Mick Herron

Mick Herron
FRSL
Mick Herron, wearing a suit, sitting at a microphone.
Herron in 2018
Born
Michael Herron

(1963-07-11) 11 July 1963
Newcastle upon Tyne, England
EducationBalliol College, Oxford
OccupationNovelist
PartnerJo Howard
Children2
Parent(s)James Herron (father)
Annie Gunn (mother)
Writing career
Years active2003-present
GenreSpy fiction
Notable workSlough House (2010-present)
Notable awards
WebsiteOfficial website

Michael Herron FRSL (born 11 July 1963) is a British mystery and thriller novelist. He is the author of the Slough House series, which has been adapted into the Slow Horses television series. He won the Crime Writers' Association 2013 Gold Dagger for Dead Lions and the Diamond Dagger in 2025 for lifetime achievement.

Early life

Herron was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, and educated at Balliol College, Oxford, where he earned a degree in English.[1][2][3] He is one of six children; his father was an optician and his mother a nursery-school teacher.[4]

Career

Herron was a subeditor at IDS Employment Law Brief (Incomes Data Services), a trade journal on U.K. employment law.[5]

Herron commuted from Oxford to London daily, returned home around 6 p.m., and wrote for an hour. In 2002, Herron had an office on a floor with few people, eventually hot-desking on a floor with hundreds of people.[6] Herron resigned from IDS Employment Law Brief in 2017.[5]

In 2003, Herron published his first novel, Down Cemetery Road. It was the first volume in a four-book series about Zoë Boehm, an Oxford private detective.[7]

After the 7 July 2005 London bombings, as a London-Oxford commuter, he wanted to write about the UK security services.[6][8][9][10]

In 2010, he began the Slough House spy series with the first volume, Slow Horses. The series concerns MI5 agents who have been exiled from the agency mainstream for various failures. The second volume, Dead Lions, published in 2013, won the Crime Writers' Association 2013 Gold Dagger.[2] Herron has stated that the lead character, Jackson Lamb, was influenced by Reginald Hill's Andy Dalziel.[11][12] As of September 2025, the series includes nine novels, plus several associated novellas. Early volumes were been adapted for television as Slow Horses.[13]

Slow Horses was published by Constable in 2010, but the firm declined the opportunity to publish the next book in the series in the United Kingdom due to disappointing sales.[5][6][3] Soho Press published the Slough House novels in the United States,[14] and John Murray started republishing the series in the UK from 2015.[15]

Herron's short stories have been regularly published in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine and some are collected in the book All the Livelong Day, published in 2013.

He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2024.[16]

Bibliography

Zoë Boehm series

  1. Down Cemetery Road (2003)
  2. The Last Voice You Hear (2004)
  3. Why We Die (2006)
  4. Smoke and Whispers (2009)

Slough House series

Slough House series
NumberTitleFirst publishedFormatISBN
1Slow Horses2010novel978-1473674189
2Dead Lions2013novel978-1616952259
2.5The List2015novella978-1616957452
3Real Tigers2016novel978-1616956127
4Spook Street2017novel978-1473621299
5London Rules2018novel978-1473657403
5.5The Drop (US title: The Marylebone Drop)2018novella978-1473678309
6Joe Country2019novel978-1473657441
6.3The Catch2020novella978-1529331707
6.7The Last Dead Letter[Note 1]2020novella978-1529371260
7Slough House2021novel978-1529378641
8Bad Actors2022novel978-1529378702
8.3Standing by the Wall2022novella978-1399807081
8.7Standing by the Wall2022collection[Note 2]978-1641295031
9Clown Town2025[17][18]novel978-1399800433

Notes

  1. ↑ Originally collected in Dolphin Junction
  2. ↑ Slough House novellas:
    • The List (2015)
    • The Drop (2018)
    • The Catch (2020)
    • The Last Dead Letter (2020)
    • Standing by the Wall (2022)

Standalone novels

Although not part of the Slough House series, Reconstruction, Nobody Walks, and The Secret Hours use some of the same characters.[13] Reconstruction is set before Slow Horses, whereas Nobody Walks comes after The List and before Spook Street. The Secret Hours is set around the time of or after Bad Actors but includes a section set before the series begins.

