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Slough House #4
Spook Street
Never outlive your ability to survive a fight.
Twenty years retired, David Cartwright can still spot when the stoats are on his trail.
Radioactive secrets and unfinished business go with the territory on Spook Street: he's always known there would be an accounting. And he's not as defenceless as they might think.
Jackson Lamb worked with Cartwright back in the day. He knows better than most that this is no vulnerable old man. 'Nasty old spook with blood on his hands' would be a more accurate description.
'The old bastard' has raised his grandson with a head full of guts and glory. But far from joining the myths and legends of Spook Street, River Cartwright is consigned to Lamb's team of pen-pushing no-hopers at Slough House.
So it's Lamb they call to identify the body when Cartwright's panic button raises the alarm at Service HQ.
And Lamb who will do whatever he thinks necessary, to protect an agent in peril . . .
321 pages, ebook
First published February 9, 2017
2765 people are currently reading
8949 people want to read
About the author
Mick Herron
54 books5,377 followersMick Herron was born in Newcastle and has a degree in English from Balliol College, Oxford. He is the author of six books in the Slough House series as well as a mystery series set in Oxford featuring Sarah Tucker and/or P.I. Zoë Boehm. He now lives in Oxford and works in London.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,105 reviews
December 18, 2016
This cult series set in the world of spooks in London has fast become a must read for me. This is a superb addition with two storylines. I view our slow horses with both warmth and affection, Rodney and his fantasies about women, River, Catherine, Louise et al. They may well be seen as the dregs, screw ups and failures of British Intelligence but they are the stars, none more so than the ghastly, offensive, repugnant genius that is Jackson Lamb, the Head. Lamb is a wily, brilliant man who can run rings round others with political agendas in MI5. As per usual, the book delivers on comic touches, wit and black humour.
River's grandfather, David Cartwright, is losing his marbles and doing it publicly. He is leaking secrets galore...what can be done to shut him up? River has heard rumours of MI5's retirement plans and is determined to protect his grandfather come what may. There is a terrorist attack in London in which many die. As MI5 investigate, the identity of the perpetrator becomes clear, at which point all hell breaks loose. There is the intelligence services internecine departmental warfare and malignant political shenanigans. Lamb continues to protect his people although he will never let them see this. The two plotlines intersect and connect, where the roots of what is happening in the present has its roots deep in the past.
Not everyone makes it out alive although this opens the door to new incomers. This is a wonderful and compelling read. The characterisation is brilliant, and there is plenty of suspense and tension. A well plotted tale that is hard to resist. Highly recommended. Many thanks to John Murray Press for an ARC.
River's grandfather, David Cartwright, is losing his marbles and doing it publicly. He is leaking secrets galore...what can be done to shut him up? River has heard rumours of MI5's retirement plans and is determined to protect his grandfather come what may. There is a terrorist attack in London in which many die. As MI5 investigate, the identity of the perpetrator becomes clear, at which point all hell breaks loose. There is the intelligence services internecine departmental warfare and malignant political shenanigans. Lamb continues to protect his people although he will never let them see this. The two plotlines intersect and connect, where the roots of what is happening in the present has its roots deep in the past.
Not everyone makes it out alive although this opens the door to new incomers. This is a wonderful and compelling read. The characterisation is brilliant, and there is plenty of suspense and tension. A well plotted tale that is hard to resist. Highly recommended. Many thanks to John Murray Press for an ARC.
September 19, 2025
Another excellent Slough Horses volume, this time focusing on River and his father who has gone a bit mad. Entirely or…?
Really, you can’t go wrong with this funny spy thriller series. Do yourself a favor, read it and then watch the tv series. In order though, start with no.1. People are dying in this seriez and you need to at least feel some sadness when they’re gone. That’s why proper steps need to be followed.
Really, you can’t go wrong with this funny spy thriller series. Do yourself a favor, read it and then watch the tv series. In order though, start with no.1. People are dying in this seriez and you need to at least feel some sadness when they’re gone. That’s why proper steps need to be followed.
September 17, 2021
4.5★
“‘So you were letting him do your dirty work? That doesn’t sound like you.’
‘A good boss provides opportunities for personal growth and development. I think we were all winners, on the day.’ ”
Boss Jackson Lamb always has plenty of dirty work and plenty of so-called opportunities for the Slow Horses of Slough House, loosely referred to as an arm of the Secret Service at Regent Park.
“Slough House was a branch of the Service, certainly, but ‘arm’ was pitching it strong. As was ‘finger’, come to that; fingers could be on the button or on the pulse. Fingernails, now: those, you clipped, discarded, and never wanted to see again. So Slough House was a fingernail of the Service: a fair step from Regent’s Park geographically, and on another planet in most other ways.”
The personnel are all failed spies (“joes” when they’re on an op and active in the field), but have been sidelined rather than terminated following some unforgivable mistake.
River Cartwright was the main character in the last instalment, “Real Tigers”, and we met his grandfather, David Cartwright, fondly referred to by all as the OB, the Old Bastard, who was a seriously high spook in the service in his day. River’s mother left him in his grandparents’ care when he was a little boy, and he loved listening to the old stories, always carefully edited for his ears. When River joined the service, the OB shared more stories, but certainly not all.
But he’s in his 80s now, lives alone in the country, and River is more and more worried about his grandfather’s increasing forgetfulness and wondering what the likelihood is of the OB “reminiscing” and revealing state secrets to neighbours or shopkeepers. He also wonders what steps the Service might do to deal with this risk.
The OB, on the other hand, knows he’s forgetful, but he has retained his lifelong suspicion of everyone. He keeps an eye out for “stoats”, as he refers to “the watchers” who may be sent to spy on him. He knows he’s superfluous to requirements and a bit of a loose cannon, and he’s determined not to be eliminated by either side.
I never thought about how dangerous life would be for old spies getting dementia. What do you do with them? These were the people who have kept us feeling safe. Whether we were or not or whether their methods were “acceptable” or not is beside the point. The OB is a decided risk, and while he may forget his trousers, he doesn’t forget to look for evidence he’s being watched.
And he still has a gun. Oops. This could get serious.
Meanwhile, things have changed at Slough House, with nerdy-beyond-belief Roddy Ho sporting “cool” clothes and bragging about a girlfriend. He’s always thought he follows all the rules he’s read in magazines and that he is irresistible. Unbelievable is more like it.
“‘Jesus. And this is an actual relationship? Not an abduction? Well well well.’
Lamb dropped the appalled expression, and beamed round at the company. ‘See what you can achieve with a little application?’
He patted Ho on the shoulder. ‘It does me good to see you rise above your disability.’
‘I don’t have a disability,’ Ho said.
‘That’s the spirit. . .
Jackson Lamb, a glorious slob, a brilliant but disreputable head of this strange bunch of has-beens, is a master of the back-handed “compliment”.
The book starts off with a bang, literally, kept me anxious to see what was next, and then it crossed into a whole different area and I didn’t know where it was going. It lost some of the sarcastic tone and the story got bleaker by the rain-soaked minute. Less banter, less sarcasm, more plot, which for a mystery is hardly a bad thing. I wondered what Herron was up to.
But it wasn’t until he began tying up some of the threads so I could see why he digressed that I got fascinated again. More action, more surprises (and yes, more banter and character development), and all-in-all, another great read in the series.
Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Australia for the preview copy from which I’ve quoted (not nearly as much as I’m tempted to, I have to say). Love the series!
“‘So you were letting him do your dirty work? That doesn’t sound like you.’
‘A good boss provides opportunities for personal growth and development. I think we were all winners, on the day.’ ”
Boss Jackson Lamb always has plenty of dirty work and plenty of so-called opportunities for the Slow Horses of Slough House, loosely referred to as an arm of the Secret Service at Regent Park.
“Slough House was a branch of the Service, certainly, but ‘arm’ was pitching it strong. As was ‘finger’, come to that; fingers could be on the button or on the pulse. Fingernails, now: those, you clipped, discarded, and never wanted to see again. So Slough House was a fingernail of the Service: a fair step from Regent’s Park geographically, and on another planet in most other ways.”
The personnel are all failed spies (“joes” when they’re on an op and active in the field), but have been sidelined rather than terminated following some unforgivable mistake.
River Cartwright was the main character in the last instalment, “Real Tigers”, and we met his grandfather, David Cartwright, fondly referred to by all as the OB, the Old Bastard, who was a seriously high spook in the service in his day. River’s mother left him in his grandparents’ care when he was a little boy, and he loved listening to the old stories, always carefully edited for his ears. When River joined the service, the OB shared more stories, but certainly not all.
But he’s in his 80s now, lives alone in the country, and River is more and more worried about his grandfather’s increasing forgetfulness and wondering what the likelihood is of the OB “reminiscing” and revealing state secrets to neighbours or shopkeepers. He also wonders what steps the Service might do to deal with this risk.
