Enjoyed this second novel in the Slow Horses series even more than the first. Very creative plot twists, and a lovely full-circle beginning and ending. Gerard Doyle is a fantastic narrator - very Gaiman-esque! He reads Jackson Lamb with perfection. ( )

This was fair, but a bit of a let-down from the first book. The characters had originally been set up as kinda losers, the anti-dream-team, but they ended up showing they were better than those low expectations, and it was fun to watch that unfold, surprising even themselves sometimes, succeeding when given a second chance. But in this book, over and over they just waltzed right into danger in some ridiculous way, or were really terrible at a basic spy skill. It made them seem like just a bunch of random office workers thrown into crazy circumstances, rather than genuinely trained operatives who were just cast out of good standing for one reason or another. I felt kind of frustrated or embarrassed for them, which wasn't nearly so fun. A couple managed to buck the trend, and I felt sorta proud of them, but on the whole it made the group seem like amateur sleuths just winging it. I need to believe that even if they've lost their edge or are flawed in some way, they were genuinely capable enough to be hired in the first place.

The characters are continuing to grow on me though, and I chuckled many times. I will continue with the series. ( )

What is the connection between a dead ex-spy (a minor one but still a spy) and a Russian oligarch talking to the Secret Service? None at the surface but as Herron opens the novel with both of these, you know they will connect (one of those days an author will actually be brave enough to leave some events unconnected... and probably get crucified by the reviewers for it).

The dead man appears to have died from natural causes but Lamb is not convinced (and neither is the reader as we see the old man chasing after a ghost from the past in the form of a Russian thug). Meanwhile Spider (aka James Webb) is so sure that he is the best thing since sliced bread that he throws all regulations out of the window and organizes a meeting with a Russian oligarch on its own, fully believing that he is controlling the situation. He even gets Louisa Guy and Min Harper to help - Slough House is a safe place these days with the audit going on in the big house at Regent's Park. Add to that the daily life of Slough House itself and the rest of the spies there (including River who gets to visit the old man again - and get some relevant stories from him) and an old story from the Cold War and the stage is set for the disaster to follow. Because that's British Intelligence - there will be a disaster, often of their own making.

I liked the first book well enough but I found this one to have a better pacing. Part of it is that it did not need as much introduction and backstory - there is some (inevitable) but with the first book there, it did not need to carry as much baggage. Just as with the first book, Herron is not afraid to kill characters who appear to be invulnerable (at this point, anyone but River and Lamb appear to be fair game although I suspect that a few more may actually be safe-ish). Some of the other side may also have a chance to make it through the whole series - Spider for example...

If you expect something like James Bond, look elsewhere. While there is some action in this book, it is a lot more about the craft and the tedious parts of the job than the chase and the explosions. And don't expect a linear story where everything is served on a platter to the reader - all the loose ends are tied by the end but the story is built like a puzzle in some places, with pieces of at least 20 other puzzles thrown in to misdirect and confuse. And then one of those seemingly wrong pieces snaps into place.

The series is going very strong in this early installment and I plan to get to the next one very soon. ( )

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