Another beautifully crafted Slough House novel by the absolute master of the spy genre, Mick Herron.
The slow horses are again pulled in various directions by the machinations of the corrupt. Jackson Lamb is his usual obnoxious self, and intervenes for reasons typically opaque.
Dry wit and superbly crafted insults drive the narrative, and we are left at times wondering if he too is a slow horse, and there is no point to what he is doing, or if his role is self imposed, and his true motives are deeper.
A brilliant book with unique and descriptive language. The story is great and the characters were well drawn.
I would give it more than five stars if I could, but alas, I am limited to five.
Highly recommended.

Clown Town is the latest book in the Slough Horses series and sees River Cartwright, who is currently off work ill, investigating a mystery connected to his late Grandfather.

All the usual characters and twists & turns that you expect from this series are evident in this the latest book which is another excellent read.

Clown Town by Mick Herron is book 9 in the Slough House series. It is published on 11 September. Thank you to John Murray Press and Netgalley for the early copy. I was so happy to meet up with these wonderful characters again. They bring so much to the story. In fact, a lot of the time, they are the story. You are let in to their thoughts, which are quite often just rambling, but you know they are leading somewhere. Well, you hope they are! This series has a bunch of spies sent to Slough House as they have blotted their copy books. Catherine Standish, River Cartwright and Roddy Ho are my favourites, apart from of course Jackson Lamb. River is on leave, waiting and hoping to be declared fit for work so decides to catalogue his grandfather’s library. One book is discovered to be missing. That is one thread. Others are Diana Taverner the First Desk and her entanglement with Judd and his backers. And those involved in the Pitchfork escapade are planning a revolt. Their mission a few years ago, involving Dougal Malone, has well and truly left its mark. I was laughing in the first couple of pages, even though those pages were quite graphic. The writing is just wonderful with the words weaving their magic. A brilliant read and I kept reading out bits to hubby. I couldn’t keep them to myself.

Another stonking read about the slow horses. Their characters and back stories just keep getting better... book by book; like old friends you just always what to chat with. Loved the dark humour, mingled amongst the spies, the romance and political intrigue. Read, enjoy and revel in true British storytelling.

Flawless narrative, as I have come to expect from this author, in all respects: the settings, the characters, their backstories and their motivations, and the dark humour all contribute to a compelling and entertaining read. The ninth book in the series and there are still rivalries and betrayals to uncover and explore. A sense of the final battle as old friends and enemies take their place on the stage.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.
Highly recommended!

Life doesn't get any easier for the Slow Horses.

It's always tricky, reviewing a Mick Herron book, since anything more than a superficial overview risks giving away the myriad of insights, slow reveals and plot developments that make these books so compelling.

"Clown Town" is book nine in the Slough House series, which shows few signs of slowing, and follows a similar pattern to the previous books. The Slow Horses are still reeling from the events of the previous two books, and are as fragmented as ever. River Cartwright has still to be certified fit for work, and Louisa is contemplating her future. Diana Taverner is First Desk, and still has outstanding business with Peter Judd, and Jackson Lamb is, well Jackson Lamb. The background this time is the infamous Pitchfork murders during the Northern Ireland troubles (although the author hasn't borrowed much more than the name) and when evidence found in the library of River Cartwright's grandfather proves that Diana Taverner was even then causing trouble, she takes steps to apply yet another cover up, to the cost of the Slow Horses.

The story moves along at a pace, as the Horses defy Lamb and common sense by mounting an investigation into the case. Proving that they are still useful members of the security service still means something, even if their attempts are less than stellar. Fans of the series will be pleased to see some familiar faces, including an ex-Dog and archivist Mollie, but it's the growing situations the team face which make the story interesting, as they struggle to make themselves feel useful.

The level of repartee between Lamb and his Slow Horses, Lamb and Taverner, and between the horses themselves, continues to make the books what they are, although there's definitely a darker tone in this one. Change is afoot. The final fifty pages of "Clown Town" are hard-hitting, and perhaps some of the most profound yet in the Slough House series. Once again we get an inkling of the man Jackson Lamb was in his heyday and that he still is a force to be reckoned with.

To get the most out of this book, you really need to have read, at least, the previous two books, if only to fully appreciate the clever way in which Herron drops the names of the books into conversation (also a very nice way of placing the current events into context).

Heartily recommended.

Mick Herron is a master of his craft. As a long time fan of the Slow Horses series, I was chomping at the bit to get my sticky hands on his ninth book detailing Jackson & his gang of misfits. I’m wary of accidentally spoilering others’ enjoyment, so all I will say is read it. But before you read this one, read all of the others & be ready to immerse yourself in the lives of River, Louisa, Shirley & Catherine, to name but a few of Slough House’s reluctant residents. This story is about old sins raising their ugly head, as sins are wont to do. It’s a fabulous read, which I galloped through with the odd intake of breath & sinking of heart. Wonderful ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ .

This is another excellent book in the Slough House series, and it's good to be back with Jackson Lamb and his constant sarcasm. In this book, the arrangement between Diana Taverner and Judd continues to be a problem for her. There is also a blackmail attempt on Diana relating to an old informant and she has to use Lamb's team for information. Roddy Ho is becoming less annoying because he does have useful skills. Shirley and Louisa are great, and I enjoyed the relationship between Sid and River. The writing about politics is current, and so witty. It made a laugh a few times.
Excellent.