My spouse and I recently started watching the Apple TV+ series based on this book and its sequels. I’ve loved the show, so when she and kiddo were at a local library on Thursday, they grabbed the book for me.

I’m a big fan of John Le Carré, and this feels like a worthy modern successor. It’s crafty and smart, but even more than Le Carré, Herron leans into the ugly parts of the profession and the people who embrace those parts rather than try to maintain honor and dignity.

As much as I loved the book, I might be enjoying the series better. The actors are great and lend more personality to the characters than the book did. That said, I plan to continue reading the series—I even stopped midway through this review to check out the second book on Libby, an ebook library app.

• Slow Horses
• Mick Herron
• Slough House
• John Le Carré
• public libraries
• libraries
• Libby