Jackson Lamb
The abrasive, unconventional head of Slough House, where MI5 sends agents whose careers have gone wrong.
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Slow Horses — Book 1/Season 1
by Mick Herron
✓ No spoilers
Spoiler-Free Character Guide
Slough House is where Britain's MI5 sends intelligence officers who have made serious mistakes. Known as the Slow Horses, these disgraced agents are assigned tedious tasks under the leadership of the foul-mouthed, unpredictable Jackson Lamb.
Among them is River Cartwright, a young agent determined to rebuild his career after a disastrous training exercise. When a dangerous situation unfolds in London, the misfits of Slough House find themselves drawn into a real intelligence operation.
Slow Horses is a darkly humorous espionage thriller about failed careers, institutional rivalries and spies who may be more capable than their superiors believe.
Among them is River Cartwright, a young agent determined to rebuild his career after a disastrous training exercise. When a dangerous situation unfolds in London, the misfits of Slough House find themselves drawn into a real intelligence operation.
Slow Horses is a darkly humorous espionage thriller about failed careers, institutional rivalries and spies who may be more capable than their superiors believe.
Characters
Key characters in Slow Horses — Book 1/Season 1, with a brief guide to who they are.
Struan Loy
An MI5 agent assigned to Slough House after a career-damaging mistake.
Sid Baker
A capable, observant agent assigned to Slough House who works alongside River Cartwright.
River Cartwright
A young MI5 officer sent to Slough House after a disastrous training exercise. Determined to prove himself.
Min Harper
A Slough House agent whose career suffered after a serious security mistake.
Louisa Guy
An MI5 officer working at Slough House. Practical, sharp and frustrated by her assignment.
Roddy Ho
Slough House’s computer specialist. Technically gifted, confident and often irritating to his colleagues.
Catherine Standish
The administrator at Slough House, responsible for keeping the office running despite its difficult boss.
Diana Taverner
A senior MI5 official at Regent’s Park, known for her political instincts and authority.
David Cartwright
River’s grandfather and a former senior intelligence officer, with deep knowledge of MI5.
About Slow Horses
Slow Horses is the first novel in Mick Herron's acclaimed Slough House espionage series, originally published in 2010. The books offer a darkly comic alternative to traditional spy thrillers, focusing on intelligence officers whose careers have gone badly wrong.
The fictional Slough House is a shabby London office where disgraced MI5 agents are sent to perform tedious, often meaningless assignments. Their headquarters contrasts sharply with MI5's prestigious Regent's Park offices.
In 2022, Slow Horses was adapted into an Apple TV+ series starring Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb, Jack Lowden as River Cartwright and Kristin Scott Thomas as Diana Taverner.
The series is particularly notable for its mixture of espionage, office politics, sharp dialogue and distinctly British humour. Rather than presenting its spies as glamorous heroes, it explores the mistakes, rivalries and personal shortcomings of people working within the intelligence services.
The fictional Slough House is a shabby London office where disgraced MI5 agents are sent to perform tedious, often meaningless assignments. Their headquarters contrasts sharply with MI5's prestigious Regent's Park offices.
In 2022, Slow Horses was adapted into an Apple TV+ series starring Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb, Jack Lowden as River Cartwright and Kristin Scott Thomas as Diana Taverner.
The series is particularly notable for its mixture of espionage, office politics, sharp dialogue and distinctly British humour. Rather than presenting its spies as glamorous heroes, it explores the mistakes, rivalries and personal shortcomings of people working within the intelligence services.
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