  • Reconstruction (2008)
  • Nobody Walks (2015)
  • This Is What Happened (2018)
  • The Secret Hours (2023)

Short story collections

Dolphin Junction features five standalone crime fiction stories complemented by four mystery stories featuring characters Zoë Boehm and Joe Silvermann. It also includes tales with Jackson Lamb of Slough House.[19] Standing by the Wall: The Collected Slough House Novellas includes all novellas in the Slough House series published as of 2022. "Proof of Love", "Mirror Images", and "The Other Half" are set before Down Cemetery Road, whereas "What We Do" comes after Why We Die.

  • All the Livelong Day (2013)
    • "All the Livelong Day"
    • "The Usual Santas"
    • "Proof of Love" (Zoë Boehm)
    • "Mirror Images" (Zoë Boehm)
    • "Lost Luggage"
  • Dolphin Junction (2021)
    • "Proof of Love" (Zoë Boehm)
    • "Remote Control"
    • "Luggage"
    • "Mirror Images" (Zoë Boehm)
    • "Junction"
    • "An American Fridge"
    • "The Other Half" (Zoë Boehm)
    • "All the Livelong Day"
    • "The Last Dead Letter" (Slough House)
    • "The Usual Santas"
    • "What We Do" (Zoë Boehm)
  • Standing by the Wall: The Collected Slough House Novellas (2022)
    • The List (2015)
    • The Drop (US title: The Marylebone Drop) (2018)
    • The Catch (2020)
    • The Last Dead Letter (2020)
    • Standing by the Wall (2022)

Adaptations

The Slough House series has been adapted for television under the name Slow Horses, starring Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb,[3] with the first six-part season, based on the book Slow Horses, streamed on Apple TV+ from 1 April 2022.[20] The second season, based on Dead Lions, was filmed back-to-back with the first and premiered on 2 December 2022.[21] It was announced in June 2022 that further seasons, adapting Real Tigers and Spook Street, had been greenlit.[22] Season 3, based on Real Tigers, premiered on Apple TV+ on 29 November 2023.[23] Season 5, based on London Rules, premiered on Apple TV+ on 24 September 2025.[24]

An Apple TV+ adaptation of Down Cemetery Road starring Emma Thompson and Ruth Wilson was released in October 2025.[25] The second season was announced by Apple TV on 12 December 2025.[26]

Awards

Year Nominated work Award Category Result Ref.
2009 "Dolphin Junction" Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine Readers Choice Award Won [27]
"Proof of Love" Barry Award Best Short Story Shortlisted [28]
2010 Slow Horses Crime Writers' Association Dagger Awards CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Longlisted [29]
2013 Dead Lions Gold Dagger Won [30]
2014 Barry Award Best Thriller Shortlisted [31]
Macavity Awards Best Mystery Novel [32]
2015 Nobody Walks Crime Writers' Association Dagger Awards CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger [33]
2016 Real Tigers [34]
Gold Dagger [35]
2017 CrimeFest Awards Last Laugh Award Won [36]
Macavity Awards Best Novel Shortlisted [32]
Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award [37]
Spook Street Crime Writers' Association Dagger Awards Gold Dagger [38]
CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Won [39]
2018 British Book Awards Crime and Thriller Book of the Year Shortlisted [40]
Barry Award Best Thriller [41]
Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award [42]
CrimeFest Awards Last Laugh Award Won [36]
London Rules Crime Writers' Association Dagger Awards Gold Dagger Shortlisted [43]
CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger
2019 CrimeFest Awards Last Laugh Award [36]
Barry Award Best Thriller [28]
Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award [44]
Capital Crime Festival Fingerprint Awards Thriller Novel of the Year Won
2020 Joe Country Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award Shortlisted [45]
Crime Writers' Association Dagger Awards Gold Dagger [46]
Dead Lions Det Danske Kriminalakademi Palle Rosenkrantz Prize
2022 Slough House Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award Won [47]
CrimeFest Awards Last Laugh Award [36]
Barry Award Best Thriller Shortlisted [28]
Slow Horses USC Scripter Awards Won [48]
2023 Bad Actors Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award Longlisted [49]
CrimeFest Awards Last Laugh Award Shortlisted [36]
Barry Award Best Thriller [28]
Slow Horses USC Scripter Awards Won [48]
2024 The Secret Hours CrimeFest Awards Last Laugh Award [36]
Barry Award Best Thriller Shortlisted [28]
International Thriller Writers Awards Best Hardcover Novel [50]
British Book Awards Crime and Thriller Book of the Year [51]
Capital Crime Festival Fingerprint Awards Overall Crime Novel of the Year [52]
Crime Writers' Association Dagger Awards Gold Dagger [53]
Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award [54]
Spook Street USC Scripter Awards [55]
2025 Crime Writers' Association Dagger Awards CWA Diamond Dagger Won [56]
London Rules USC Scripter Awards Shortlisted [48]
2026 British Book Awards Author of the Year [57]
Clown Town Barry Award Best Thriller Pending [28]
Macavity Awards Best Mystery Novel Pending [32]

