Our book group choice for October 2023 is Slow Horses by Mick Herron. Slow Horses is a darkly humorous spy thriller by Mick Herron, following a dysfunctional team of British intelligence agents who have been relegated to Slough House, a dumping ground department of MI5.
The team is led by the brilliant but irascible Jackson Lamb (played by Gary Oldman in the Apple TV+ adaptation), who is known for his unorthodox methods and his fondness for whiskey.
The Slow Horses are all misfits who have made career-ending mistakes, but they are also some of the best spies in the business. In the first novel in the Slough House series, Lamb and his team are tasked with investigating the kidnapping of a young Pakistani student. The student is the son of a high-ranking government official, and the stakes are high. If the student is not rescued, it could have disastrous consequences for Anglo-Pakistani relations.
Lamb and his team quickly realize that they are dealing with a sophisticated and ruthless adversary. They must use all of their skills and experience to stay one step ahead of the kidnappers and save the student before it’s too late.
The Slow Horses series is known for its sharp wit, its complex characters, and its realistic portrayal of the world of espionage.
Discussion Questions
- How was the reading experience? Did you read ebook, physical book or audio?
- The opening chapter is very effective, very tense. Did the change of pace in the following chapters have an effect on your experience? What purpose do you think the author intended/ was served by the change of pace?
- Did you think the disaster of ‘crashing Kings Cross’ was real? How did that make you feel about River? Did finding out it wasn’t real feel like a copout or diminish him as a hero?
- The way that the book is introduced is by a ghostly narrator on the bus, looking in the windows. It’s been written the author got the idea for the book while on a bus. What do you think he was aiming by departing so abruptly from River’s viewpoint?
- What did you think of Jackson Lamb’s team-building skills?
- The Slow Horses visit the cemetery where William Blake is buried. Blake wrote a poem called The Lamb, does this shed any light on Jackson?
- The narration moves from person to person but with some important omissions, did you notice any?
- Taverners’ plot is deeply flawed as well as being unethical. Even if it had succeeded how would Hassan’s uncle react if he ever found out?
- What other flaws did her plan have?
- How would you define Moscow Rules vs London Rules?
- Would you read another in the series?
- Would you recommend it? To whom?
Individual Ratings
Kelby's Rating 
Catherine's Rating
Sue's Rating
EmmaT's Rating 
Jo's Rating
Willow's Rating
DKB's Rating