Bad Actors

by Mick Herron

English language

Published April 28, 2022 by Soho Press, Incorporated.

ISBN:: 978-1-64129-337-2

(8 reviews)

A governmental think-tank, whose remit is to curb the independence of the intelligence service, has lost one of its key members, and Claude Whelan—one-time head of MI5's Regent’s Park—is tasked with tracking her down. But the trail leads straight back to the Park itself, with Diana Taverner as chief suspect. Has Diana overplayed her hand at last? What’s her counterpart, Moscow’s First Desk, doing in London? And does Jackson Lamb know more than he’s telling?

Over at Slough House, with Shirley Dander in rehab, Roddy Ho in dress rehearsal, and new recruit Ashley Khan turning up the heat, the slow horses are doing what they do best, and adding a little bit of chaos to an already unstable situation . . .

There are bad actors everywhere, and they usually get their comeuppance before the credits roll. But politics is a dirty business, and in a world where lying, cheating …

There are bad actors everywhere, and they usually get their comeuppance before the credits roll. But politics is a dirty business, and in a world where lying, cheating and backstabbing are the norm, sometimes the good guys can find themselves outgunned.

2 editions

barbara fister reviewed Bad Actors by Mick Herron

Review of 'Bad Actors' on 'LibraryThing'

No rating

The First Desk at MI5, Diana Taverner, is in trouble. A Steve Bannon-style politician who wants to burn it all down has decided he will install his own lackey. Meanwhile, an old-hand Russian operative appears in London and seems quite unbothered that MI5 knows it. Taverner has to turn to (shudder) Jackson Lamb and his crew of misfit spies, Slough House, for assistance. As Taverner does a disappearing act, one of the misfits is locked up in a hospital for deranged spies, thanks to her overactive cocaine habit - and things get confusing. returnreturnAs usual, Herron brings present-day politics to the table, doused in acidic wit. Another frenetic, funny, and furious entry in an excellent series.