The OB, on the other hand, knows he’s forgetful, but he has retained his lifelong suspicion of everyone. He keeps an eye out for “stoats”, as he refers to “the watchers” who may be sent to spy on him. He knows he’s superfluous to requirements and a bit of a loose cannon, and he’s determined not to be eliminated by either side.
I never thought about how dangerous life would be for old spies getting dementia. What do you do with them? These were the people who have kept us feeling safe. Whether we were or not or whether their methods were “acceptable” or not is beside the point. The OB is a decided risk, and while he may forget his trousers, he doesn’t forget to look for evidence he’s being watched.
And he still has a gun. Oops. This could get serious.
Meanwhile, things have changed at Slough House, with nerdy-beyond-belief Roddy Ho sporting “cool” clothes and bragging about a girlfriend. He’s always thought he follows all the rules he’s read in magazines and that he is irresistible. Unbelievable is more like it.
“‘Jesus. And this is an actual relationship? Not an abduction? Well well well.’
Lamb dropped the appalled expression, and beamed round at the company. ‘See what you can achieve with a little application?’
He patted Ho on the shoulder. ‘It does me good to see you rise above your disability.’
‘I don’t have a disability,’ Ho said.
‘That’s the spirit. . .
Jackson Lamb, a glorious slob, a brilliant but disreputable head of this strange bunch of has-beens, is a master of the back-handed “compliment”.
The book starts off with a bang, literally, kept me anxious to see what was next, and then it crossed into a whole different area and I didn’t know where it was going. It lost some of the sarcastic tone and the story got bleaker by the rain-soaked minute. Less banter, less sarcasm, more plot, which for a mystery is hardly a bad thing. I wondered what Herron was up to.
But it wasn’t until he began tying up some of the threads so I could see why he digressed that I got fascinated again. More action, more surprises (and yes, more banter and character development), and all-in-all, another great read in the series.
Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Australia for the preview copy from which I’ve quoted (not nearly as much as I’m tempted to, I have to say). Love the series!
February 3, 2023
5 ☆
Herron's Slough House series is a witty, clever and bold satire of contemporary Britain, as depicted through the not-"007" eyes of a motley group of agents dubbed the slow horses. Slough House stables the MI5 employees who are impolitic to sack, be it for incompetence or for just running afoul of somebody or some forces more powerful than them. Be forewarned, Slough House consists of an ensemble cast that isn't fixed in stone. Spook Street is the one that tripped the switch into the I-have-got-to-read-the-next-installment-NOW mode.
In Spook Street, Herron once again focuses on River Cartwright and in particular on his endearing relationship with his grandfather. David Cartwright had been a legend at MI5 and his profession had opposite results on his family. His daughter Isobel had anointed David with the epithet "Old Bastard" or the "O.B.," while Isobel's son River infuses the "O.B." sobriquet with devoted affection. River's grandparents had not only raised him after Isobel had abandoned him at age seven, but the O.B.'s reminiscences shaped River's professional aspirations.
River regularly visits the 84-year old O.B. at his country home in Kent. He’s worrying more about what to do and whether additional parties would get involved.
Herron is a fearless storyteller who's unafraid of casting anti-heroes as major players in the Slough House series. River though is one of the most likeable. And as anybody with elder care duties knows, it's a responsibility that requires many hands - such that even the dysfunctional string of slow horses gets involved.
Spook's Street is what I expect from Herron -- intricately connected points shaped by curveball inversions of plot (though I had early on anticipated one of them) and liberally sprinkled with gallows humor. There have been many moments of grief so far in the Slough House series. River and his grandfather, effectively his sole relation, however, have the strongest connection so this novel tugged my heartstrings as well. Yes, this can be read as a standalone but why deprive yourself the joy of this series?
*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*
4.5 ☆ rounded up -- 2nd Reading
With this re-read Spook Street remains one of my favorite Slough House installments. Herron just nailed this perfect medley, akin to authentic Thai cuisine, in which the sweet, the sour and the heat are perfectly balanced in a complementary manner. This novel is all about relationships. It's taken a while for friendships to firm and camaraderie amongst the slow horses to bloom. And then Herron pulls the rug out from right underneath you.
I noted that this novel was not as snarkily funny as some of the other installments. I've thus given it a tiny downgrade to 4.5 stars from the previous unqualified rating of 5 stars. But its emotional depth merits rounding up so it's still a 5 star read.
*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*
Listed in GR sequence, but not necessarily in chronological order:
#1 Slow Horses 4 ☆
#2 Dead Lions 4 ☆
#2.5 The List 4 ☆
#3 Real Tigers 4.5 ☆
#5 London Rules 4.5 ☆
#5.5 Marylebone Drop 4 ☆
#6 Joe Country 5 ☆
#6.5 The Catch 4 ☆
#7 Slough House 4.5 ☆
#8 Bad Actors 4 ☆
When you lived on Spook Street, you wrapped up tight: watched every word, guarded every secret.
Herron's Slough House series is a witty, clever and bold satire of contemporary Britain, as depicted through the not-"007" eyes of a motley group of agents dubbed the slow horses. Slough House stables the MI5 employees who are impolitic to sack, be it for incompetence or for just running afoul of somebody or some forces more powerful than them. Be forewarned, Slough House consists of an ensemble cast that isn't fixed in stone. Spook Street is the one that tripped the switch into the I-have-got-to-read-the-next-installment-NOW mode.
In Spook Street, Herron once again focuses on River Cartwright and in particular on his endearing relationship with his grandfather. David Cartwright had been a legend at MI5 and his profession had opposite results on his family. His daughter Isobel had anointed David with the epithet "Old Bastard" or the "O.B.," while Isobel's son River infuses the "O.B." sobriquet with devoted affection. River's grandparents had not only raised him after Isobel had abandoned him at age seven, but the O.B.'s reminiscences shaped River's professional aspirations.
Laps of honor and whatnot. That was what [River] thought, of course; that it was all about guts and glory--truth was, it was all about flesh and blood. Medals weren't won in the sunshine. Backs were stabbed in the dark. It was a messy business, and maybe the boy was better off out of it, though there was no telling him that, of course. Wouldn't be a Cartwright otherwise.
River regularly visits the 84-year old O.B. at his country home in Kent. He’s worrying more about what to do and whether additional parties would get involved.
... old spies grew forgetful, and among the things they forgot was remembering what not to say...
So elderly spies had an eye kept on them, in case they become unbuttoned, and maybe there were times-- how could he not have thought about this?--when the Service reached out a gloved hand and eased an old spook's passage from this life.
They'd send stoats first, to check the lie of the land.
And the O.B. kept a gun in his house which he no longer stored in a gun safe.
Herron is a fearless storyteller who's unafraid of casting anti-heroes as major players in the Slough House series. River though is one of the most likeable. And as anybody with elder care duties knows, it's a responsibility that requires many hands - such that even the dysfunctional string of slow horses gets involved.
Spook's Street is what I expect from Herron -- intricately connected points shaped by curveball inversions of plot (though I had early on anticipated one of them) and liberally sprinkled with gallows humor. There have been many moments of grief so far in the Slough House series. River and his grandfather, effectively his sole relation, however, have the strongest connection so this novel tugged my heartstrings as well. Yes, this can be read as a standalone but why deprive yourself the joy of this series?
*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*
4.5 ☆ rounded up -- 2nd Reading
"I'm not sure which is worse -- that someone planned this or that it's all a colossal f*ck-up."
"Welcome to Regent's Park."
With this re-read Spook Street remains one of my favorite Slough House installments. Herron just nailed this perfect medley, akin to authentic Thai cuisine, in which the sweet, the sour and the heat are perfectly balanced in a complementary manner. This novel is all about relationships. It's taken a while for friendships to firm and camaraderie amongst the slow horses to bloom. And then Herron pulls the rug out from right underneath you.
I noted that this novel was not as snarkily funny as some of the other installments. I've thus given it a tiny downgrade to 4.5 stars from the previous unqualified rating of 5 stars. But its emotional depth merits rounding up so it's still a 5 star read.
*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*
Listed in GR sequence, but not necessarily in chronological order:
#1 Slow Horses 4 ☆
#2 Dead Lions 4 ☆
#2.5 The List 4 ☆
#3 Real Tigers 4.5 ☆
#5 London Rules 4.5 ☆
#5.5 Marylebone Drop 4 ☆
#6 Joe Country 5 ☆
#6.5 The Catch 4 ☆
#7 Slough House 4.5 ☆
#8 Bad Actors 4 ☆
April 1, 2019
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.
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.
April 6, 2018
Another brilliantly entertaining book in this great series - although the author dealt me a very severe shock early 0n. Luckily I recovered and then everything went really well:)
Jackson Lamb reached new heights in his lack of political correctness and was as appalling as ever in his general hygiene. On the other hand he was very, very funny and despite every appearance to the contrary, very caring of his staff. His best asset though is that he always seems to know everything before anyone else does which comes in very useful when a trained assassin arrives to take down every one at Slough House.
