Slow Horses (Deluxe Edition) by Mick Herron (English) Paperback Book

Description: Slow Horses (Deluxe Edition) by Mick Herron "First US edition published by Soho Constable, an imprint of Soho Press, in 2010"--Copyright page. FORMAT Paperback LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description THE BOOK BEHIND THE FIRST SEASON OF SLOW HORSES, THE APPLE ORIGINAL SERIES STARRING GARY OLDMAN IN HIS EMMY-NOMINATED ROLE AS JACKSON LAMB. Welcome to the thrilling and unnervingly prescient world of the slow horses. This team of MI5 agents is united by one common bond: Theyve screwed up royally and will do anything to redeem themselves. This deluxe edition of a modern classic includes a foreword by the author, discussion questions for book clubs, and an exclusive short story featuring the slow horses. London, England: Slough House is where washed-up MI5 spies go to while away whats left of their failed careers. The "slow horses," as theyre called, have all disgraced themselves in some way to get relegated there. Maybe they botched an Op so badly they cant be trusted anymore. Maybe they got in the way of an ambitious colleague and had the rug yanked out from under them. Maybe they just got too dependent on the bottle—not unusual in this line of work. One thing they have in common, though, is they want to be back in the action. And most of them would do anything to get there"even if it means having to collaborate with one another. When a young man is abducted and his kidnappers threaten to broadcast his beheading live on the Internet, the slow horses see an opportunity to redeem themselves. But is the victim really who he appears to be? Author Biography Mick Herron is a British novelist and short story writer who was born in Newcastle and studied English at Oxford. He is the author of six books in the Slough House series (Slow Horses, Dead Lions, Real Tigers, Spook Street, London Rules, and the novella The List) and four Oxford mysteries (Down Cemetery Road, The Last Voice You Hear, Why We Die, and Smoke and Whispers), as well as the standalone novels Reconstruction, Nobody Walks and This Is What Happened. His work has won the CWA Gold Dagger for Best Crime Novel, the Steel Dagger for Best Thriller, and the Ellery Queen Readers Award, and been nominated for the Macavity, Barry, Shamus, and Theakstons Novel of the Year Awards. He currently lives in Oxford and writes full-time. Review Praise for Slow HorsesWinner of the 2024 USC Scripter Awards for Best Episodic SeriesParade Magazine 110 Best Thrillers of All TimeLonglisted, Ian Fleming Steel Dagger"The best in a generation, by some estimations, and irrefutably the funniest."—Jill Lepore, The New Yorker"Ill tell you what, to have been lucky enough to play Smiley in ones career; and now go and play Jackson Lamb in Mick Herrons novels—the heir, in a way, to le Carré—is a terrific thing."—Gary Oldman"Set in the Siberia of British intelligence, Mick Herrons 2010 novel manages the rare feat of being comical, suspenseful and perceptive about the less-than-straight line that divides success and failure."—The New York Times"Compulsively readable, tightly plotted."—Los Angeles Times "Love Herrons intricate plots and darkly funny narrative, blending espionage with character-driven drama . . . I recommend reading the books in order before watching the television adaption." —The Globe and Mail"Intricate plotting, full of twists . . . Herron can certainly write a real spy story, with all the misdirection and sleight of hand that requires. But its the surly Slough House mood, the eccentric characters, and Herrons very black, very dry sense of humor that made me read one after the other without a break."—Laura Miller, Slate.com"Its just great fun."—NPR, Morning Edition"[Herrons] cleverly plotted page-turners are driven by dialogue that bristles with one-liners. Much of the humor comes from Herrons sharp eye for the way bureaucracies, whether corporate or clandestine, function and malfunction. The world of Slough House is closer to The Office than to 007."—The Associated Press"A funny, stylish, satirical, gripping story . . . Memorably seedy characters, sharp dialogue, complex plot. Im hooked."—The Guardian "This is blackly funny, tense and worryingly plausible. The most enjoyable British spy novel in years." —Mail on Sunday, Five-star Review"[A] deliciously sleazy and sophisticated spy thriller."—The Irish Times"These are terrific novels. The writing is very good. The sense of humour is there, and theres a certain amount of skepticism as well, which keeps you wanting to read." —J.D. Singh, CBCs The Next Chapter"Subtle, detailed and utterly convincing."—The Crime Review (UK)"Slow Horses is a fine thriller . . . its also a wonderfully funny, farcical, deeply cynical skewering of politics, bureaucrats, turf wars, and the Great Game."