The plethora of streaming services in the entertainment industry has led to a wide variety of content, and many TV shows have their origins in literature. This is precisely the case with the acclaimed spy thriller series on Apple TV+, Slow Horses. As I approached the first season's conclusion, I realized it was adapted from Mick Herron's 2010 novel of the same name. Eager to experience the original source material without spoiling the show's conclusion, I paused my viewing and delved into the book instead.
The world is filled with stories of heroic secret agents who save the day. From James Bond to Jason Bourne, these thrilling adventures capture our imaginations, creating a romanticized view of espionage. But what about the agents who mess up? Indeed, not every mission goes as planned, let alone is successful. No, there are inevitably a few mishaps here and there, and those responsible for them must be handled with care. In the case of Britain's MI5, the "slow horses," as they're called, find themselves separated from the rest of the force, consigned to the disheveled Slough House—a last resort where the blacklisted agents will spend the remainder of their careers doing nothing more than busywork.
Slough House is the last place River Cartwright ever thought he would find himself. As the grandson of a decorated agent, he believed he would follow in his grandfather's legendary footsteps. Unfortunately, River was betrayed by a colleague and bungled a critical mission. Now, he stands on the steps of Slough House, left to try to pick up the pieces of his shattered career. When a young Pakistani student is kidnapped by a far-right group that plans to live-stream their victim's murder, River sees this as an opportunity to honor his duty and redeem himself. It won't be easy, especially as he is meant to remain in the shadows as a pencil pusher for the rest of his career, but River will stop at nothing to try to regain his spot as an agent.
In Slow Horses, Mick Herron envisions a group of antiheroes I couldn't help but cheer for. Unlike the polished agents in Ian Fleming's world, they are a band of misfits, each selfishly striving to escape the purgatory of Slough House and return to the glory of being an active agent. After a compelling start, the novel takes some time to find its footing. I'll confess to feeling a bit weary as Herron introduced each of the "slow horses" and the various elements of the plot. Around the halfway point, however, the story's trajectory began to unfold, and I could not put the book down. The characters bring a wit that injects much-needed levity into the weightier subject matter, resulting in a thrilling read and a promising start to the series.
For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads.
(2024, 18)
It's that whole band of misfits thing that makes me want to read this one. Plus, so many other trusted bloggers have praised this book and this series, which is why I've already got this one on my TBR list. Great review, Ethan! :D
ReplyDeleteThey make for a compelling group of characters!
DeleteHerron is one of those authors that I've seen pass through my hands at the bookstore so many times I've kind of grown desensitized. There MUST be a reason these books fly off the shelves, but if I see them enough, I forget to add to my TBR! I might need to check this one out.
ReplyDeleteI'm in the same boat. I had seen his books, but never read them until now!
DeleteI am very very bad with slow beginnings.
ReplyDeleteThe humor in this one helped sustain me through the slower parts.
DeleteI haven't read the books but we love the series.
ReplyDeleteKaren @For What It's Worth
I've finished season one and am trying to decide if I want to continue reading the books or not before watching the next season. Gary Oldman is so good in it!
DeleteI won't read a book after I have seen an adaptation. Hopefully there were some surprises in there for you. Though it sounds like you really enjoyed it regardless of how much you knew before hand.
ReplyDeleteI will say, the show moved things along much faster. I think I prefer the series to the book, though both are fun.
DeleteMick Herron's Slow Horses in the Slough House anti-Bond series is brilliant on screen and paper and it is great news to see a splendid new author challenging the Fleming, Cornwell and Deighton claims to be emperor of the espionage fiction throne. No doubt British Intelligence will be annoyed that such an anti-Bond production can succeed as, of course, was the case with Harry Palmer in the films based on Len Deighton's novels.
ReplyDeleteAnother not dissimilar anti-Bond film production might be on its way based on TheBurlingtonFiles series of spy novels but unlike the Slough House series and Len Deighton's works it is more fact based than fiction. Interestingly, the protagonist in TheBurlingtonFiles has been likened to a posh Harry Palmer with a dry sense of humour akin to that of Jackson Lamb.
The first thriller in TheBurlingtonFiles series was called "Beyond Enkription". It was released in 2014. The remaining five volumes in the series have been stalled for "legal and security" reasons. Nevertheless, Beyond Enkription is an intriguing unadulterated stand-alone thriller and a super read as long as you don’t expect John le Carré’s delicate diction, sophisticated syntax and placid plots.
Beyond Enkription has been heralded by one US critic as “being up there with My Silent War by Kim Philby and No Other Choice by George Blake”. Little wonder, unlike Slow Horses, Beyond Enkription is mandatory reading on some countries’ intelligence induction programs.
Thanks for sharing!
DeleteI haven't seen the show or read the book but it does sound good.
ReplyDeleteI think you'd enjoy the show!
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