I hope the author realises that he has written such a masterful character in Lamb that when he is not on the page things seem a little less interesting. Herron is always so ready to kill off even his main characters - let's hope he never does it to this particular one!
And as luck would have it there's another book out already and it's waiting on my kindle. Bliss.
Jackson Lamb reached new heights in his lack of political correctness and was as appalling as ever in his general hygiene. On the other hand he was very, very funny and despite every appearance to the contrary, very caring of his staff. His best asset though is that he always seems to know everything before anyone else does which comes in very useful when a trained assassin arrives to take down every one at Slough House.
I hope the author realises that he has written such a masterful character in Lamb that when he is not on the page things seem a little less interesting. Herron is always so ready to kill off even his main characters - let's hope he never does it to this particular one!
And as luck would have it there's another book out already and it's waiting on my kindle. Bliss.
March 14, 2018
What a top series this is turning out to be. Mick Herron once again takes us into the world of modern day spooks, albeit those who didn't quite make it at MI5 and have been relegated to paper pushing in the backwaters of Slough House under the bleary eye of Jackson Lamb.
It's the start of a new year and most of our old friends, the Slow Horses are back, having survived the underground shoot-out in their last outing. Marcus is busy digging himself a huge financial hole with his gambling addiction, Shirley is attending anger management counseling and Roddy Ho is positively gloating as has finally found himself a girlfriend. There is a mysterious new boy, J.K Coe remaining slient and aloof in his hoody and earphones. Catherine Standish has put in her discharge papers and been replaced by 'The Moira' who has plans to make Slough House more efficient (she has no idea what she's up against). River is worried about his grandfather who seems to be slipping into dementia and concerned about what MI5 might do with old cold war spies to stop them leaking secrets in their dotage.
Meanwhile a British suicide bomber blows up a group of teenagers in a mall for no apparent reason and then a few days later someone tries to kill River's grandfather. Both these events have deep roots in the past and while the new guard at Regent's Park is busy trying to cover their backs the Slow Horses are once again operational trying to unravel a 20 year old plot and stop further carnage.
Another excellent, well plotted thriller full of suspense and action from Mick Herron with sprinklings of wry humour, great characters, not all of whom survive this outing, and some unexpected revelations regarding River's history. Can't wait to get my hands on the next episode, due out soon.
With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers Hachette for a digital copy of the book to read.
It's the start of a new year and most of our old friends, the Slow Horses are back, having survived the underground shoot-out in their last outing. Marcus is busy digging himself a huge financial hole with his gambling addiction, Shirley is attending anger management counseling and Roddy Ho is positively gloating as has finally found himself a girlfriend. There is a mysterious new boy, J.K Coe remaining slient and aloof in his hoody and earphones. Catherine Standish has put in her discharge papers and been replaced by 'The Moira' who has plans to make Slough House more efficient (she has no idea what she's up against). River is worried about his grandfather who seems to be slipping into dementia and concerned about what MI5 might do with old cold war spies to stop them leaking secrets in their dotage.
Meanwhile a British suicide bomber blows up a group of teenagers in a mall for no apparent reason and then a few days later someone tries to kill River's grandfather. Both these events have deep roots in the past and while the new guard at Regent's Park is busy trying to cover their backs the Slow Horses are once again operational trying to unravel a 20 year old plot and stop further carnage.
Another excellent, well plotted thriller full of suspense and action from Mick Herron with sprinklings of wry humour, great characters, not all of whom survive this outing, and some unexpected revelations regarding River's history. Can't wait to get my hands on the next episode, due out soon.
With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers Hachette for a digital copy of the book to read.
June 7, 2024
Herron on top form, and Jackson Lamb as well. Another spy tale of mistakes and mishaps with devastating results, shot through with dark, bleak humour and a cast of characters that you can't help but root for despite their (numerous) flaws. Great stuff and one of the most consistently entertaining series in years.
July 31, 2017
5/5 on the Hoot-meter
I tried, I really tried. The plan was to make it last. Read a few chapters, put it down, then repeat. Right…..I read it in a day because I was just having too much fun. When a new Mick Herron book comes out I will beg, borrow & steal to get my hands on it & this just might be the best of the bunch.
The prologue yanks you into a typical mall somewhere in London. It’s full of busy shoppers & bored teens lounging around the fountain. Then the unspeakable happens. A man steps into the crowd & detonates his vest. In the horrific aftermath, MI5 is called in to investigate & calm the public but things really hit the fan when the bomber is identified.
Meanwhile over at Slough House, River Cartwright worries about his grandfather. David Cartwright is a former spook who’s a legend in the spy world. But lately he seems a bit confused & doesn’t always recognize his grandson. He’s also dropping details about the old days that would best remain unsaid. What happens when a man full of state secrets begins to lose the plot? River has heard rumours about MI5 having an ”enhanced retirement package” for employees who become a problem & he’s determined to protect the man who raised him. That becomes a challenge when his next visit ends with a dead man in David’s bathroom.
Eventually these 2 threads intersect in ways that have the bigwigs at Regent Park scrambling to save their own skin. They’ve elevated backstabbing to an art form in an environment where “The Art of War” is probably required reading.
Book #4 of the “Slow Horses” series picks up in the aftermath of the last one & there have been some changes. Herron doesn’t hesitate to bump off establish characters so there are a few new faces at Slough House where MI5 agents labelled as screw-ups are sent to shift endless stacks of paper until they quit (or die, whichever comes first). But most of the original cast is back & they’re in fine form.
IT genius Rodney Ho continues to live in an alternate universe where everyone likes him & chicks think he’s hot. Shirley Dander has surrendered to HR requests to deal with her volatile personality & is faithfully attending AFM (anger fucking management) classes. Marcus Longridge still has that pesky little gambling problem & is so bored he’s water boarding Shirley.
Presiding over the crew is cold war relic Jackson Lamb . He’s never met someone he couldn’t offend & many would pay to see him gone but when you’ve been around a long time, you tend to know where the bodies are buried, literally.
These stories are always a great mix of smart intricate mystery & dry black humour. It’s full of moments that make you gasp, frequently followed by inappropriate laughter. Herron is a keen observer of the human condition & his depiction of David Cartwright’s battle with dementia somehow manages to be both poignant & hilarious. Even in his screwed up fictional world, you’ll recognize more than a kernel of reality as he satirizes politicians, government bureaucracy & public perceptions.
This one earns a spot on my “Top Ten” for 2016 (so far…) & I begin the long wait for book #5. If you’re a fan of Stuart MacBride or Jay Stringer, do yourself a favour & pick up “Slow Horses”.
I tried, I really tried. The plan was to make it last. Read a few chapters, put it down, then repeat. Right…..I read it in a day because I was just having too much fun. When a new Mick Herron book comes out I will beg, borrow & steal to get my hands on it & this just might be the best of the bunch.
The prologue yanks you into a typical mall somewhere in London. It’s full of busy shoppers & bored teens lounging around the fountain. Then the unspeakable happens. A man steps into the crowd & detonates his vest. In the horrific aftermath, MI5 is called in to investigate & calm the public but things really hit the fan when the bomber is identified.
Meanwhile over at Slough House, River Cartwright worries about his grandfather. David Cartwright is a former spook who’s a legend in the spy world. But lately he seems a bit confused & doesn’t always recognize his grandson. He’s also dropping details about the old days that would best remain unsaid. What happens when a man full of state secrets begins to lose the plot? River has heard rumours about MI5 having an ”enhanced retirement package” for employees who become a problem & he’s determined to protect the man who raised him. That becomes a challenge when his next visit ends with a dead man in David’s bathroom.
Eventually these 2 threads intersect in ways that have the bigwigs at Regent Park scrambling to save their own skin. They’ve elevated backstabbing to an art form in an environment where “The Art of War” is probably required reading.
Book #4 of the “Slow Horses” series picks up in the aftermath of the last one & there have been some changes. Herron doesn’t hesitate to bump off establish characters so there are a few new faces at Slough House where MI5 agents labelled as screw-ups are sent to shift endless stacks of paper until they quit (or die, whichever comes first). But most of the original cast is back & they’re in fine form.
IT genius Rodney Ho continues to live in an alternate universe where everyone likes him & chicks think he’s hot. Shirley Dander has surrendered to HR requests to deal with her volatile personality & is faithfully attending AFM (anger fucking management) classes. Marcus Longridge still has that pesky little gambling problem & is so bored he’s water boarding Shirley.
Presiding over the crew is cold war relic Jackson Lamb . He’s never met someone he couldn’t offend & many would pay to see him gone but when you’ve been around a long time, you tend to know where the bodies are buried, literally.
These stories are always a great mix of smart intricate mystery & dry black humour. It’s full of moments that make you gasp, frequently followed by inappropriate laughter. Herron is a keen observer of the human condition & his depiction of David Cartwright’s battle with dementia somehow manages to be both poignant & hilarious. Even in his screwed up fictional world, you’ll recognize more than a kernel of reality as he satirizes politicians, government bureaucracy & public perceptions.
