THE NINTH BOOK IN THE SERIES BEHIND SLOW HORSES, AN APPLE ORIGINAL SERIES NOW STREAMING ON APPLE TV+ Jackson Lamb and the bad spies of Slough House are caught in a deadly battle between MI5's secret past and its murky future in this gripping, hilarious, and heartbreaking thriller by Mick Herron, “the le Carré of the future” (BBC). “Old spies grow ridiculous, River. Old spies aren’t much better than clowns.” Or so David Cartwright, the late retired head of MI5, used to tell his grandson. He forgot to add that old spies can be dangerous, too, especially if they’ve fallen on hard times—as River Cartwright is about to learn the hard way. David, long buried, has left his library to the Spooks’ College in Oxford, and now it turns out that one of the books has gone missing. Or perhaps it never existed. Now River, once a “slow horse” of Slough House, MI5’s outpost for demoted and disgraced spies, has some time to kill while awaiting medical clearance to return to work, and investigating the secrets of his grandfather’s library seems a harmless activity. But nothing involving the slow horses ever stays harmless for long. Over at the Park, MI5 First Desk Diana Taverner is in a pickle. An operation carried out during the height of the Troubles revealed the ugly side of state security, and those involved are threatening to expose details. But every threat hides an opportunity, and Taverner has come up with a scheme in which the would-be blackmailer is a solution to a much newer problem. All she needs is the right dupe to get caught holding the bag. Jackson Lamb, the enigmatic and odoriferous head of Slough House, does not want any of his joes involved. When Taverner starts plotting mischief people get hurt, and Lamb has no plans to send in the clowns. On the other hand, if the clowns ignore his instructions, any harm that befalls them is hardly his fault. But they’re his clowns. And if they don’t all make it home, there’ll be a reckoning.‘They used to call our shop the Circus. Well if this is a circus, Jackson, you’re in charge of the clowns.’

Old spies grow ridiculous, David Cartwright used to say, but forgot to add they can be dangerous too, especially if they’ve fallen on hard times – as Diana Taverner learns when the past lands on her desk. An operation carried out during the height of the Troubles laid bare the ugly side of state security, and those involved are threatening to expose details. But every threat hides an opportunity, and the would-be blackmailer is soon being used as Taverner’s solution to a much newer problem.

Cartwright himself is long buried, and has left his library to the Spooks’ College, where it turns out that one of the books has gone missing. Or perhaps never existed . . . His grandson, River Cartwright, has time to kill while waiting to be passed fit for work, and investigating the secrets his grandfather’s library hid seems a harmless activity. But nothing involving the slow horses stays harmless for long.

Louisa Guy is pondering her future, but before making any big decisions, she might as well check River’s not about to come a cropper. Shirley Dander is wondering if the new kid, Ash Khan, is as annoying as she seems. Roddy Ho wants the team to know that his tattoo is a hummingbird, and not, as Lech Wicinski claims, a platypus. And Catherine Standish just wants everyone to play nice.

As far as Lamb’s concerned, they should all be at their desks – when Taverner starts plotting mischief people get hurt, and Lamb has no plans to send in the clowns. On the other hand, if the clowns ignore his instructions, any harm that befalls them is hardly his fault.

But they’re his clowns. And if they don’t all come home, there’ll be a reckoning.