Spring 2021WX Issue 91 $2.50 Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine MICK HERRON The Slough House Universe Reviews WX Columns WX New Books WX What’s New in U.K. WX Articles 2 Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Mick Herron’s Slough House Universe uch like the best sci-fi writers, Spy. When you get right down to it, the MMick Herron has created an series is about fascinating people and ever-expanding universe with its own how they interact, with a bit of danger unique language, which fi nds at its thrown in to spice things up. Th at is why center two buildings – Regent’s Park it has become so popular with readers and Slough House. In Regent’s Park, it with a wide range of tastes – and not is the best of times; in Slough House, it just spy fi ction afi cionados. Novellas is the worst of times. Regent’s Park is Th ese all feature John Batchelor, a where the elite of Britain’s MI5 intelli- Mick Herron’s Slough milkman (babysitter of retired spies). gence service is housed. All its members Th e List (2015). Dieter Hess, an aged are seemingly ambitious and have clear House Bibliography spy, is dead, and John Bachelor, his MI5 paths to climb, but at Slough House, handler, is in deep, deep trouble. Death where MI5 sends its rejects and screw- Novels (Plot summaries can be has revealed that the deceased had been ups, there is a general malaise and a found below in the individual reviews of keeping a secret second bank account— feeling of utter failure – a hole that there the books) and there’s only ever one reason a spy is no climbing out of. Its inhabitants, SLOW HORSES (2010) has a secret second bank account. Th e called “Slow Horses,” know that they DEAD LIONS (2013) question of whether he was a double can never get back into the good graces REAL TIGERS (2016) agent must be resolved, and its answer of Regent’s Park and must live out their SPOOK STREET (2017 may undo an entire career’s worth of days doing mundane and unimportant LONDON RULES (2018) spy secrets. assignments. It is either that or quit, JOE COUNTRY (2019) Th e Marylebone Drop (2018). Old and some eventually do that as well. SLOUGH HOUSE (2021) spooks carry the memory of tradecraft Th is arrangement enables MI5 to side- in their bones, and when Solomon Dort- step any legal hassle and tribunal threats mund sees an envelope being passed for wrongful termination. And this way from one pair of hands to another in a the downgraded spies can be kept on a Marylebone café, he knows he’s wit- short leash to make sure any secrets they nessed more than an innocent encoun- may know are not shared with undesir- ter. But in relaying his suspicions to ables. Th eir tasks are menial and ones John Bachelor, who babysits retired spies that can cause no harm. But… some- like Solly for MI5, he sets in motion a how, someway the Slow Horses seem train of events that will alter lives. to manage to get mixed up in serious Th e Catch (2020). John Bachelor is matters, much to our delight as readers. the saddest kind of spy: not a joe in the Th ese novels are billed as being es- fi eld, not even a desk jockey, but a milk- pionage novels – and they certainly are, man—a part-time pension administra- but there is perhaps even more space in tor whose main job is to check in on ag- them devoted to the inner workings of ing retired spies. Late in his career and MI5 than to any spy-on-spy espionage – having lost his wife, his house, and his especially the friction between Regent’s savings aft er a series of unlucky choic- Park and Slough House. So if you are es, John's been living in a dead man's expecting a traditional “spy story” in London apartment, hoping the bureau- each book you may be disappointed. It cracy isn't going to catch up with him is perhaps closer to the TV program Th e and leave him homeless. But keeping a Offi ce than to Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, secret among spies is a fool's errand, and -----------------------------------------------------------------------Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine 3 now John has made himself eminently stationed principally in the Zoo (Berlin). blackmailable. Lamb is a chain-smoker who is over- weight, slovenly irreverent, politically The Characters incorrect to the max, insulting, fl atulent and dismissive. His only redeeming qualities seem to be a sly cunning, an To understand and enjoy the Slow impressive memory and a fi erce protec- Horses series, it