—Booklist Praise for Mick Herron"Mick Herron never tells a suspense story in the expected way . . . In Herrons book, there is no hiding under the desk."—The New York Times Book Review "The sharpest spy fiction since John Le Carré."—NPRs Fresh Air "Stylish and engaging."—The Washington Post "[A] masterful thriller . . . The intricate plot, coupled with Herrons breezy writing style, results in superior entertainment that makes most other novels of suspense appear dull and slow-witted by comparison."—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review "Like a good movie . . . grabs the reader from the first page."—Booklist, Starred Review Review Quote Praise for Slow Horses "Its just great fun." --NPR, Morning Edition "A funny, stylish, satirical, gripping story . . . Memorably seedy characters, sharp dialogue, complex plot. Im hooked." --The Guardian "This is blackly funny, tense and worryingly plausible. The most enjoyable British spy novel in years." -- Mail on Sunday , Five-star Review "[A] deliciously sleazy and sophisticated spy thriller." --The Irish Times "These are terrific novels. The writing is very good. The sense of humour is there, and theres a certain amount of skepticism as well, which keeps you wanting to read." --J.D. Singh, CBCs The Next Chapter "Subtle, detailed and utterly convincing." -- The Crime Review (UK) " Slow Horses is a fine thriller . . . its also a wonderfully funny, farcical, deeply cynical skewering of politics, bureaucrats, turf wars, and the Great Game." --Booklist Praise for Mick Herron "Mick Herron never tells a suspense story in the expected way . . . In Herrons book, there is no hiding under the desk." -- The New York Times Book Review "The sharpest spy fiction since John Le Carr Excerpt from Book Chapter 1 This is how River Cartwright slipped off the fast track and joined the slow horses. Eight twenty Tuesday morning, and Kings Cross crammed with what the O.B. called other people : Non-combatants, River. Perfectly honourable occupation in peacetime. He had a codicil. Weve not been at peace since September 14. The O.B.s delivery turning this to Roman numerals in Rivers head. MCMXIV. Stopping, he pretended to check his watch; a manoeuvre indistinguishable from actually checking his watch. Commuters washed round him like water round a rock, their irritation evident in clicking of tongues and expulsions of breath. At the nearest exit - a bright space through which weak January daylight splashed - two of the blackclad achievers stood like statues, their heavy weaponry unremarked by non-combatants, whod come a long way since 1914. The achievers - so called because they got the job done - were keeping well back, as per instructions. Twenty yards ahead was the target. White tee under a blue shirt, River repeated under his breath. Adding details, now, to Spiders skeleton outline: young, male, Middle Eastern looking; the blue shirts sleeves rolled up; the black jeans stiff and new. Would you buy new trousers for a jaunt like this? He stuffed the information away; a question to be asked later. A rucksack on the targets right shoulder listed, suggesting weight. The wire coiled into his ear, like Rivers own, might have been an iPod. Confirm visual. River, touching his left ear with his left hand, spoke quietly into what looked like a button on his cuff. Confirmed. A gaggle of tourists crowded the concourse, their distribution of luggage suggesting they were circling the wagons. River skirted them without taking his eyes off the target, who was heading for the annexe platforms; those which waved off trains towards Cambridge, and points east. Trains generally less packed than the northbound HSTs. Unbidden images arrived: of twisted metal scattered along miles of broken rails. Of trackside bushes lit with flame, and hung with scraps of meat. What you have to bear in mind - the O.B.s words - is that worst sometimes does come to worst. The worst had increased exponentially over the last few years. Two transport cops by a ticket barrier ignored the target but studied River. Dont approach, he warned silently. Dont come anywhere near me. It was the small details on which enterprises foundered. Last thing he wanted was an audible altercation; anything that startled the target. The cops went back to their conversation. River paused, and mentally regrouped. He was of average height, this young man River Cartwright; was fair-haired and pale-skinned, with grey eyes that often seemed inward-looking, a sharpish nose and a small mole on his upper lip. When he concentrated, his brow furrowed in a way that led some to suspect him of puzzlement. Today he wore blue jeans and a dark jacket. But if youd asked him that morning about his appearance, hed have mentioned his hair. Lately, hed favoured a Turkish barber, where they go in close with the scissors, then apply a naked flame to the ears. They give no warning that this is about to happen. River emerged from the chair scoured and scalded like a