This one earns a spot on my “Top Ten” for 2016 (so far…) & I begin the long wait for book #5. If you’re a fan of Stuart MacBride or Jay Stringer, do yourself a favour & pick up “Slow Horses”.
December 3, 2024
Had to wait enough time after watching this book in the Apple TV series before reading. It’s the fourth in the series. A mate living in Switzerland had kindly sent me the series.
Each book has been a cracker of a read. But this one seemed to have even more brilliant banter and repartee on each page than the others. Characters have been further developed and lost on the way. Each character apart from Jackson Lamb having an almost one to one interchange and symbiosis with another. The addition of Emma Flyte as the head of the ‘Dogs,’ after her predecessor had an iron bar wrapped around his head has a great line of banter with ‘Lady’ Di Taverner. I look forward to this developing. And I look forward to the next instalment of the newest character - J K Coe.
The book starts with a terrorist explosion at Westfield shopping centre and ends with Lamb’s Dickens like exit from his office at the end of the day. In the middle River Cartrights relationship with his Grandfather in the grip of dementia and with his father…who has a grip around his throat is developed.
The ending is sad and I won’t spoil it. Suffice to say, seeing Gary Oldman as Lamb and as the antithesis George Smiley in a film version of ‘Tinker Tailor…’has been sublime.
My only issue now is whether I wait for the next book to be seen on tv before reading or crack on. Answers on a postcard please…
Just a fraction of great quotes:
‘And me, apparently I’m “irritable.”’
‘You broke a dude’s nose, Shirl.’
‘He was asking for it.’
‘He was asking for a couple of quid.’
‘Same thing.’
‘For Children in Need.’
‘He was dressed as a f’ing rabbit. I assumed he was dangerous.’
‘That’s probably the only reason you’re not in prison,’ Marcus conceded.
‘Did he have any identifying marks’? Flyte asked.
‘He used to have a face,’ Lamb said. ‘That any help?’
‘Tattoos? Scars? Piercings?’
‘How the f should I know? I make them wear clothes around the office.’
‘So you’re the boss of the famous Slough House,’ Flyte said. ‘Isn’t that where they keep the rejects?’
‘They don’t like to be called that.’
‘So what do you call them?’
‘Rejects,’ said Lamb.
Two minutes later a net had dropped over it so thinly meshed an anorexic flea couldn’t have slipped through.
Marcus said, ‘Did you just call her a lady?’
‘Of course. Always be polite when referring to a woman of a certain age,’ Lamb said. ‘In case the mad old cow turns vicious.’
He farted, though whether as an illustration or punctuation wasn’t clear.
Volkswagen had nothing on Lamb when it came to unfiltered emissions…
Each book has been a cracker of a read. But this one seemed to have even more brilliant banter and repartee on each page than the others. Characters have been further developed and lost on the way. Each character apart from Jackson Lamb having an almost one to one interchange and symbiosis with another. The addition of Emma Flyte as the head of the ‘Dogs,’ after her predecessor had an iron bar wrapped around his head has a great line of banter with ‘Lady’ Di Taverner. I look forward to this developing. And I look forward to the next instalment of the newest character - J K Coe.
The book starts with a terrorist explosion at Westfield shopping centre and ends with Lamb’s Dickens like exit from his office at the end of the day. In the middle River Cartrights relationship with his Grandfather in the grip of dementia and with his father…who has a grip around his throat is developed.
The ending is sad and I won’t spoil it. Suffice to say, seeing Gary Oldman as Lamb and as the antithesis George Smiley in a film version of ‘Tinker Tailor…’has been sublime.
My only issue now is whether I wait for the next book to be seen on tv before reading or crack on. Answers on a postcard please…
Just a fraction of great quotes:
‘And me, apparently I’m “irritable.”’
‘You broke a dude’s nose, Shirl.’
‘He was asking for it.’
‘He was asking for a couple of quid.’
‘Same thing.’
‘For Children in Need.’
‘He was dressed as a f’ing rabbit. I assumed he was dangerous.’
‘That’s probably the only reason you’re not in prison,’ Marcus conceded.
‘Did he have any identifying marks’? Flyte asked.
‘He used to have a face,’ Lamb said. ‘That any help?’
‘Tattoos? Scars? Piercings?’
‘How the f should I know? I make them wear clothes around the office.’
‘So you’re the boss of the famous Slough House,’ Flyte said. ‘Isn’t that where they keep the rejects?’
‘They don’t like to be called that.’
‘So what do you call them?’
‘Rejects,’ said Lamb.
Two minutes later a net had dropped over it so thinly meshed an anorexic flea couldn’t have slipped through.
Marcus said, ‘Did you just call her a lady?’
‘Of course. Always be polite when referring to a woman of a certain age,’ Lamb said. ‘In case the mad old cow turns vicious.’
He farted, though whether as an illustration or punctuation wasn’t clear.
Volkswagen had nothing on Lamb when it came to unfiltered emissions…
March 23, 2022
4.5 stars, rounded down
I love this series with its dark, snarky humor. But this one I loved even more. River Cartwright is my favorite of the characters and this story revolves around him. His grandfather, the “OB”, raised him and was the reason he’s in the service. Now, the OB has dementia - forgetting to wear pants and that he’s no longer active in the service. Will the service look to take the old man out before he spills his secrets?
Meanwhile, a bomb has gone off in a crowded shopping mall, killing 40. Of course, these two plot points will intersect at some point. Herron’s skill is writing well thought out, detailed stories that bring together the subplots without straining credulity.
As with all the best series, the characters here are all well developed and surprisingly, I’ve come to care for them. They are the dregs of the service, but they have their own weird charms.
I listen to this series and it’s a fabulous audiobook experience. Although, I do have to be careful not to look like a nut job, as I laugh out loud frequently when listening to this. Gerard Doyle is the perfect narrator for this series. I think I’ll hear his voice even if I actually read one of these books.
I love this series with its dark, snarky humor. But this one I loved even more. River Cartwright is my favorite of the characters and this story revolves around him. His grandfather, the “OB”, raised him and was the reason he’s in the service. Now, the OB has dementia - forgetting to wear pants and that he’s no longer active in the service. Will the service look to take the old man out before he spills his secrets?
Meanwhile, a bomb has gone off in a crowded shopping mall, killing 40. Of course, these two plot points will intersect at some point. Herron’s skill is writing well thought out, detailed stories that bring together the subplots without straining credulity.
As with all the best series, the characters here are all well developed and surprisingly, I’ve come to care for them. They are the dregs of the service, but they have their own weird charms.
I listen to this series and it’s a fabulous audiobook experience. Although, I do have to be careful not to look like a nut job, as I laugh out loud frequently when listening to this. Gerard Doyle is the perfect narrator for this series. I think I’ll hear his voice even if I actually read one of these books.
May 6, 2024
This fourth edition of the Slough House series introduces several exciting new characters into the mix. It is still up in the air if they will prove to be nefarious or civil minded. In addition, there are some shocking and life altering events which happen to the unfortunate "Slow Horses".
Spook Street has proven to be one perilous and twisty ride down a never ending slippery slope of misadventure and deceit.
Mr. Herron never ceases to amaze with his ingenious storylines as well as his ability to consistently raise the stakes with each new edition. I guess it's obvious that I am a huge fan of this series. Highly recommend.
Spook Street has proven to be one perilous and twisty ride down a never ending slippery slope of misadventure and deceit.
Mr. Herron never ceases to amaze with his ingenious storylines as well as his ability to consistently raise the stakes with each new edition. I guess it's obvious that I am a huge fan of this series. Highly recommend.
September 10, 2017
I just love these Slough House books! Who would guess that disgraced and demoted MI5 agents would be so interesting?
In the beginning, I'm excited, eager, a bit reserved, though. I hope this will be another great book in the series.
The story opens slowly until bang! Then Part One begins. We enter Slough House where people are up to no good. The mice will play! Reacquaint with previous slow horses; acquaint with new (Moira Tregorian, JK Coe). Fifty-six pages in and my heart stops. So, yeah, now I know this will be another great book in the series.
At the end, I'm happy, satisfied. But also sad because there are currently no more Slough House books to be had.
I implore anyone reading this review to read this series in order, starting with Slow Horses. There is so much history and backstory to be gained. Your enjoyment will increase with each book.
In the beginning, I'm excited, eager, a bit reserved, though. I hope this will be another great book in the series.
The story opens slowly until bang! Then Part One begins. We enter Slough House where people are up to no good. The mice will play! Reacquaint with previous slow horses; acquaint with new (Moira Tregorian, JK Coe). Fifty-six pages in and my heart stops. So, yeah, now I know this will be another great book in the series.
At the end, I'm happy, satisfied. But also sad because there are currently no more Slough House books to be had.
I implore anyone reading this review to read this series in order, starting with Slow Horses. There is so much history and backstory to be gained. Your enjoyment will increase with each book.