is essential to get these tiveness of his domain and his “joes,” characters clear in one’s mind. It as he refers to his Slow Horses. Lamb is makes the reading of the novels much totally unpredictable and oft en makes smoother. If you are just starting the deductions that rival those of Sherlock series (with SLOW HORSES), it will Holmes. Mick Herron admits that be helpful to have this character list Jackson Lamb was inspired by Reginald close at hand. Hill’s Andy Dalziel. Along the way, the Slough House Universe adds some characters and sheds others. It can be dangerous to be “I look at Jackson Lamb and a Slow Horse. think: My God, did I write that? My mother reads this stuff !” – At Slough House Mick Herron most other ways.” Slough House inhabitants are known All the residents of Slough House, as “Slow Horses.” Slough House is a “Nobody left Slough House at when they fi rst arrive at their new character in and of itself. Th e word the end of a working day feeling assignment, are initially suspected to be “Slough” rhymes with bow wow. like they’d contributed to the plants sent to spy on the Slow Horses for Slough House is located on Alders- Dame Ingrid Tearney or Diana Tavern- gate Street right next to the Barbican security of the nation. Th ey left er, the heads of Regent’s Park. Station in London. Th e run-down, it feeling like their brains had four-story building is situated between been fed through a juicer.” Roderick Ho is a computer whiz a newsagent and a Chinese restaurant. but socially obnoxious. Hacking skills One doesn’t enter from the single, At the core of this series are some – 99%, people skills – zero. Ho is sent nondescript door on the street, but must major continuing characters and the to the Slow Horses not because he did go around to the back to gain access names of these prominent characters anything wrong but because no one can through a door that always sticks. At appear in larger red type. stand to be around him. Ho exhibits the beginning of DEAD LIONS a stray some sociopathic tendencies and has an Siamese cat takes us on a tour of the Jackson Lamb, easily the world’s imaginary (or is she?) girlfriend named building. In SLOUGH HOUSE, we worst boss, was a noted Cold War spy, Kim. Self-awareness is not his strong see the building through the eyes of an suit. Ho thinks he’s “cool,” but he’s ob- imaginary estate agent describing it to a viously not. Jackson Lamb skewers him prospective buyer (a tough sell). when mention of Ho having a girlfriend comes out: “Slough House was a branch of the Service, certainly, but “And this is an actual rela- ‘arm’ was pitching it strong. As tionship? Not an abduction? was ‘fi nger’, come to that; fi n- Well well well.’ gers could be on the button or Lamb dropped the appalled on the pulse. Fingernails, now: expression, and beamed round those, you clipped, discarded, at the company. ‘See what you and never wanted to see again. can achieve with a little appli- So Slough House was a fi nger- Gary Oldman cation?’ nail of the Service: a fair step as Jackson Lamb He patted Ho on the shoul- from Regent’s Park geographi- der. ‘It does me good to see you cally, and on another planet in rise above your disability.’ 4 Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ‘I don’t have a disability,’ Ho ond novel, DEAD LIONS. She is in her (may contain spoilers): said. 30s and apparently is quite attractive. J.K. Coe, wears a hoodie and plays an “air” keyboard while listening to his ‘Th at’s the spirit. “ Min Harper left a classifi ed disk on a IPod. He is a strange bloke, but surpris- train and as a result wound up at Slough ingly insightful. He has serious mental Catherine Standish is an alcohol- House. He is divorced with two chil- health issues that seem to ameliorate ic who was former secretary to the head dren. Min teams up with Louisa Guy. when he commits extreme violence. of MI5 (Charles Partner). She is the administrative force that keeps Slough Struan Loy is the Slough House “As far as River and the other House running. Catherine was not joker and possibly a plant by Diana denizens of Slough House are relegated to Slough House but came at Tavener. the request of Jackson Lamb. She sees it concerned, JK Coe is a riddle as penance for past sins and her alcohol- Sid Baker is a young, attractive wrapped in a mystery inside an ism, and soldiers on with quiet dignity agent who is sent to the Slow Horses enigma, the whole package then and a deep sense of loneliness.