Slow Horses

Herron, Mick. Slow Horses. London: Soho Constableay. 2010. Print.

First Sentences:

This is how River Cartwright slipped off the fast track and joined the slow horses.

Eight twenty Tuesday morning, and King's Cross crammed with what the O.B. called other people: "Non-combatants, River. Perfectly honourable occupation in peacetime." 

He had a codicil. "We've not been at peace since September '14."

Description:

What exactly happens to a James Bond-ish agent of England's elite MI5 intelligence agency if he/she screws up an important assignment? Left an important memory stick on the train? Messed up an arms deal sting? Chased the wrong terrorist so the real suicide bomber was able to blow up an underground tube stop? Each action is an unforgivable display of imperfections that must be addressed by the powers that run MI5.

Well, in Mick Herron's clever, gripping thriller Slow Horses, such foul-up agents are sent to Slough House, a nondescript office building on an unknown street. Here they must carry out "assignments" given by their overweight, sluggish boss, spending their days reviewing thousands of phone messages from ordinary people, delivering packages, going through trash bins for unknown finds, and generally hoping against hope that they will somehow be noticed and moved out of their distinction as a "slow horse" and returned to the thoroughbreds of actual working agents.

Deep down they all know they are stuck in Slough House for the rest of their careers, forgotten, shamed, and hopeless. Even when a prominent teen is captured and threatened with a televised beheading, the slow horses know they won't get in on any of the juicy investigative action.

But wait, there is something suspicious going on. Things and people are not what they seem, from the slow-moving head of Slough House to the bespeckled tech whiz to the second-in-command at MI5 to a suspicious reporter. The beheading threat takes on twist after twist. Some of the slow horses move into action on their own and quietly begin nosing around the case, trying to discover the whereabouts of the captured teen and stop the execution - all without their superiors knowing of their plans. Maybe, just maybe, if they succeed they will get back into the real MI5. But if they fail ...

Slow Horses is a gritty insider look at this interesting scenario and flawed personalities who make up Slough House. One cannot help but sympathize with the embarrassing station held by these slow horses and root for them as they scrape away at evidence and leads in their seemingly futile effort to find and free the captive.

Lots of false leads, betrayels, and complete reversals in this engrossing tale. Definitely a great read. Best of all, author Mick Herron has written two more books about the occupants of Slough House. Can't wait to jump into those.

Happy reading. 

Fred

(See more recommended books)
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If this book interests you, be sure to check out:

Herron, Mick. Nobody Walks

Tom Bettany, a simple meat-packer, walks off his job immediately after receiving a message about his son's death. Bettany, much more than he appears to be, conducts his own investigation into a seamy world where he once existed ... and not everyone is pleased he has returned.. (previously reviewed here)

Herron, Mick. Dead Lions

The return of the shamed Slow Horses who messed up in MI5, this time they find themselves looking into the death of one of their own agents, as well as a possible Russian sleeper cell of terrorists awakening to set in motion dangerous plans involving a Russian oil billionaire. Just great.