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Shortlisted for the CWA Goldsboro Gold Dagger and Ian Fleming Steel Dagger 2016.
Maxim Jakubowski's February 2016 Book of the Month.
The latest instalment in the eventful days and sleepless nights of the denizens of Slough House is another sheer delight. Following on from 'Slow Horses', 'Dead Lions' and the peripheral 'Nobody Walks' this is another venture into the twilight world of second rate, failed spies isolated by their superiors in the backwaters of Slough House where they are assigned to insignificant duties in the hope they will resign without a fuss only to come across cases which help them regain their dignity and tradecraft. As intricate as Le Carre in its depiction of in-house rivalries and the subtlety of intelligence work but leavened with a healthy dose of humour, and in the figure of Jackson Lamb, head of the unit, a fatter than fat and flatulent boss with a Machiavellian disregard for rules. The novel begins, incongruously, with a rooftop battle between Batman and Spiderman but quickly moves on to rivalries within MI5 and the sad lives of some of the characters while Herron wonderfully blends the thriller element and the humane as he orchestrates a most complex but believable plot like a watchmaker. At times darkly hilarious, at others gripping and intense, this confirms Herron and his series as a future classic. Get on board now. ~ Maxim Jakubowski
Maxim Jakubowski
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Mick Herron Press Reviews
'I absolutely loved Real Tigers. It's a decidedly British spy novel written with distinctly American noir panache. Herron has a natural talent for creating and portraying characters that are instantly understandable, relatable, and more than occasionally despicable. A real treat' Roger Hobbs, author of Ghostman
'Beautiful, wicked writing married to a wonderful black cynicism. You won't want to think the world works like this but Herron's version is horribly persuasive Harry Bingham, author of This Thing of Darkness Damn it, this man's good. This is the espionage game stripped of its posturing and played out without a James Bond or a Jason Bourne in sight, but with a keener wit, a telling conscience, and better jokes. I loved it' Helen Giltrow, author of The Distance
'This tale of rogue spies is brilliantly written, excellently plotted and darkly funny. One of the best crime novels of the year' Martyn Waites, author of The Mercy Seat
'Sizzlingly stylish, ferociously funny and fiercely intelligent, Mick Herron has managed to breathe new life into the spy novel. With its deft, elaborate plotting and brilliantly flawed characters, Real Tigers is one hell of a ride' Stav Sherez, author of Eleven Days
'In Real Tigers, Mick Herron has crafted a truly standout spy thriller. Witty, urbane, filled with acute observations, endlessly quotable lines and a cast of wonderfully jaded agents who I look forward to spending time with for many more books to come. An utter delight' Chris Ewan, author of Safe House
About Mick Herron
Mick Herron's first Jackson Lamb novel, Slow Horses, was described as the 'most enjoyable British spy novel in years' by the Mail on Sunday and picked as one of the best twenty spy novels of all time by the Daily Telegraph. The second, Dead Lions, won the 2013 CWA Goldsboro Gold Dagger. The third, Real Tigers, was shortlisted for both the CWA Goldsboro Gold Dagger and the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger, and the Sunday Express wrote that it 'revitalised the spy thriller genre'.
Author photo © Tim Barrow
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