October 3, 2024
October 3, 2024 Update This is a special update going out to GR Friends Berengaria and our own Rodster Sportyrod. I simply couldn't resist screen-grabbing this from last night's episode of Slow Horses Season 4 based on Spook Street.
Slow Horse Roddy Ho with a characteristic pose and expression.
August 16, 2024 Update Full official trailer for Season 4 of the Apple TV+ series based on Book 4 Spook Street is now up as of a few days ago and can be seen on YouTube here. The fragments of music heard sound like bits from Gimme Danger, Little Stranger by Iggy and the Stooges, but it doesn't sound like the original.
December 27, 2023 Update The teaser trailer for Season 4 of the Apple TV+ series based on Book 4 Spook Street premiered at the end of the Season 3 Finale today and can also now be seen on YouTube here.
June 1, 2022 Update Apple TV+ series 'Slow Horses' renewed for Seasons 3 and 4, to be based on Books 3 'Real Tigers' and 4 'Spook Street'. Story at Variety.
Slow Horses Under Attack
Review of the Recorded Books audiobook edition (February 21, 2017) narrated by Gerard Doyle released two weeks after the Soho Crime hardcover (February 7, 2017)
Actor Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb, the head of Slough House. in a characteristic pose. Image sourced from The Times UK.
Events move fast in the Slough House / Slow Horses universe and I'm glad to be reading and/or listening to the books in fairly quick order right now due to being incentivized after seeing Season 1 of the Apple TV+ series based on Book One. There are many ongoing subplots and character arcs which must have been difficult to keep track of if you were reading them a year or more apart as they were originally released.
As a refresher, the agents of Slough House, aka the "Slow Horses," are a group from the MI5 British Security Service who for various reasons (e.g. bungled field assignments, alcoholism, poor social skills, etc.) have been shunted aside from head office or field operations and sent to work at their off-site building, a pre-retirement resting stop of paper pushing & electronic surveillance to keep them out of the way of their supposed betters. At Slough House, they are presided over by their chief, the slovenly, flatulent Jackson Lamb. Lamb was once a field operative and still has an instinctive sense for the wiles of bureaucracy and espionage, especially in the areas of incompetence and betrayal.
In Spook Street, the 4th novel in the series, we find that some previous characters have moved on, First Desk Ingrid Tearney has been shunted aside and been replaced by Claude Whelan, previous 'Head Dog' Nick Duffy has been replaced by Emma Flyte, Jackson Lamb's Slough House assistant Catherine Standish has retired and her replacement is Moira Tregorian. Several new Slow Horses have joined the crew and we will continue to discover that the life expectancy at Slough House is almost as perilous as that of being a 'Joe' in the field.
The novel starts off with two quick shocks, a terrorist bombing attack on the general public and an apparent assassination attempt on Slough House agent River Cartwright's grandfather, the long retired First Desk David Cartwright, aka the O.B., who is showing signs of dementia. In the aftermath, a dead body in the elder Cartwright's home is identified by Jackson Lamb as being that of River Cartwright. We soon discover that Lamb is playing a deception game and that River has instead brought the O.B. to Catherine Standish for safekeeping while he follows a lead to France to discover the source behind the attacks.
Too much further information would be a spoiler, but the revelations and further shocks are quick to follow as River Cartwright discovers family secrets that have been kept from him, while Jackson Lamb knows more than he has previously revealed about the past of the Cartwright family. Before the end, Slough House itself comes under direct attack and not all of the Slow Horses will survive.
The narration by now series regular Gerard Doyle (several of the earlier books have 1st edition audiobooks voiced by other narrators) was excellent as always, especially in his 'Jackson Lamb' voice.
Trivia and Links
There is a Slough House glossary at SpyWrite.com (with some spoilers obviously, but the most major spoilers are hidden behind white script which you have to mouse over in order to read) which is extremely useful if you are trying to follow all of the characters and story arcs of the series and looking for definitions to the words and expressions of author Mick Herron's invented spy terminology.
Spook Street could be the basis for a future Season 4 of the Apple TV+ series Slow Horses (2022 - ?), if the show is renewed after Season 2. You can watch the Season 2 trailer (based on Book 2 "Dead Lions") on YouTube here. You can watch the Season 1 trailer (based on Book 1 "Slow Horses") on YouTube here.
Slow Horse Roddy Ho with a characteristic pose and expression.
August 16, 2024 Update Full official trailer for Season 4 of the Apple TV+ series based on Book 4 Spook Street is now up as of a few days ago and can be seen on YouTube here. The fragments of music heard sound like bits from Gimme Danger, Little Stranger by Iggy and the Stooges, but it doesn't sound like the original.
December 27, 2023 Update The teaser trailer for Season 4 of the Apple TV+ series based on Book 4 Spook Street premiered at the end of the Season 3 Finale today and can also now be seen on YouTube here.
June 1, 2022 Update Apple TV+ series 'Slow Horses' renewed for Seasons 3 and 4, to be based on Books 3 'Real Tigers' and 4 'Spook Street'. Story at Variety.
Slow Horses Under Attack
Review of the Recorded Books audiobook edition (February 21, 2017) narrated by Gerard Doyle released two weeks after the Soho Crime hardcover (February 7, 2017)
"That's the measure of our success, Claude. That the country still leads a normal life, even while we bury the dead."
"I'm not sure Marketing'll approve that as a slogan." - conversation between Second Desk Diana Taverner and First Desk Claude Whelan.
"Do you all act dumb all the time? Or is it not an act?"
"We take it in turns," said Louisa. - conversation between new 'Head Dog' Emma Flyte and Slough House's Louisa Guy.
Actor Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb, the head of Slough House. in a characteristic pose. Image sourced from The Times UK.
Events move fast in the Slough House / Slow Horses universe and I'm glad to be reading and/or listening to the books in fairly quick order right now due to being incentivized after seeing Season 1 of the Apple TV+ series based on Book One. There are many ongoing subplots and character arcs which must have been difficult to keep track of if you were reading them a year or more apart as they were originally released.
As a refresher, the agents of Slough House, aka the "Slow Horses," are a group from the MI5 British Security Service who for various reasons (e.g. bungled field assignments, alcoholism, poor social skills, etc.) have been shunted aside from head office or field operations and sent to work at their off-site building, a pre-retirement resting stop of paper pushing & electronic surveillance to keep them out of the way of their supposed betters. At Slough House, they are presided over by their chief, the slovenly, flatulent Jackson Lamb. Lamb was once a field operative and still has an instinctive sense for the wiles of bureaucracy and espionage, especially in the areas of incompetence and betrayal.
In Spook Street, the 4th novel in the series, we find that some previous characters have moved on, First Desk Ingrid Tearney has been shunted aside and been replaced by Claude Whelan, previous 'Head Dog' Nick Duffy has been replaced by Emma Flyte, Jackson Lamb's Slough House assistant Catherine Standish has retired and her replacement is Moira Tregorian. Several new Slow Horses have joined the crew and we will continue to discover that the life expectancy at Slough House is almost as perilous as that of being a 'Joe' in the field.
The novel starts off with two quick shocks, a terrorist bombing attack on the general public and an apparent assassination attempt on Slough House agent River Cartwright's grandfather, the long retired First Desk David Cartwright, aka the O.B., who is showing signs of dementia. In the aftermath, a dead body in the elder Cartwright's home is identified by Jackson Lamb as being that of River Cartwright. We soon discover that Lamb is playing a deception game and that River has instead brought the O.B. to Catherine Standish for safekeeping while he follows a lead to France to discover the source behind the attacks.
Too much further information would be a spoiler, but the revelations and further shocks are quick to follow as River Cartwright discovers family secrets that have been kept from him, while Jackson Lamb knows more than he has previously revealed about the past of the Cartwright family. Before the end, Slough House itself comes under direct attack and not all of the Slow Horses will survive.
The narration by now series regular Gerard Doyle (several of the earlier books have 1st edition audiobooks voiced by other narrators) was excellent as always, especially in his 'Jackson Lamb' voice.
Trivia and Links
There is a Slough House glossary at SpyWrite.com (with some spoilers obviously, but the most major spoilers are hidden behind white script which you have to mouse over in order to read) which is extremely useful if you are trying to follow all of the characters and story arcs of the series and looking for definitions to the words and expressions of author Mick Herron's invented spy terminology.
Spook Street could be the basis for a future Season 4 of the Apple TV+ series Slow Horses (2022 - ?), if the show is renewed after Season 2. You can watch the Season 2 trailer (based on Book 2 "Dead Lions") on YouTube here. You can watch the Season 1 trailer (based on Book 1 "Slow Horses") on YouTube here.
December 7, 2022
Cuarta novela de la serie 'La casa de la ciénaga', lugar al que van a parar los espías del MI5 apartados del servicio activo por incompetentes.
Historia de espías con mucho suspense, grandes diálogos llenos de mordacidad y sarcasmo y con un plantel de grandes personajes capitaneados por Jackson Lamb, tan asquerosito y cínico como sagaz.