Personal life

Herron lives in Oxford, England.[2] His partner is Jo Howard, a recruiter in the publishing industry and leadership development consultant.[5][58][59]

References

  1. ↑ "Mick Herron (Author of Slow Horses)". Goodreads.com. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 "Dead Lions". Crime Writers' Association. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 Higgins, Charlotte (15 January 2021). "Mick Herron: 'I look at Jackson Lamb and think: My God, did I write that? My mother reads this stuff!'". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
  4. ↑ Lepore, Jill (28 November 2022). "Is Mick Herron the Best Spy Novelist of His Generation?". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Kellaway, Kate (10 September 2023). "Author Mick Herron: 'I'd have made an awful spy. I don't have a smartphone or wifi'". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 Cohen, Ben (7 September 2024). "Nobody Was Reading Him. Now He's the World's Best Spy Writer". The Wall Street Journal.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  7. ↑ Harper, Glenn (30 January 2016). "An Operational Advantage". Los Angeles Review of Books. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  8. ↑ Pederson, Erik (9 December 2022). "The Book Pages: 'Slow Horses' author Mick Herron says, 'My heart is with those who struggle'". The Orange County Register. Archived from the original on 4 August 2024.
  9. ↑ Millen, Robbie (8 June 2019). "Mick Herron, the accidental bestseller". The Times.
  10. ↑ Lepore, Jill (28 November 2022). "Is Mick Herron the Best Spy Novelist of His Generation?". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on 14 February 2024.
  11. ↑ Herron, Mick (1 November 2016). "Crime writer Mick Herron: 'I don't know my hero's backstory yet' | Books". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  12. ↑ Taylor, Andrew (4 February 2016). "Escaping the Slough of despond". The Spectator. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  13. 1 2 Hibbs, James (23 September 2025). "Slow Horses books: How to read the Jackson Lamb novels in order". Radio Times. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  14. ↑ Miller, Laura (2 April 2022). "Read the Hilarious, Unique Spy Novels Behind the New Gary Oldman TV Series". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  15. ↑ Nicol, Patricia (4 February 2018). "Mick Herron: The UK's new spy novel master". The Sunday Times.
  16. ↑ "Herron, Mick". Royal Society of Literature. 11 July 2024. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
  17. ↑ "Mick Herron's Slow Horses To Gallop Back in "Clown Town"". Spybrary. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  18. ↑ Leith, Sam (18 September 2025). "Clown Town by Mick Herron review – more fun and games with the Slow Horses". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
  19. ↑ "Dolphin Junction: Stories by Mick Herron: 9781641293020". Penguin Random House. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
  20. ↑ Bythrow, Nick (11 June 2026). "Slow Horses Season 6 Release Date Officially Confirmed With First Look At Jack Lowden & Gary Oldman's Returns". ScreenRant. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  21. ↑ "Apple's hit espionage drama 'Slow Horses' debuts season two trailer". Apple.com. 19 October 2022.
  22. ↑ Porter, Rick (1 June 2022). "'Slow Horses' Renewed Through Season 4 at Apple TV+". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
  23. ↑ "Apple's acclaimed espionage drama 'Slow Horses,' starring Academy Award winner Gary Oldman, unveils trailer for season three". Apple TV Press. 7 November 2023. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  24. ↑ Harlow, Casimir (16 September 2025). "Slow Horses: Season 5 - London Rules (Apple TV+) TV Show Review". AVForums. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  25. ↑ Griffin, Griff (9 November 2025). "Down Cemetery Road Episodes List, Release Times". Newsweek. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
