Slow Horses

With Slow Horses, Mick Herron introduces us to a cast of quirky British intelligence agents who have been relegated to Slough House, a bureaucratic purgatory for washed-up MI5 spies. When a young man is kidnapped, this group of misfits gets a chance to prove themselves again in the field. Herron combines a clever, intricate plot with irresistibly eccentric characters for an espionage thriller that's subtly satirical yet still filled with real suspense.

We meet River Cartwright, an arrogant young agent whose career is derailed when a training exercise goes horribly wrong. Now parked at Slough House doing pointless busywork with other screw-ups, he bristles at his diminished status. But when the kidnapped boy has a connection to him, River sees an opportunity to redeem himself by solving the case off the books with his eccentric colleagues.

This ragtag group includes classics scholar-turned-spy Roddy Ho, Forensic accountant Catherine Standish, and Jackson Lamb, their irritable, brilliant leader nursing dark secrets of his own. Herron deftly handles multiple storylines as the agents tangle with Russian mobsters and uncover conspiracies. The characters' unique skills and dysfunctions mesh beautifully to unravel the twisty case.

The plot is clever, but the real joy is the sarcastic, witty dialogue between the spies. Herron writes with sharp humor and colorfully animates each character. There's enjoyable friction, banter, and camaraderie between the oddball yet compelling agents. Even Jackson Lamb reveals moving depths beneath his slovenly, obstinate surface.

With its stellar character development, taut suspense, and sparkling wit, Slow Horses is a wonderfully entertaining read. Herron has boldly reinvigorated the espionage thriller with a healthy dose of humor and eccentricity. I eagerly await the next misadventure of these damaged yet brilliant MI5 agents.