*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*''To have been lucky enough to play Smiley in one''s career; and now go and play Jackson Lamb in Mick Herron''s novels - the heir, in a way, to le Carré - is a terrific thing'' Gary OldmanSlough House is the outpost where disgraced spies are banished to see out the rest of their derailed careers. Known as the ''slow horses'' these misfits have committed crimes of drugs and drunkenness, lechery and failure, politics and betrayal while on duty.In this drab and mildewed office these highly trained spies don''t run ops, they push paper. Not one of them joined the Intelligence Service to be a slow horse and the one thing they have in common is they want to be back in the action.''The most exciting development in spy fiction since the Cold War'' The Times ''The most enjoyable British spy novel in years'' Mail on Sunday''The new spy master'' Evening Standard