Spook street

Book Cover
Average Rating
Series
Slough House volume 4
Publisher
Varies, see individual formats and editions
Publication Date
Varies, see individual formats and editions
Language
English

Description

What happens when an old spook loses his mind? Does the Service have a retirement home for those who know too many secrets but don’t remember they’re secret? Or does someone take care of the senile spy for good? These are the paranoid concerns of David Cartwright, a Cold War–era operative and one-time head of MI5 who is sliding into dementia, and questions his grandson, River, must figure out answers to now that the spy who raised him has started to forget to wear pants. But River, himself an agent at Slough House, MI5’s outpost for disgraced spies, has other things to worry about. A bomb has detonated in the middle of a busy shopping center and killed forty innocent civilians. The “slow horses” of Slough House must figure out who is behind this act of terror before the situation escalates.

More Details

Contributors
Doyle, Gerard Narrator
Herron, Mick Author
ISBN
9781616958695
9781616956486
161695647
9781616956479
9781501942372

Discover More

Also in this Series

Excerpt

Loading Excerpt...

Author Notes

Loading Author Notes...

Similar Series From Novelist

NoveList provides detailed suggestions for series you might like if you enjoyed this book. Suggestions are based on recommendations from librarians and other contributors.
Though Slough House stars intelligence agents and Martini Club follows a retired spy, these intricately plotted thrillers both feature suspenseful plots peppered with surprising humor. -- Stephen Ashley
While the Detective Inspector Callanach series is much grittier and more gruesome than the witty Slough House series, these suspenseful and intricately plotted books feature protagonists who, despite their outsider status, make impressive headway with their distinct crime-solving capabilities. -- Basia Wilson
These intricately plotted and suspenseful spy fiction series star former (Ingrid) and demoted (Slough House) MI5 agents who continue to investigate conspiracies and crimes for the British government. Both are banter-filled and humorous, though Slough is more cynical than Ingrid. -- Andrienne Cruz
Though Slough House is wittier than the more incisive Red Widow, readers looking for a suspenseful and intricately plotted spy thriller with complex protagonists should check out both intriguing series. -- Stephen Ashley
These witty and suspenseful novels star well-developed unconventional leads -- nursing home retirees (mystery series Thursday Murder Club) and washed-up MI5 agents (thriller series Slough House) who dig up clues in suspicious murders and government intelligence, respectively. -- Andrienne Cruz
Readers looking for suspenseful stories led by sardonic and sympathetic protagonists will find them in noir fiction Happy Doll and spy fiction Slough House. Both deliver an entertaining blend of violence and dark humor. -- Andrienne Cruz
These series have the appeal factors suspenseful, stylistically complex, and intricately plotted, and they have the genres "spy fiction" and "thrillers and suspense"; the subjects "spies," "intelligence service," and "espionage"; and characters that are "complex characters."
These series have the appeal factors intricately plotted, and they have the genres "spy fiction" and "thrillers and suspense"; the subjects "spies," "intelligence service," and "conspiracies"; and characters that are "complex characters."
These series have the genres "spy fiction" and "thrillers and suspense"; and the subjects "spies" and "intelligence service."

Similar Titles From NoveList

NoveList provides detailed suggestions for titles you might like if you enjoyed this book. Suggestions are based on recommendations from librarians and other contributors.
These books have the genre "spy fiction"; and the subjects "secrecy in government," "spies," and "intelligence service."
These books have the genre "spy fiction"; and the subjects "spies," "intelligence service," and "international intrigue."
NoveList recommends "Red widow" for fans of "Slough House". Check out the first book in the series.
These books have the appeal factors suspenseful, fast-paced, and intricately plotted, and they have the genre "spy fiction"; and the subjects "spies," "intelligence service," and "intelligence officers."
These books have the appeal factors intensifying, and they have the genres "thrillers and suspense" and "spy fiction"; and the subjects "spies" and "women spies."
NoveList recommends "Happy Doll" for fans of "Slough House". Check out the first book in the series.
These books have the appeal factors intensifying, and they have the genres "thrillers and suspense" and "spy fiction"; and the subjects "spies," "intelligence service," and "international intrigue."
These books have the genre "spy fiction"; the subjects "spies," "intelligence service," and "double agents"; and characters that are "complex characters."
NoveList recommends "Martini Club" for fans of "Slough House". Check out the first book in the series.
These books have the appeal factors suspenseful, and they have the genres "thrillers and suspense" and "spy fiction"; and the subjects "spies," "terrorism," and "intelligence service."
These books have the genre "spy fiction"; and the subjects "spies," "terrorism," and "intelligence service."
NoveList recommends "Thursday Murder Club novels" for fans of "Slough House". Check out the first book in the series.

