Clown Town

Slough House, Book 9

By: Mick Herron

Narrated by: Gerard Doyle

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 Cartwright, long buried, has left his library to the Spooks’ College in Oxford, and now one of the books is missing. Or perhaps it never existed. 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 starts investigating the secrets of his grandfather’s library.

Over at the Park, MI5 First Desk Diana Taverner is in a pickle. 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 Taverner has come up with a scheme. All she needs is the right dupe to get caught holding the bag.

Jackson Lamb, the enigmatic and odiferous head of Slough House, 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.

“Overflowing with gritty action and mordant humor, this is as good as espionage novels get.”—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

©2025 Mick Herron (P)2025 Recorded Books

Narrator

Good storyline; typical Sloughhouse story, steep, and intrigue with characters with whom one is familiar.

Great story. Great narration.

Another Mick Herron & Gerard Doyle book that is audibly dog eared from so many re-reads. This is one of my go-to books to listen to (this or The Secret Hours) when looking for(and struggling to find) the next great title or series.

Damn, this is good!

I keep waiting for him to write a dud…I don’t think he is capable. This is an absolutely fantastic addition to the series, and I get the distinct feeling he is starting to wrap things up. One of only three series I’ve listened to and read more than 3 times…just outstanding! The vocal performance is amazing as always!

the outstanding writing

Gerard Doyle's narration is terrific as usual, with one quibble: he makes the four 70 year olds sound like they're 90--quavering, ancient voices. Too easy a shortcut for making characters sound different and off-putting.

Gripping story, excellent performance by Gerard Doyle

I can drop in at any point and recognize a character by the voice Doyle uses. Fantastic. The story twists and the suspense tightens. But still the humor. Great writing.