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Joe Country

Slough House, Book 6

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Joe Country

By: Mick Herron
Narrated by: Sean Barrett
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*Pre-order Clown Town, the ninth novel in Mick Herron's Slough House series, now*

*Now an award-winning Apple TV+ series starring Gary Oldman, Kristin Scott Thomas and Jack Lowden*

*THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER*

'Sets a new bar for spy fiction' Financial Times

****

In Slough House, the backwater for failed spies, memories are stirring, all of them bad.

Catherine Standish is buying booze again, Louisa Guy is raking over the ashes of lost love, and new recruit Lech Wicinski, whose sins make him outcast even among the slow horses, is determined to discover who destroyed his career, even if he tears his life apart in the process.

With winter taking its grip Jackson Lamb would sooner be left brooding in peace, but even he can't ignore the dried blood on his carpets. So when the man responsible for killing a slow horse breaks cover at last, Lamb sends his crew out to even the score.

This time, they're heading into joe country. And they're not all coming home.

'The go-to author for British espionage' Guardian

'Bitingly intelligent, light of touch and frequently hilarious' Observer

(P)2019 Hodder & Stoughton Limited©2019 Mick Herron Crime Thrillers Espionage Fiction Political Spies & Politics Suspense Thriller Thriller & Suspense Crime Scary Witty Mystery
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Continue the series
Clown Town cover art
Clown Town By: Mick Herron

Critic reviews

Herron does not seek to be John le Carre - his is a wryer, more ironic style; faster, more down to earth, with rapid prose that grabs you by the throat. If you haven't read him yet, do so now
The best thriller writer in Britain today
This series is bitingly intelligent, light of touch and frequently hilarious
Mick Herron is fast becoming the go-to author for British espionage . . . Aficionados can expect Herron's trademark snappy dialogue, memorably flawed characters and sharp political observation
Herron is superior to the vast majority of thriller writers at their best, and there's no shortage here of reliable treats ranging from messy, inept gunfights to brutally sarcastic dialogue
Every bit as captivating as its predecessors . . . like a pin-sharp sitcom that happens to include murder and high politics, they purr along on the gracelessness and ineptitude of the self-deluding Slow Horses, the unmatchable Lamb, and the crackling writing that has made all six in the series unmissable
A delight - an ingeniously plotted thriller, delivered in bone dry, sublimely sardonic style
Herron's morbidly witty backdrop hosts incisive storytelling with a rich mix of engaging characters
Well observed, angry and deeply sad, Joe Country is fundamentally about injustice . . . It is a rare novelist who can make such unrelenting misery so funny
Mick Herron's Slough House spy thrillers are by now, one of the least well-kept secrets in espionage fiction. Everyone with even half an eye on the genre knows he is somewhere near the top . . . Herron is a fine, often glorious sentence-by-sentence writer, and fiercely funny with his dialogue . . . a hugely satisfying addition to the series
Herron's running jokes with language are part of the fun, and his corpulent, politically incorrect and scatalogically creative eminence noir Jackson Lamb is the icing on the cake
If you haven't yet immersed yourself in the world of Slough House, the arena for Herron's jaded and thoroughly imperfect spies, you've a treat in store . . . Combining espionage, ennui and deadpan humour, they set a new bar for spy fiction
A complex, accomplished novel by the best thriller writer in Britain today
All stars
Most relevant
Mick Herron is just marvellous, and with the voice of the unrivalled Sean Barret how can this and the books in this series be described as anything but brilliant !

Joe Country

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I've really enjoyed all of the books in this series and had been looking forward to this one, but had been put off by some of the negative reviews saying that the series had gone stale and I didn't want to be disappointed. Finally, in the absence of anything else to listen to, I decided that I'd give it a go, reasoning that anything Sean Barrett narrated couldn't be all bad. I'm so glad I did, I thought it was one of the best in the series. I suppose one listener's "good read" may be another's poison, but (and I might be wrong here), I also think that some of the story may not appeal to some with with a particular political view - however, this isn't a big part of the story. I thought it was clever, exciting, funny, poignant at times, I really enjoyed it.

Brilliant!

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I love all of the Slough House books. They are beautifully read by Sean Barrett. Recommend these stories to any lover of spy novels

Cracking story

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I had listened to all of the previous Jackson Lamb series, and could not wait to listen to this one. I have thoroughly enjoyed the whole series now, and can only hope that there will be more of Jackson Lamb from Nick Herron. All the books have been a great listen, very interesting and funny.

ANOTHER GREAT LISTEN FROM NICK HERRON

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There are no words really to encapsulate the true wonder that is this series of books. I have listened to the whole series twice and will do so again. Gripping, intelligent, darkly funny and all consuming! I became so emotionally invested in the wonderful characters Mick Herron has invented that I’m bereft to leave them behind in this last book. Can’t wait for the next one!! Please tell me there’s a next one!!!!!!! Oh and ....... Mick Herron and Sean Barrett = dream team!!

LOVE! LOVE! LOVE!!!!!!

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