Similar Authors From NoveList

NoveList provides detailed suggestions for other authors you might want to read if you enjoyed this book. Suggestions are based on recommendations from librarians and other contributors.
These authors write intricately-plotted and gritty suspense and mystery. Along with complex characters and a strong sense of place, both employ some graphic violence, Dennis Lehane more than Mick Herron, and a fast pace. Readers will enjoy plot twists and red herrings and finally, a satisfactory conclusion. -- Melissa Gray
Mick Herron and Jeffery Deaver's suspense and mystery stories are known for their twisty plots and complex characters. Both take the time to help the reader get to know their characters' psychology and motivations, and put acidic and witty dialogue in their mouths. Deaver tends more towards violence than Herron. -- Melissa Gray
These authors' works have the genre "spy fiction"; the subjects "spies," "intelligence service," and "espionage"; and characters that are "complex characters."
These authors' works have the genre "spy fiction"; the subjects "spies," "intelligence service," and "espionage"; and characters that are "complex characters" and "flawed characters."
These authors' works have the genre "spy fiction"; and the subjects "spies," "intelligence service," and "espionage."
These authors' works have the genre "spy fiction"; and the subjects "spies," "intelligence service," and "espionage."
These authors' works have the genre "spy fiction"; and the subjects "spies," "intelligence service," and "espionage."
These authors' works have the genres "thrillers and suspense" and "spy fiction"; and the subjects "spies," "intelligence service," and "espionage."
These authors' works have the genre "spy fiction"; and the subjects "spies," "intelligence service," and "espionage."
These authors' works have the appeal factors suspenseful, and they have the genres "thrillers and suspense" and "spy fiction"; and the subjects "spies," "intelligence service," and "espionage."
These authors' works have the appeal factors witty, and they have the genre "spy fiction"; and the subjects "spies," "intelligence service," and "espionage."
These authors' works have the appeal factors intensifying, and they have the genres "thrillers and suspense" and "spy fiction"; and the subjects "spies," "intelligence service," and "espionage."

Published Reviews

Booklist Review

*Starred Review* Ella Nygaard's father was convicted of murdering her mother when Ella was seven years old, leaving her in a series of disastrous foster homes. Now a single mother rendered virtually unemployable by panic attacks that often land her in the psychiatric ward, Ella faces losing her son to the same system. Realizing that she has to confront her childhood nightmare, Ella kidnaps Alex from his foster home and takes him to the Danish coastal town where her mother was killed. She abandons years of determined refusal and agrees to live in her grandmother's empty home, painfully aware that her grandmother hopes to mine her memories for evidence of her father's innocence. Her grandmother will be disappointed; Ella has no memories of that night. But, as she slowly opens herself to Barbara, the town's alcoholic resident artist, and Thomas, her closest childhood friend, Ella finds that her mind is slowly releasing glimpses of her family's last night that don't fit the evidence given at her father's trial. Ella's parents' voices are threaded throughout, moving slowly toward the murder and introducing foreboding elements such as her mother's involvement in a darkly zealous religious group, hints of mental illness, and her father's infidelity. The skillfully calibrated atmospheric tension and Ella's realistically awkward struggle toward redemption will appeal to fans of literary suspense like that of Jennifer McMahon and Karin Fossum.--Tran, Christine Copyright 2017 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Powered by Syndetics

Publisher's Weekly Review

In Herron's terrific, and terrifically funny, fourth Slough House novel (after 2016's Real Tigers), London's intelligence teams are on full alert after a suicide bomber kills dozens in a mall. But at Slough House, the home of British spies put out to pasture, the immediate need is to investigate the possible murder of one of its own, River Cartwright, apparently shot while seeing to his grandfather David Cartwright, a former powerful member of the Service, now a paranoid old man. Those in charge quickly figure out the people responsible for the bombing but don't understand the motive. Meanwhile, the Slough House team, led by the despicable Jackson Lamb, tries to figure out who would go after River. The search leads to France and a recently torched commune, an odd ménage of Americans, Russians, and children. The two plot lines slowly converge amid a heady mixture of deadpan humor, deft characterizations, and acute insight ("A loose bullet rips a hole in normality"). The title refers to a suspicious state of mind: "When you lived on Spook Street you wrapped up tight: watched every word, guarded every secret." Agent: Juliet Burton, Juliet Burton Literary Agency (U.K.) (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Powered by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

"Slow horses" (failed spies) are back in the spotlight with a whirlwind descent into the perils of dementia when a deteriorating old spook starts leaking some of his work stories to local tradesmen. Alarmed, his grandson, River Cartwright, consults an office mate. Both of them are members of the despised Slough House unit where agents with "issues" are condemned to slow death by boredom. But not today! The old spook is a linchpin in an American agent's project to create an elite force of provocateurs. An overzealous member of this force freelances a terrorist incident. To keep things quiet, the granddad has to be eliminated. -VERDICT In this fourth breathtaking installment (after Real Tigers) of this lively espionage series, Herron is never wrong-footed. Funny, biting, and devastating in his insights into the culture of espionage and antiterrorism, this supremely confident author devises characters and plots that in other hands would surely turn to mush.-Barbara Conaty, Falls Church, VA © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Powered by Syndetics

