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Bad Actors
- Slough House, Book 8
- Narrated by: Sean Barrett
- Series: Slough House, Book 8
- Length: 10 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Thriller & Suspense
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Summary
*NOW A MAJOR TV SERIES STARRING GARY OLDMAN*
POLITICS IS A DANGEROUS GAME
In MI5 a scandal is brewing and there are bad actors everywhere.
A key member of a Downing Street think-tank has disappeared without a trace. Claude Whelan, one-time First Desk of MI5's Regent's Park, is tasked with tracking her down. But the trail leads straight back to Regent's Park HQ itself, with its chief, Diana Taverner, as prime suspect. Meanwhile her Russian counterpart has unexpectedly shown up in London but has slipped under MI5's radar.
Over at Slough House, the home for demoted and embittered spies, the slow horses are doing what they do best: adding a little bit of chaos to an already unstable situation.
In a world where lying, cheating and backstabbing is the norm, bad actors are bending the rules for their own gain. If the slow horses want to change the script, they'll need to get their own act together before the final curtain.
Critic reviews
"Herron has certainly devised the most completely realised espionage universe since that peopled by George Smiley." (The Times)
"Herron's novels are genuinely thrilling." (Daily Telegraph)
"Britain's finest living thriller writer." (Sunday Express)
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- Mr Shinealight
- 20-05-22
Production values have taken a tumble.
As others have mentioned, someone has really dropped the ball on the editing. I appreciate the work Sean Barrett puts in, doing constant retakes to give a pitch perfect performance, but I don’t want to hear him reading sections twice. Happens again and again, it’s just sloppy production management releasing a product in this state.
Additionally, the recording itself is not up to the same standards as the previous 7 books. Overly compressed so Seans vocal sounds too bass heavy.
Get a grip on this publishers!
3 people found this helpful
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- kevinphilbin
- 02-06-22
All over the place
The story moves around in place and time with no pause by the producers to separate the movement
Plus the worst Italian scent ever and the basic premise of using Ultras to beat MI6 is remarkably bizarre
1 person found this helpful
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- stg
- 01-06-22
Badly edited
Great story, great narration, just a pity it was badly edited together - a rushed job?
1 person found this helpful
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- Mr. J. A. Brady
- 21-05-22
Another Slough House epic
Great story line with lots of action although a bit slow at first. Narration is difficult to hear at times with one or two technical issues that need ironing out (repeating lines etc.). Did not distract from a brilliant book, but had to dock a star for performance.
1 person found this helpful
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- Brian
- 17-05-22
Everything the TV adaptation missed.
These John Bachelor offshoots give further insights into the world of the slow horses. The unknown link to so many of their downfalls, he draws trouble everywhere he goes.
Fantastic narration by Sean Barret as usual. The Jackson Lamb portrayed here is what the TV show missed. Brash, cunning, fearless and always the laugh out loud quips and deliberately scripted malapropisms, I so look forward to every book. I hope Mick Herron has another ready soon.
The best spy novelist around, a nod to Le Carrie but the humour is all his own, with lines that will inspire writers for years to come.
"let me just play devil's avacado" being one of my favourites from a previous book. So many gems in this I will listen again.
Thanks Mick and Sean for yet another escape and so much food for thought.
1 person found this helpful
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- Boggy of Bucks
- 17-05-22
I love these books
Sean Barrett is the perfect person to voice the characters in these stories. I cannot imagine a more perfect Jackson Lamb voice from any other actor.
Mick Herron’s cynicism of government and hierarchy is infectious, and I love the satire that absolutely nails the character of the PM (it’s got to be Boris) the Home Secretary (all of them, but definitely Priti Patel in this book) and the special advisors. So believable.
1 person found this helpful
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- J Compton
- 21-06-22
Best ever
it just gets better and better. can we have the next one soon please?
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- Tony D
- 21-06-22
Underwhelmed
The narration as always was excellent.
The story this time though wasn't as strong as previous books in my opinion, it seemed to just about keep ticking over.
Maybe I've come to expect a little bit more from Mick's Slough House novels.
Don't get me wrong, the book is still enjoyable but...
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- Marco Magnani
- 20-06-22
Another excellent Slough House story
Many great characters, spies, politicians, civil servants, and hooligans come together, to fight or conspire. Tavener is under attack, Jackson Lamb is majestically irreverent and brilliant. Also heroic losers, great plot and a lot of fun.
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- Nickie Southgate
- 19-06-22
Jackson Lamb in cracking form!
Sean Barrett is a fabulous narrator for Mick Herron’s books. Plot line excellent and delivered drip by exciting drip! Shirley Dander has a whale of a time in this book!
Don’t miss it!
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- Chad Morrison
- 26-06-22
Well worth the asking price.
The book is the same quality I have come to expect from this talented author. This particular book felt like a bridging storyline to something bigger, which I can't wait for.