Historia de espías con mucho suspense, grandes diálogos llenos de mordacidad y sarcasmo y con un plantel de grandes personajes capitaneados por Jackson Lamb, tan asquerosito y cínico como sagaz.
November 29, 2022
Re-reading this, I can see the reason why it's my least favourite in a stellar series: it's because we don't spend enough time with the slow horses. A huge number of pages are spent with River's grandfather, the OB, drifting into dementia, and with River himself who's off on a lone adventure that leads back into his own enigmatic past.
When we are with the Slough House team, there are some interesting developments in the shape of new boy, JK Coe, and new girl, Moira Tremoine who thinks she can take Catherine's place... There are also some violent action scenes including a lethal attack on Slough House itself.
And there are changes afoot at Regents Park as well, including the introduction of Claude Whelan following the activities of Ingrid Tierney in the last books, and new head Dog, Emma Flyte.
But with an incredible back-story plot and lots (too much) of the Cartwrights, the emphasis of this book slightly lost me.
-----------------------------------------------
This fourth in Herron's unique Slough House series once again gives us a twisty (if not completely credible) plot as the failures and has-beens, the 'slow horses', uncover a conspiracy that goes back to just after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Along the way, things get very personal for River Cartwright, and - again - not everyone survives...
What really makes this series for me is the brilliant Jackson Lamb, the kind of spy-master that Dickens might have created: grubby in his personal habits, pin-sharp intellect, brilliantly sardonic in his wit ('Always be polite when referring to a woman of a certain age,' Lamb said, 'in case the mad old cow turns vicious'), cynical and yet has the backs of all his 'joes' (though won't let them know it). The new arrival, J.K. Coe, is both scary and intriguing and I look forward very much to seeing more of him - and, for fans, Roddy Ho has a girlfriend!
It's certainly possible to read this as a standalone but I would strongly recommend starting with Slow Horses: Slough House and following the series to understand the emotional trajectories. Sharp, cynical, violent in places, but with the snappiest of sharp dialogue and laugh-out-loud funny in places, I love what Herron is doing with this series.
Thanks to the publisher for an ARC via NetGalley
When we are with the Slough House team, there are some interesting developments in the shape of new boy, JK Coe, and new girl, Moira Tremoine who thinks she can take Catherine's place... There are also some violent action scenes including a lethal attack on Slough House itself.
And there are changes afoot at Regents Park as well, including the introduction of Claude Whelan following the activities of Ingrid Tierney in the last books, and new head Dog, Emma Flyte.
But with an incredible back-story plot and lots (too much) of the Cartwrights, the emphasis of this book slightly lost me.
-----------------------------------------------
This fourth in Herron's unique Slough House series once again gives us a twisty (if not completely credible) plot as the failures and has-beens, the 'slow horses', uncover a conspiracy that goes back to just after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Along the way, things get very personal for River Cartwright, and - again - not everyone survives...
What really makes this series for me is the brilliant Jackson Lamb, the kind of spy-master that Dickens might have created: grubby in his personal habits, pin-sharp intellect, brilliantly sardonic in his wit ('Always be polite when referring to a woman of a certain age,' Lamb said, 'in case the mad old cow turns vicious'), cynical and yet has the backs of all his 'joes' (though won't let them know it). The new arrival, J.K. Coe, is both scary and intriguing and I look forward very much to seeing more of him - and, for fans, Roddy Ho has a girlfriend!
It's certainly possible to read this as a standalone but I would strongly recommend starting with Slow Horses: Slough House and following the series to understand the emotional trajectories. Sharp, cynical, violent in places, but with the snappiest of sharp dialogue and laugh-out-loud funny in places, I love what Herron is doing with this series.
Thanks to the publisher for an ARC via NetGalley
March 16, 2024
4.5 stars
short review for busy readers: Another spectacular installment of the Slough House series!
in detail:
River Cartwright goes running off half-cocked again, finds out important info while annoying his colleagues at Slough House into insanity and nearly gets himself killed. Twice.
What might sound like a typical set-up -- when doesn't River run off half-cocked and cause mayhem? -- turns into a puzzle with at least two dramatic twists you don't see coming.
The plot addresses a question I've had for a while. What happens when people who know "secrets" become dement? Politicians, spies, gov workers. They all know things which could still be very damaging to governments or specific people decades later, but may no longer be able to keep what they know secret when, for them, reality shifts from today to 1967.
River's grandfather is just such a case, and River is worried about exactly such a scenario occurring.
While the plot doesn't exactly give an answer to that question, it does handle old Cold War mistakes and scandals coming back to haunt the terror-paranoid present.
Enjoyably, we also get to see how the new head of MI5 gets manipulated and embroiled in difficulties from day one, and watch how the screw-ups and headcases of Slough House get up to their old tricks.
Funny as ever and yes, unfortunately
short review for busy readers: Another spectacular installment of the Slough House series!
in detail:
River Cartwright goes running off half-cocked again, finds out important info while annoying his colleagues at Slough House into insanity and nearly gets himself killed. Twice.
What might sound like a typical set-up -- when doesn't River run off half-cocked and cause mayhem? -- turns into a puzzle with at least two dramatic twists you don't see coming.
The plot addresses a question I've had for a while. What happens when people who know "secrets" become dement? Politicians, spies, gov workers. They all know things which could still be very damaging to governments or specific people decades later, but may no longer be able to keep what they know secret when, for them, reality shifts from today to 1967.
River's grandfather is just such a case, and River is worried about exactly such a scenario occurring.
While the plot doesn't exactly give an answer to that question, it does handle old Cold War mistakes and scandals coming back to haunt the terror-paranoid present.
Enjoyably, we also get to see how the new head of MI5 gets manipulated and embroiled in difficulties from day one, and watch how the screw-ups and headcases of Slough House get up to their old tricks.
Funny as ever and yes, unfortunately
February 10, 2017
Mick Herron just writes THE best spy and espionage series in the world. When I read Slow Horses I was slowly enveloped into this world, I've been a huge fan ever since. Quirky, funny, emotional, with characters that just leap off the page, it is entirely beautiful to read and so intensely absorbing that it takes an age to come back to reality.
This instalment finds River worried about family - and in a family of spies it ain't the usual worry. Changes have been afoot at Slough House due to previous events and gosh how I love the descriptive scenes of what goes on within, its like coming home after a long trip away. Here, with a hard hitting opening that the author then brings back to his meandering, gorgeously plotted, slow burn to the finale, Spook Street takes the quality of this series up a notch. Well several notches.
I mean really its just great great writing. Witty, ironic, intelligent you name something you want from a book its probably in here. HUGELY entertaining conversational pieces are embedded within the wider story which is utterly gripping, totally captivating and ultimately satisfying. This author knows how to put a finish on things.
I genuinely cannot recommend this series highly enough.
This instalment finds River worried about family - and in a family of spies it ain't the usual worry. Changes have been afoot at Slough House due to previous events and gosh how I love the descriptive scenes of what goes on within, its like coming home after a long trip away. Here, with a hard hitting opening that the author then brings back to his meandering, gorgeously plotted, slow burn to the finale, Spook Street takes the quality of this series up a notch. Well several notches.
I mean really its just great great writing. Witty, ironic, intelligent you name something you want from a book its probably in here. HUGELY entertaining conversational pieces are embedded within the wider story which is utterly gripping, totally captivating and ultimately satisfying. This author knows how to put a finish on things.
I genuinely cannot recommend this series highly enough.
November 27, 2021
This really is a must read series.
February 2, 2018
This is the 4th book in the 'Slough House' series by author Mick Herron. Slough House is a dumping ground for British intelligence agents who have messed up a case. The "slow horses," are given menial tasks rather than be trusted on bigger cases.
After a shaky start to this series I am now rapidly working my way through these books and having lots of enjoyment doing it. The more I read of this series the more I like it. Another adventure for the rejected spies who are continuing to grow on me the more I read. This series is full of humour and decent plots. On to the next book in the series.
I would like to thank Net Galley and John Murray Press for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
After a shaky start to this series I am now rapidly working my way through these books and having lots of enjoyment doing it. The more I read of this series the more I like it. Another adventure for the rejected spies who are continuing to grow on me the more I read. This series is full of humour and decent plots. On to the next book in the series.
I would like to thank Net Galley and John Murray Press for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
March 23, 2024
3.5 stars
This is the 4th book in Mick Herron's 'Slough House' (Slow Horses) series, about British MI5 agents who've made a bad mistake and are relegated to working in a dilapidated building called Slough House. The agents, called 'slow horses', are given nothing but monotonous paperwork to do, and are itching to get back in the game.
The novels in this series are best read in order because of the continuing story arc.
*****
The man in charge of Slough House is former spy master Jackson Lamb, an offensive slob who hurls insults at people, smokes too much, eats too much, and needs to shower and use deodorant. Regardless, Lamb feels compelled to look out for his 'joes' (agents), even if he thinks they're idiots.
