Diana Taverner, First Desk at MI5, is using an old spy network to do her dirty work. When she tries to involve the slow horses in her scheme, things don't go quite to plan.
I managed to read Bad Actors at the start of the month, bringing me up to date with the Slough House series in preparation for the release of book 9 in September. I was over the moon when the publishers gave me access to an early copy for review. In Clown Town, author Mick Herron takes his time to meticulously set up the narrative, very much like setting up a chessboard to resume a game that is partway through.
As the pieces are carefully positioned, ready for battle to commence, we see Diana Taverner seeking help from Jackson Lamb, something which is unheard of. Taverner is in trouble with HR and needs Lamb to get one of his slow horses to find out who has made accusations against her. Academics are studying the books left behind by David Cartwright, but one has gone missing, and there's something strange about it. Peter Judd is leaning on Diana Taverner to coerce government ministers to look favorably on Chinese interests. And, an old group of spies is trying to blackmail MI5.
With the board set, pieces are slowly moved, and everyone's aim seems to be to take the queen. Fans of the series will be well aware that Diana Taverner is really only motivated by self-preservation. In her dealings with the group of retired spies, we get a real glimpse of how savage she can be in protecting her own interests.
Mick Herron has made a number of timely pop culture references, some are hilarious and others are scathing. I regularly found myself laughing out loud, mainly because of the antics of Roddy Ho, who seems to be more delusional with every book, and the deliberate malapropisms of Jackson Lamb.
The slow horses themselves are acting independently of each other as usual, frequently impulsively and often clashing. When they insert themselves into the carefully choreographed game of chess, all hell breaks loose, and it becomes more like a frantic game of hungry hippos, with devastating consequences. We're then kept in suspense as to the actual outcome of the disaster. I found myself hoping for the best but preparing for the worst. Long-time fans know not to become too attached to any particular characters as slow horses are not bulletproof.
We're given a very brief glimpse into what makes Jackson Lamb tick when Catherine Standish realises that he's burdened by a debt he's spent most of his life trying to pay off, but no one knows what the debt is or how he acquired it. This heavy burden goes a long way to explaining the shocking conclusion.
Clown Town by Mick Herron will be published on 11th September 2025 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Baskerville for a review copy.
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