his not-so-merry band.

In Spook Street, two problems bedevil the Slow Horses––and MI5. River Cartwright, one of the Slow Horses, was raised by his grandfather (known semi-affectionately as OB, for the Old Bastard), who is an MI5 legend, now long retired. Unfortunately, the OB is going down dementia road, which is a concern for any family member, but also for the intelligence services who want to keep their secrets buried. Is the OB in danger from old enemies––and maybe even old friends?

Meanwhile, the city is rocked by a terrorist explosion killing dozens of mostly young people. You’d think that catching the perpetrators would be priority #1 at MI5, but Diana (“Lady Di”) Taverner’s prime lookout is, as usual, herself, and finding a way to get rid of the the latest obstacle to her promotion to First Desk.

The OB and terrorist plots zip along, with Herron’s usual blend of tension, thrills and facepalm moments. Herron’s depiction of the members of the intelligence services is as entertaining as usual, even knowing that we’re all in big trouble if he’s anywhere close to being accurate about their conniving, self-serving, dishonest and bumbling ways.

I knocked off one star because the plot seemed more to stop than to resolve. Most likely that just means that there will be more to come in future books in the series, but I was still left with a little bit of the “but what about . . . “ feeling when I turned the last page of the book. ...more

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Nov 12, 2020 Susan rated it it was amazing

This is the fourth in the Slough House series – which is, to my mind, the best spy series since Le Carre. I really feel this series should be read in order; the first novel is, “Slow Horses,” but however you discover them, if you enjoy witty, dark, intelligent and realistic spy novels, then you need to give these a try.

The novel begins with a bomb in a shopping centre, which, of course, the Secret Services are involved in investigating. Well, all except the residents of Slough House, which is wh This is the fourth in the Slough House series – which is, to my mind, the best spy series since Le Carre. I really feel this series should be read in order; the first novel is, “Slow Horses,” but however you discover them, if you enjoy witty, dark, intelligent and realistic spy novels, then you need to give these a try.

The novel begins with a bomb in a shopping centre, which, of course, the Secret Services are involved in investigating. Well, all except the residents of Slough House, which is where the rejects are housed. Those members of the intelligence service who should have been sacked because of various problems – whether it is gambling addiction, alcoholism, drug addiction, making a monumental mistake or just being of no use to those at the Park. Instead, they are left, chomping at the bit, doing repetitive administrative tasks and dreaming of being back in the action.

Since the last book, much has changed. There is a new First Desk in Claude Whelen, and a new Head Dog in Emma Flyte. However, these two will soon learn that part of being involved in the Secret Service is that there are secrets and many are kept even from those who should be in the know – and which may come back to bite those who have inherited them. Also, talking of secrets, River Cartwright is concerned about his grandfather, the former spook, and near legend, who is growing old and forgetful. He is also becoming talkative and that, when you have access to the kind of information he once held, can be dangerous.

If River was concerned about his grandfather, he was right to be so. For it seems that his unguarded comments have brought unwanted attention and that means that it is up to Jackson Lamb to get involved. As with all of these novels, there is a real sense of danger and possible death, tucked between the pages of dark humour and action packed storyline. There is a new slow horse in the disturbed, edgy, J.K. Coe, Moria Tregorian has been brought in to replace Catherine Standish and, bizarrely, Roderick Ho seems to have somehow found a girlfriend…

Without doubt, this is a fantastic read. Yes, there are gunfights and secret meetings and undercover agents, but Mick Herron wraps up the spy stories with a good dose of reality. These agents are real people, with real problems and are not superhuman. More is the pity, for Herron makes it clear that those charged with protecting us often pay with their lives. Still, I hope that there are more books in this series to come, because each book just seems to get better and it is a series I am so glad that I discovered. ...more

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Feb 08, 2023 Susan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This is the fourth in the Slough House series – which is, to my mind, the best spy series since Le Carre. I really feel this series should be read in order; the first novel is, “Slow Horses,” but however you discover them, if you enjoy witty, dark, intelligent and realistic spy novels, then you need to give these a try.

The novel begins with a bomb in a shopping centre, which, of course, the Secret Services are involved in investigating. Well, all except the residents of Slough House, which is wh This is the fourth in the Slough House series – which is, to my mind, the best spy series since Le Carre. I really feel this series should be read in order; the first novel is, “Slow Horses,” but however you discover them, if you enjoy witty, dark, intelligent and realistic spy novels, then you need to give these a try.

The novel begins with a bomb in a shopping centre, which, of course, the Secret Services are involved in investigating. Well, all except the residents of Slough House, which is where the rejects are housed. Those members of the intelligence service who should have been sacked because of various problems – whether it is gambling addiction, alcoholism, drug addiction, making a monumental mistake or just being of no use to those at the Park. Instead, they are left, chomping at the bit, doing repetitive administrative tasks and dreaming of being back in the action.

Since the last book, much has changed. There is a new First Desk in Claude Whelen, and a new Head Dog in Emma Flyte. However, these two will soon learn that part of being involved in the Secret Service is that there are secrets and many are kept even from those who should be in the know – and which may come back to bite those who have inherited them. Also, talking of secrets, River Cartwright is concerned about his grandfather, the former spook, and near legend, who is growing old and forgetful. He is also becoming talkative and that, when you have access to the kind of information he once held, can be dangerous.

If River was concerned about his grandfather, he was right to be so. For it seems that his unguarded comments have brought unwanted attention and that means that it is up to Jackson Lamb to get involved. As with all of these novels, there is a real sense of danger and possible death, tucked between the pages of dark humour and action packed storyline. There is a new slow horse in the disturbed, edgy, J.K. Coe, Moria Tregorian has been brought in to replace Catherine Standish and, bizarrely, Roderick Ho seems to have somehow found a girlfriend…

Without doubt, this is a fantastic read. Yes, there are gunfights and secret meetings and undercover agents, but Mick Herron wraps up the spy stories with a good dose of reality. These agents are real people, with real problems and are not superhuman. More is the pity, for Herron makes it clear that those charged with protecting us often pay with their lives. Still, I hope that there are more books in this series to come, because each book just seems to get better and it is a series I am so glad that I discovered. ...more

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Jun 20, 2023 Marcella rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction, 2023-75-book-challenge

I've finished a book for the first time in months! Go me!

A plot point early in the story made me so furious I had to put the book down for days, then do something I never ever do: resort to googling the rest of the plot and flipping through future chapters. Kudos to Herron for making me care so much, but I think my cardiologist (if I had one) would like a word with him. ...more

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Apr 25, 2019 Frances rated it really liked it

Shelves: mystery-series

This series gets better and better and the Irish Times put it best: Think Le Carre with fewer posh people and laugh-out-loud funny.

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Jan 20, 2018 Tom rated it really liked it

Another excellent addition to the fantastic Slough House series. Brilliantly written spy thrillers. Everything is right about Mick Herron's books. ...more

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Apr 12, 2019 Jill rated it it was amazing

Shelves: mick-herron

As this is the fourth of the series, I knew to expect anything from Herron, however I was totally astounded and upset just after the start of this one. As usual the characters do change, but the new ones did settle in and seem to deserve their place at Slough House. The new "Front Desk" also seems to have his seemier side, and time will tell where this will go. Lamb is his usual self which is great.
Eager to read the next book. ...more

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