  26. ↑ Ford, Lily (12 December 2025). "Emma Thompson and Ruth Wilson's 'Down Cemetery Road' Gets Season 2 Renewal at Apple TV". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  27. ↑ "Readers Awards". Ellery Queen. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  28. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Barry Awards". Stop, You're Killing Me!. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  29. ↑ "Slow Horses". The Crime Writers’ Association. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  30. ↑ "Dead Lions". The Crime Writers’ Association. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  31. ↑ "Mystery Books-Barry Award 2014". Princeton Book Review. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  32. 1 2 3 "Macavity Awards". Mystery Readers International. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  33. ↑ "Nobody Walks". The Crime Writers’ Association. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  34. ↑ "Real Tigers". The Crime Writers’ Association. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  35. ↑ "Real Tigers". The Crime Writers’ Association. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  36. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Awards: Past Winners". Crimefest. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  37. ↑ Canavar, Sharon (21 May 2017). "Six Suspects Announced on the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award Shortlist". Harrogate International Festivals. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  38. ↑ "Spook Street". The Crime Writers’ Association. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  39. ↑ "Spook Street". The Crime Writers’ Association. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  40. ↑ Pymm, Francesca (16 March 2018). "The British Book Awards unveils nominees for 2018". The Bookseller. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  41. ↑ "2018 Barry Award Nominations". The Poisoned Pen Bookstore. 23 January 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  42. ↑ "'The Intrusions' wins 2018 Theakston Crime Novel of the Year". Books+Publishing. 23 July 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  43. ↑ "2018 DAGGERS SHORTLISTS ANNOUNCED". ALCS. 27 July 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  44. ↑ "Awards: Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel". Shelf Awareness. 21 May 2019. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  45. ↑ "Harper, McKinty shortlisted for Theakston Old Peculier crime award". Books+Publishing. 15 June 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  46. ↑ "Robotham shortlisted for CWA Gold Dagger". Books+Publishing. 14 August 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  47. ↑ "Awards: Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel Winner; Polari Longlists". Shelf Awareness. 25 July 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  48. 1 2 3 Feinberg, Scott (15 December 2025). "USC Scripter Awards: 'Peter Hujar's Day' a Surprise Film Adaptation Nominee, 'Slow Horses' Lands Fourth Consecutive Nomination for TV Adaptation". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  49. ↑ "#TheakstonAward 2023 Longlist Announced". Harrogate International Festivals. 27 April 2023. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  50. ↑ "Past Nominees and Winners". International Thriller Writers. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  51. ↑ Strickland, Ella (11 March 2024). "Mick Herron is shortlisted for the British Book Awards for The Secret Hours". David Higham Associates. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  52. ↑ "Fingerprint Award | 2024". LibraryThing. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  53. ↑ Glyer, Mike (12 May 2024). "2024 CWA Dagger Awards Shortlist". File 770. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  54. ↑ "Shortlists Revealed For The Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel Of The Year 2024 and Inaugural McDermid Debut Award". Harrogate International Festivals. 13 June 2024. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  55. ↑ Davis, Clayton (22 January 2025). "USC Scripter Awards Nominations: 'The Wild Robot' Surprises Alongside 'Nickel Boys' and 'Sing Sing'". Variety. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  56. ↑ "Herron awarded CWA diamond dagger". Books+Publishing. 30 January 2025. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  57. ↑ "The British Book Awards 2026 Book of the Year shortlists revealed". The Bookseller. 6 March 2026. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  58. ↑ "Questions for: Jo Howard". Bookbrunch. 19 July 2026. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  59. ↑ "Jo Howard". Publishers Launch. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.