The slow horse brigade currently working for Lamb consists of:
Louisa Guy - a sharp young woman who's usually reliable in a pinch;
Roderick Ho - an egocentric computer whiz with an inflated opinion of himself;
River Cartwright - an ambitious fellow whose grandfather was an MI5 agent.
Marcus Longridge - a good agent with a bad gambling problem.
Shirley Dander - a tough woman who'd waterboard a suspect (or slug just about anyone) if given an excuse.
Moira Tregorian - Jackson Lamb's new assistant, whose job it is to organize the tasks at Slough House.
Catherine Standish - Catherine left Slough House because she had her fill of working for Lamb. Even so, Catherine still maintains connections with the slow horses.
J.K Coe - an agent who developed PTSD after a frightening incident. Coe almost never speaks, and his hands are constantly playing an imaginary piano.
As the book opens, a flash mob dancing in a London mall ends with an explosion that kills forty people.
An investigation reveals that the men responsible for the bomb seem to have some connection to former MI5 agents. This opens up a HUGE can of worms for MI5 headquarters at Regents Park. To avoid a scandal, the head honchos at the Park scramble to shift the blame. The people leading the cover-up are Claude Whelan (the new first chair).......
......and Diana Taverner (the second chair). Diana, ruthless as always, is willing to order people killed to accomplish the task.
Meanwhile, octogenarian David Cartwright (River's grandfather, aka the Old Bastard) - who was once very high up in Regents Park - is succumbing to dementia.
River fears David might accidently give away MI5 secrets, and River even fears the Park would terminate David for security reasons. As it happens, someone DOES try to kill David, which results in River hustling off to France to investigate who, what, and why.
All this, and more attempted murders, galvanize the slow horses into action.
The Slough House books are largely character driven, and Roderick Ho (Roddy) is especially entertaining in this novel.
Roddy, who's deluded himself into thinking he's irresistible to women, keeps talking about his girlfriend. Roddy is convinced the girl is really into him and the other slow horses are convinced the girl is imaginary.
There's plenty of excitement and danger in this book, and new information is revealed about some of the MI5 agents. Fans of the series will enjoy the novel.
You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com
May 25, 2024
Does the plot of Mick Herron's Spook Street stretch plausibility? Yes. Does he lure me in and get me to buy in anyway? Absolutely!
David Cartwright, a retired legendary Cold War Spymaster for MI-5 and grandfather to Slow Horse River Cartwright, has dementia. Is he living in the past or is someone actually targeting him? A bomb explodes at a large shopping center during a flash mob performance, and MI-5 staff are pounding the pavements. As these two storylines interweave, the Slow Horses jump into action.
In this installment of the series Herron explores family ties, in particular relationships between fathers and their children. We have Jackson Lamb as the irreverent father figure for his people; David, father of Isobel and grandfather of River; and Frank, . Does one prioritize mission or family; and if family, to what lengths will one go to protect them? Tying into this theme is the overarching thread of this series which is the sins of MI5 coming back to haunt the perpetrators and Mother England.
New to the Slow House gang is JK Coe (introduced in the novella "The List"), formerly from Psych Eval and Moira Tregorian, an office administrator who has been sent over by the new First Desk.
Herron sends me careening along with his taut, atmospheric writing. He breathes life and personality into all of his characters. The dialogue snaps and crackles. And the story is threaded with the caustic dark humor that is the trademark of this series.
This tale of betrayal, loyalty, and the consequences of past actions is a worthy addition to the Slough House canon.
Publication 2017
David Cartwright, a retired legendary Cold War Spymaster for MI-5 and grandfather to Slow Horse River Cartwright, has dementia. Is he living in the past or is someone actually targeting him? A bomb explodes at a large shopping center during a flash mob performance, and MI-5 staff are pounding the pavements. As these two storylines interweave, the Slow Horses jump into action.
In this installment of the series Herron explores family ties, in particular relationships between fathers and their children. We have Jackson Lamb as the irreverent father figure for his people; David, father of Isobel and grandfather of River; and Frank, . Does one prioritize mission or family; and if family, to what lengths will one go to protect them? Tying into this theme is the overarching thread of this series which is the sins of MI5 coming back to haunt the perpetrators and Mother England.
New to the Slow House gang is JK Coe (introduced in the novella "The List"), formerly from Psych Eval and Moira Tregorian, an office administrator who has been sent over by the new First Desk.
Herron sends me careening along with his taut, atmospheric writing. He breathes life and personality into all of his characters. The dialogue snaps and crackles. And the story is threaded with the caustic dark humor that is the trademark of this series.
This tale of betrayal, loyalty, and the consequences of past actions is a worthy addition to the Slough House canon.
Publication 2017
March 6, 2024
This was my favourite in the series so far. Herron seems to have settled into his prose style here, and the plotting is a lot more plausible than in some of the previous entries. Then again, it possibly helped that I read this more or less in one go during a long travel day: it's the kind of book that benefits from being consumed in a gulp.
Herron's writing sometimes feels a little uncertain – there are occasions here where he changes his mind on how grammar works, sometimes within a single sentence (‘Not so easy to find on account of its not being there any more; on account of it having succumbed to a fire’. Are we using the classical ‘its’ or the colloquial ‘it’?). But if the Slow Horses books aren't as dense and intelligent as the very best spy fiction, they make space for themselves because of Herron's excellent comic sensibility, which makes them feel like their own thing entirely. He is a master of the ironic repetition, the bathetic rug-pull, the snarky put-down, and all the other tricks inherited from the line of British humour stretching down from Pratchett to Adams to Wodehouse to Saki and beyond.
It's already obvious that Jackson Lamb is one of the great characters of genre fiction, and Herron is brilliant at making us believe that he's essentially good even while showing us how awful he can be. This entry also has some surprisingly moving material about dementia, a streak of darkness which nicely sets off the cynicism of Herron's view of politics. It's very very enjoyable.
Herron's writing sometimes feels a little uncertain – there are occasions here where he changes his mind on how grammar works, sometimes within a single sentence (‘Not so easy to find on account of its not being there any more; on account of it having succumbed to a fire’. Are we using the classical ‘its’ or the colloquial ‘it’?). But if the Slow Horses books aren't as dense and intelligent as the very best spy fiction, they make space for themselves because of Herron's excellent comic sensibility, which makes them feel like their own thing entirely. He is a master of the ironic repetition, the bathetic rug-pull, the snarky put-down, and all the other tricks inherited from the line of British humour stretching down from Pratchett to Adams to Wodehouse to Saki and beyond.
‘So you're the boss of the famous Slough House,’ Flyte said. ‘Isn't that where they keep the rejects?’
‘They don't like to be called that.’
‘So what do you call them?’
‘Rejects,’ said Lamb.
It's already obvious that Jackson Lamb is one of the great characters of genre fiction, and Herron is brilliant at making us believe that he's essentially good even while showing us how awful he can be. This entry also has some surprisingly moving material about dementia, a streak of darkness which nicely sets off the cynicism of Herron's view of politics. It's very very enjoyable.
September 9, 2019
The more I read of this series the more I love it! For me this is the best so far. Good overall story line, good new characters and Jackson Lamb!! Thoroughly enjoyed it.
July 5, 2025
I love this series!
November 27, 2022
I adore the Slough House series. I first read Spook Street (Slough House #4) in January 2018. I am currently (October 2022) rereading the entire series and am getting even more out of it second time round. I'm conscious I raced through this when I first read it and then pressed straight on with London Rules (Slough House #5). Second time round I am savouring the experience more.
Mick Herron can take his place alongside the greats of spy fiction. These Slough House books have got the lot: clever prose, memorable characters, action, humour, and deftly handled, twist-laden plots. Although each book is a standalone novel, part of the pleasure (and pain) of these books is the ongoing narrative and character development. People can, and do, suffer and die during the course of these tales.
In the unlikely event you haven't tried the Slough House series I urge you to read one as soon as you can. Herron's irreverent Slough House series breathes new life into the spying and espionage genre.
In Spook Street, London's intelligence teams are on red alert after a suicide bomber kills scores of young people at a shopping centre. Meanwhile, one of the Slough House team is concerned about his increasingly senile grandfather - a service legend called David Cartwright (aka the Old Bastard). This is the jumping off point for another tense, surprising, gripping tale, that follows straight on from the developments described in Real Tigers (Slough House #3).
4/5
What happens when an old spook loses his mind? Does the Service have a retirement home for those who know too many secrets but don’t remember they’re secret? Or does someone take care of the senile spy for good? These are the questions River Cartwright must ask when his grandfather, a Cold War–era operative, starts to forget to wear pants and begins to suspect everyone in his life has been sent by the Service to watch him.
But River has other things to worry about. A bomb goes off in the middle of a busy shopping center and kills forty innocent civilians. The agents of Slough House have to figure out who is behind this act of terror before the situation escalates.