doorstep. Even now, his scalp tingled in a draught. Without taking his eyes off the target, now forty yards ahead - without, specifically, taking his eyes off the rucksack - River spoke again into his button. Follow. But give him room. If the worst was a detonation on a train, next worst was one on a platform. Recent history showed that people on their way to work were at their most vulnerable. Not because they were weaker. But because there were a lot of them, packed in enclosed spaces. He didnt look round, trusting that the black-clad achievers were not far behind. To Rivers left were sandwich outlets and coffee bars; a pub; a pie stall. To his right, a long train lingered. At intervals along the platform travellers negotiated suitcases through its doors, while pigeons noisily changed rafters overhead. A tannoy issued instructions, and the crowd on the concourse behind River swelled, as individuals broke away. Always, in railway stations, there was this sense of pent-up movement. A crowd was an explosion waiting to happen. People were fragments. They just didnt know it yet. The target disappeared behind a huddle of travellers. River shifted left, and the target appeared again. He passed one of the coffee bars, and a sitting couple triggered a memory. This time yesterday River had been in Islington. His upgrading assessment involved compiling a dossier on a public figure: River had been allocated a Shadow Cabinet Minister whod promptly had two small strokes, and was in a private ward in Hertfordshire. There seemed no process for nominating a substitute, so River had picked one off his own bat, and had followed Lady Di two days straight without being spotted - office/gym/office/wine bar/office/home/coffee bar/office/gym . . . This places logo sparked that memory. Inside his head, the O.B. barked a reprimand: Mind. Job. Same place, good idea? Good idea. The target bore left. Potterville, River muttered to himself. He passed under the bridge, and turned left too. A brief glimpse of overhead sky - grey and damp as a dishcloth - and River was entering the mini-concourse that housed platforms 9, 10 and 11. From its outside wall half a luggage trolley protruded: platform 93/4 was where the Hogwarts Express docked. River passed inside. The target was already heading down Platform 10. Everything speeded up. There werent many people around - the next train wasnt due to leave for fifteen minutes. A man on a bench was reading a paper, and that was about it. River picked up his pace, closing the gap. From behind him came a shift in the quality of the noise - from all-over babble to focused murmur - and he knew the achievers were drawing comment. But the target didnt look back. The target kept moving, as if his intention was to climb into the furthest carriage: white tee, blue shirt, rucksack and all. River spoke into his button again. Said the words - Take him - and began to run. Everybody down! The man on the bench rose to his feet, and was knocked off them by a figure in black. Down! Up ahead, two more men dropped from the trains roof into the targets path. Who turned to see River, arm outstretched, waving him to the floor with the flat of his hand. The achievers were shouting commands: The bag! Drop the bag! Put the bag on the ground, River said. And get to your knees. But I dont - Drop the bag! The target dropped the bag. A hand scooped it up. Other hands grabbed at limbs: the target was flattened, spreadeagled, wiped on the tiles, while the rucksack was passed to River. Who set it carefully on the now vacant bench, and unzipped it. Overhead, an automated message unspooled around the rafters. Would Inspector Samms please report to the operations room. Books, an A4 notepad, a pencil tin. Would Inspector Samms A Tupperware box holding a cheese sandwich and an apple. please report to River looked up. His lip twitched. He said, quite calmly - the operations roo m Search him. Dont hurt me! The boys voice was muffled: he had a faceful of floor, and guns pointing at his head. Target, River reminded himself. Not boy . Target. Would Inspector Samms Search him! He turned back to the rucksack. The pencil tin held three biros and a paperclip. please report to Hes clean. River dropped the tin to the bench and upended the sack. Books, notepad, a stray pencil, a pocket-sized pack of tissues. Details ISBN1641292970 Author Mick Herron Series Slough House Language English Year 2020 ISBN-10 1641292970 ISBN-13 9781641292979 Format Paperback Series Number 1 Country of Publication United States AU Release Date 2020-11-24 NZ Release Date 2020-11-24 US Release Date 2020-11-24 Place of Publication New York UK Release Date 1900-01-01 Publisher Soho Press Inc Publication Date 2020-11-24 Imprint SohoCrime,US Replaces 9781616954161 DEWEY 823.92 Audience General Pages 400 We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. 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