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Quick answer: If you liked Slough House, read Mick Herron's Slow Horses, then John le Carre's Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, A Spy by Nature, The Tourist and The Night Manager. All are smart, cynical spy novels about bureaucracy, betrayal and flawed agents.
Mick Herron's Slough House series, beginning with Slow Horses, follows a team of disgraced MI5 agents banished to a shabby London office, led by the sloppy, brilliant Jackson Lamb. The books are funny, bleak and clever. The books below offer similar British spy fiction with wit and moral doubt.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slow Horses | Mick Herron | Adult | funny spy fiction |
| Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy | John le Carre | Adult | mole hunts |
| The Spy Who Came in from the Cold | John le Carre | Adult | classic Cold War |
| A Perfect Spy | John le Carre | Adult | personal spy novels |
| The Night Manager | John le Carre | Adult | post-Cold War thriller |
| A Spy by Nature | Charles Cumming | Adult | modern British espionage |
| The Tourist | Olen Steinhauer | Adult | modern espionage |
| Night Soldiers | Alan Furst | Adult | pre-war Europe |
| The Quiet American | Graham Greene | Adult | moral ambiguity |
| Our Man in Havana | Graham Greene | Adult | comic spy novel |
| The Ipcress File | Len Deighton | Adult | anti-Bond |
| A Coffin for Dimitrios | Eric Ambler | Adult | classic thriller |
| The Secret Agent | Joseph Conrad | Adult | early spy novel |
| The Kill Artist | Daniel Silva | Adult | the series start |
| The Faithful Spy | Alex Berenson | Adult | post-9/11 thrillers |
1. Slow Horses by Mick Herron
A group of failed MI5 agents is exiled to a rundown office. Dark, funny and fast.
Best for: funny spy fiction.
2. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by John le Carre
George Smiley hunts a mole inside British intelligence. Complex, patient and quietly brilliant.
Best for: mole hunts.
3. The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John le Carre
A British agent takes one last mission in East Germany during the Cold War. The classic that defined realistic spy fiction.
Best for: classic Cold War.
4. A Perfect Spy by John le Carre
A spy disappears, and his son tries to understand his life. Autobiographical and moving.
Best for: personal spy novels.
5. The Night Manager by John le Carre
A hotel manager is recruited to infiltrate an arms dealer's circle. Fast and elegant.
Best for: post-Cold War thriller.
6. A Spy by Nature by Charles Cumming
A young man is recruited to MI6. Smart and slow-burning.
Best for: modern British espionage.
7. The Tourist by Olen Steinhauer
A CIA operative who works off the books is pulled back into action. Smart and modern.
Best for: modern espionage.
8. Night Soldiers by Alan Furst
A Bulgarian recruited by Soviet intelligence moves through Europe. Atmospheric.
Best for: pre-war Europe.
9. The Quiet American by Graham Greene
A British journalist and an idealistic American clash in Vietnam. Short and incisive.
Best for: moral ambiguity.
10. Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene
A vacuum cleaner salesman becomes a spy by accident. Funny and sharp.
Best for: comic spy novel.
11. The Ipcress File by Len Deighton
A nameless agent investigates a kidnapping of scientists. Cynical and stylish.
Best for: anti-Bond.
12. A Coffin for Dimitrios by Eric Ambler
A writer investigates the life of a dead criminal. A model of the modern spy novel.
Best for: classic thriller.
13. The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad
A shopkeeper spies for a foreign embassy in London. Dark, ironic and influential.
Best for: early spy novel.
14. The Kill Artist by Daniel Silva
The first Gabriel Allon novel, in which he is pulled out of retirement to hunt a terrorist. Start here if you are new.
Best for: the series start.
15. The Faithful Spy by Alex Berenson
A CIA agent infiltrates al-Qaeda. Fast and tense.
Best for: post-9/11 thrillers.
How to Choose
To start with Herron read Slow Horses. For classic British spies choose le Carre, Greene or Deighton. For modern espionage pick Charles Cumming, Olen Steinhauer or Daniel Silva. For historical spy fiction read Alan Furst or Eric Ambler. Slough House is witty and bleak, so these picks suit readers who like their spies imperfect. Slow Horses was adapted for Apple TV+ with Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb, and the show has brought many viewers to the books. The novels have more of Herron's sharp narration.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Slough House?
The shabby London office where disgraced MI5 agents are sent.
Who wrote the series?
Mick Herron.
Where should I start?
With Slow Horses.
Is there a TV series?
Yes, Slow Horses on Apple TV+.
How many books are there?
Check current listings, as the series is ongoing.
Is it funny?
Yes, with dark humour.
Do I need to read in order?
It helps, though each plot is self-contained.
What should I read next?
Try The Spy Who Came in from the Cold or The Night Manager.
Which book here is best for personal spy novels?
Try A Perfect Spy by John le Carre, which suits readers looking for personal spy novels.
Which book here is best for modern espionage?
Try The Tourist by Olen Steinhauer, which suits readers looking for modern espionage.
Which book here is best for comic spy novel?
Try Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene, which suits readers looking for comic spy novel.
Which book here is best for early spy novel?
Try The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad, which suits readers looking for early spy novel.