Mick Herron can take his place alongside the greats of spy fiction. These Slough House books have got the lot: clever prose, memorable characters, action, humour, and deftly handled, twist-laden plots. Although each book is a standalone novel, part of the pleasure (and pain) of these books is the ongoing narrative and character development. People can, and do, suffer and die during the course of these tales.
In the unlikely event you haven't tried the Slough House series I urge you to read one as soon as you can. Herron's irreverent Slough House series breathes new life into the spying and espionage genre.
In Spook Street, London's intelligence teams are on red alert after a suicide bomber kills scores of young people at a shopping centre. Meanwhile, one of the Slough House team is concerned about his increasingly senile grandfather - a service legend called David Cartwright (aka the Old Bastard). This is the jumping off point for another tense, surprising, gripping tale, that follows straight on from the developments described in Real Tigers (Slough House #3).
4/5
What happens when an old spook loses his mind? Does the Service have a retirement home for those who know too many secrets but don’t remember they’re secret? Or does someone take care of the senile spy for good? These are the questions River Cartwright must ask when his grandfather, a Cold War–era operative, starts to forget to wear pants and begins to suspect everyone in his life has been sent by the Service to watch him.
But River has other things to worry about. A bomb goes off in the middle of a busy shopping center and kills forty innocent civilians. The agents of Slough House have to figure out who is behind this act of terror before the situation escalates.
November 30, 2023
In Here at The New Yorker, author Brendan Gill mentions an uncle. Well, I think it was an uncle, but many years have passed since I read the book and I could have it wrong; I should probably just go with "an elderly male relative".
Anyway, the point is that this fellow wrote in the margin of a copy of Moby Dick, "Get on with your story, man!"
The reason for this digression (can you digress if you haven't even begun yet?) is that I couldn't agree more with that sentiment. As I've often noted in reviews, along with good writing, pacing is hugely important to me as a reader. I like my stories to move along. They can circle back on themselves from time to time, but I'm not typically happy when a writer savors a moment indefinitely.
That is not something to worry about in this series. In each book Herron takes us at breakneck speed through the misadventures of the "Slow Horses", MI5 agents who have been jettisoned from normal spook activities and put into storage at Slough House. The goal of this quasi-hibernation is to save themselves, and "the Service" from their personal foibles, whether these take the form of sundry addictions, poor judgments, PTSD, or a general lack of awareness of how the world works.
And yet, in each book this motley crew (an actual good use of that trite phrase, I think) manages to get into the thick of the action, often working counter to the desired outcomes of the "real" spooks as they strive to make the world safe for - well, for whom can sometimes be unclear, but whatever it is, it's better than the alternative.
The plot of this book revolves around a former spook who is now in his senior years and struggling with dementia. He's also the grandfather of one of the denizens of Slough House. Does the OB (Old Bastard) still know what he's doing? Are his memories there, and if they are, are they accurate? Who might want to resolve that matter by taking him out of the picture completely?
In fairness to the brilliant Mick Herron, he manages to draw sincere and insightful portraits of the Slow Horses as he barrels through the plots. We feel compassion for their struggles to overcome the personal failings that landed them in Slough House because Herron describes them so vividly. I'm reminded of a unicyclist spinning a plate on a stick. It's dazzling, but how do they do that without the bike falling over or the plate falling off? IDK, but in Herron's case, the reader benefits.
For listeners, this series is narrated by the incomparable Gerard Doyle. Enough said.
Anyway, the point is that this fellow wrote in the margin of a copy of Moby Dick, "Get on with your story, man!"
The reason for this digression (can you digress if you haven't even begun yet?) is that I couldn't agree more with that sentiment. As I've often noted in reviews, along with good writing, pacing is hugely important to me as a reader. I like my stories to move along. They can circle back on themselves from time to time, but I'm not typically happy when a writer savors a moment indefinitely.
That is not something to worry about in this series. In each book Herron takes us at breakneck speed through the misadventures of the "Slow Horses", MI5 agents who have been jettisoned from normal spook activities and put into storage at Slough House. The goal of this quasi-hibernation is to save themselves, and "the Service" from their personal foibles, whether these take the form of sundry addictions, poor judgments, PTSD, or a general lack of awareness of how the world works.
And yet, in each book this motley crew (an actual good use of that trite phrase, I think) manages to get into the thick of the action, often working counter to the desired outcomes of the "real" spooks as they strive to make the world safe for - well, for whom can sometimes be unclear, but whatever it is, it's better than the alternative.
The plot of this book revolves around a former spook who is now in his senior years and struggling with dementia. He's also the grandfather of one of the denizens of Slough House. Does the OB (Old Bastard) still know what he's doing? Are his memories there, and if they are, are they accurate? Who might want to resolve that matter by taking him out of the picture completely?
In fairness to the brilliant Mick Herron, he manages to draw sincere and insightful portraits of the Slow Horses as he barrels through the plots. We feel compassion for their struggles to overcome the personal failings that landed them in Slough House because Herron describes them so vividly. I'm reminded of a unicyclist spinning a plate on a stick. It's dazzling, but how do they do that without the bike falling over or the plate falling off? IDK, but in Herron's case, the reader benefits.
For listeners, this series is narrated by the incomparable Gerard Doyle. Enough said.
August 26, 2018
My favourite instalment of this first-rate series, so far.
A few months have passed since the goings-on of Real Tigers, and the fallout from those events, in terms of personnel, is massive. In the intervening months the slow horses haven't seen much of their boss, Jackson Lamb, and nothing at all of their colleague, Catherine Standish. But Moira Tregorian has taken over Standish's office with a view to straightening out Slough House's administration, and a basically mute JK Coe from The List: A Novella is sharing River's office. Elsewhere in the Service, new characters Whelan and Flyte have been brought in to take over key roles.
The action begins with a BANG! - a suicide bomber in a crowded London shopping centre. But from then on, the intrigue becomes very internally focussed, hinging on the exploits of David Cartwright 20 years earlier when he was First Desk in all but name. This is most unfortunate, because as River confides in Louisa, there is a fear that the senior Cartwright's mind and memory are failing him.
As the deceptions pile up and the body count rises, readers might wonder if anyone is going to make it through to the end!
So this time the slow horses aren't just roped into the action; it's actually about them, and I think this is why I enjoyed the book even more than the previous instalments. I am totally invested in their story, so I was on the edge of my seat, trying not to chew my nails, turning the pages as quickly as I could (are you getting the picture?) to see how this was going to be resolved.
A thoroughly satisfying addition to the Slough House series.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy to read and review.
A few months have passed since the goings-on of Real Tigers, and the fallout from those events, in terms of personnel, is massive. In the intervening months the slow horses haven't seen much of their boss, Jackson Lamb, and nothing at all of their colleague, Catherine Standish. But Moira Tregorian has taken over Standish's office with a view to straightening out Slough House's administration, and a basically mute JK Coe from The List: A Novella is sharing River's office. Elsewhere in the Service, new characters Whelan and Flyte have been brought in to take over key roles.
The action begins with a BANG! - a suicide bomber in a crowded London shopping centre. But from then on, the intrigue becomes very internally focussed, hinging on the exploits of David Cartwright 20 years earlier when he was First Desk in all but name. This is most unfortunate, because as River confides in Louisa, there is a fear that the senior Cartwright's mind and memory are failing him.
As the deceptions pile up and the body count rises, readers might wonder if anyone is going to make it through to the end!
So this time the slow horses aren't just roped into the action; it's actually about them, and I think this is why I enjoyed the book even more than the previous instalments. I am totally invested in their story, so I was on the edge of my seat, trying not to chew my nails, turning the pages as quickly as I could (are you getting the picture?) to see how this was going to be resolved.
A thoroughly satisfying addition to the Slough House series.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy to read and review.
Read
February 23, 2019Another terrific installment in this series. I'm plugging this to everyone as Christopher Brookmyre meets John le Carre, which seems fair: the spy stuff is nasty and multi layered and morally bleak, the enemy is very much within all the time, the body count is brutal, including regular series characters, to keep you on your toes. It's also laugh-out-loud funny, if extremely dark, with gloriously nasty dialogue and some brilliant narrative jokes. (Roddy Ho, consigned to oblivion in Slough House not because he's a screw up but simply because he's an utterly intolerable person, starts his day by going to Amazon and leaving a one-star review on a randomly selected book. I knew it.)
Jackson Lamb is a gargoyle who always says the worst and most offensive possible thing, but there is also a deep (very deep, needs mining equipment) vein of humanity running through these that sucks you in to the ongoing story of the slow horses as much as the twisty plots. Hugely readable.
Jackson Lamb is a gargoyle who always says the worst and most offensive possible thing, but there is also a deep (very deep, needs mining equipment) vein of humanity running through these that sucks you in to the ongoing story of the slow horses as much as the twisty plots. Hugely readable.
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December 10, 2023
A solid 4-Stars for Spook Street - "I Really Liked It"
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