Booklist Reviews

*Starred Review* A flash mob gathers in a West London shopping center. The mall suddenly fills with young people; a large boom box appears, and they all begin dancing with abandon. Then a suicide bomber kills the dancers. Meanwhile, at Slough House, where out-of-favor British spies are stabled (picking up from Slow Horses, 2010), River Cartwright is worried about his grandfather, David, who seems to be slipping into dementia. Once a legend among Britain's spooks, David has taken to walking to the store in his pajamas, and he's certain he's being watched. While visiting his grandfather, River discovers a dead man who bears a striking resemblance to River himself, and after depositing David with a friend, he is off to France to determine the identity of the dead man. Herron always has plenty on his mind, and this time his plot is predictably full, with subjects as diverse as dementia, the espionage bureaucracy, the political wars within that bureaucracy, and the nature of contemporary terrorism. His ruminations on these topics are elegantly expressed, and, as always, he delivers sharp-edged dialogue that is quite often savagely funny. All espionage aficionados are—or soon will be—reading Herron. But it's high time, too, that readers of literary fiction embrace him in the way they have John le Carré. Copyright 2017 Booklist Reviews.

Copyright 2017 Booklist Reviews.
Powered by Content Cafe

Booklist Reviews

*Starred Review* Ella Nygaard's father was convicted of murdering her mother when Ella was seven years old, leaving her in a series of disastrous foster homes. Now a single mother rendered virtually unemployable by panic attacks that often land her in the psychiatric ward, Ella faces losing her son to the same system. Realizing that she has to confront her childhood nightmare, Ella kidnaps Alex from his foster home and takes him to the Danish coastal town where her mother was killed. She abandons years of determined refusal and agrees to live in her grandmother's empty home, painfully aware that her grandmother hopes to mine her memories for evidence of her father's innocence. Her grandmother will be disappointed; Ella has no memories of that night. But, as she slowly opens herself to Barbara, the town's alcoholic resident artist, and Thomas, her closest childhood friend, Ella finds that her mind is slowly releasing glimpses of her family's last night that don't fit the evidence given at her father's trial. Ella's parents' voices are threaded throughout, moving slowly toward the murder and introducing foreboding elements such as her mother's involvement in a darkly zealous religious group, hints of mental illness, and her father's infidelity. The skillfully calibrated atmospheric tension and Ella's realistically awkward struggle toward redemption will appeal to fans of literary suspense like that of Jennifer McMahon and Karin Fossum. Copyright 2017 Booklist Reviews.

Copyright 2017 Booklist Reviews.
Powered by Content Cafe

Library Journal Reviews

"Slow horses" (failed spies) are back in the spotlight with a whirlwind descent into the perils of dementia when a deteriorating old spook starts leaking some of his work stories to local tradesmen. Alarmed, his grandson, River Cartwright, consults an office mate. Both of them are members of the despised Slough House unit where agents with "issues" are condemned to slow death by boredom. But not today! The old spook is a linchpin in an American agent's project to create an elite force of provocateurs. An overzealous member of this force freelances a terrorist incident. To keep things quiet, the granddad has to be eliminated. VERDICT In this fourth breathtaking installment (after Real Tigers) of this lively espionage series, Herron is never wrong-footed. Funny, biting, and devastating in his insights into the culture of espionage and antiterrorism, this supremely confident author devises characters and plots that in other hands would surely turn to mush.—Barbara Conaty, Falls Church, VA

Copyright 2017 Library Journal.

Copyright 2017 Library Journal.
Powered by Content Cafe

Publishers Weekly Reviews

In Herron's terrific, and terrifically funny, fourth Slough House novel (after 2016's Real Tigers), London's intelligence teams are on full alert after a suicide bomber kills dozens in a mall. But at Slough House, the home of British spies put out to pasture, the immediate need is to investigate the possible murder of one of its own, River Cartwright, apparently shot while seeing to his grandfather David Cartwright, a former powerful member of the Service, now a paranoid old man. Those in charge quickly figure out the people responsible for the bombing but don't understand the motive. Meanwhile, the Slough House team, led by the despicable Jackson Lamb, tries to figure out who would go after River. The search leads to France and a recently torched commune, an odd ménage of Americans, Russians, and children. The two plot lines slowly converge amid a heady mixture of deadpan humor, deft characterizations, and acute insight ("A loose bullet rips a hole in normality"). The title refers to a suspicious state of mind: "When you lived on Spook Street you wrapped up tight: watched every word, guarded every secret." Agent: Juliet Burton, Juliet Burton Literary Agency (U.K.) (Feb.)

Copyright 2016 Publisher Weekly.

Copyright 2016 Publisher Weekly.
Powered by Content Cafe

Reviews from GoodReads

Loading GoodReads Reviews.

Staff View

Loading Staff View.