Every time I come to read a story from Slough House, I get ridiculously excited. I’m so in love with this book series and its characters and I honestly can’t get enough! Luckily, there are a lot of Slough House books for me to read!

And I know I keep mentioning this in every review, but it remains to be said each time: that the changes made in the adaptation makes for an entirely blind reading experience going into the book. Sometimes entire characters and scenarios are changed and so it’s almost like I’m actually unfamiliar with the world of Slough House – and I love that! It keeps things fresh!

As usual, the British humour is loud and proud in this book, making for a very entertaining read. The writing is so witty and so very clever, just so intelligent and sharp, and I would sometimes take a moment to pause in my reading to just bask in the brilliance. I wonder how many drafts Herron goes through until he has the finished product to send to print. I also wonder if the British jargon and colloquialisms are left as they are in international translations, or if they’re adapted. For a story that’s so significantly British in nature, I feel that any alterations may cause it to lose some of its charm. I hope they keep it as close to the original as they can!

The story in Real Tigers focuses on the kidnapping of one Catherine Standish – the sensible and kind-hearted matriarchal figure of the Slow Horses. Although, she doesn’t really have a tough time of it and is treated more warmly than expected – is treated more like a begrudging guest, than anything else. The gradual reveal of the multilayered plot captures your attention and keeps it and, had I not already seen the show, I know I’d have been completely blindsided by the many twists and turns the story takes.

Undoubtedly, the Slough House series is character driven. Everyone has their moment to shine and they’re all growing on me in their own way. Admittedly, when I first picked up Slow Horses, I found myself disappointed that there wasn’t more River because my expectations had been set from the TV adaptation that he was one of the leads. (That, and I love Jack Lowden.) But coming into book three, I was all too eager to read from the other points of view and to meet new characters as well!

It’s, dare I say, riveting, to see the Slow Horses continuing to face what landed them in Slough House in the first place. They struggle with personal issues, inner demons and downright addictions to such an extent that some pursue these whilst at work (looking at you, Marcus and Shirley.) But despite it all, when it truly matters, the Slow Horses are able to pull through and use their individual strengths to work together and, like the best underdog stories, come through with a win! They’re still learning to get along with each other, and in some cases, they can barely tolerate each other, but the gradually growing bonds are a joy to watch.

I love that we get to see some of River’s smarts and his intelligence gathering skills in this book also, although it’s greatly overshadowed by the fact that he is too quick to act (basically every time). And he’s also not one to follow protocol in situations that he really should (hence, his breaking into the Park.) But I also think that this shows a deeply human side to his character: one that is kind and that cares a lot for the people around him. Still, it would have saved him getting beaten up by Nick Duffy if he had only reported to Lamb the moment the photo of a bound Catherine Standish had pinged on his phone.

Roddy Ho continues to get even more insufferable: he’s delusional as anything and it’s wild. Because the book provides a look into his thoughts we, as the audience, are able to see that, in Roddy’s own head, he’s the main character. Everyone loves, respects him, and wants to be him. Roddy Ho is the star of the show.

Except, he’s really not, and the other Slow Horses just manage to put up with him. In Real Tigers, Roddy has decided that he needs a woman’s touch – never mind that he doesn’t understand women at all – and poor Louisa is the unfortunate subject of his affections. Or, at least, his attempted affections. Any advances he makes are brushed off as just the oddities of his character, because Roddy Ho is so socially awkward and unaware that it’s painful. The words that come out of his mouth would cause an argument in any decent company, and a fight in anything worse.

Something else I’ve noted, is that Diana Taverner is coming across as far more ruthless in the books. Far more conniving. She and Ingrid Tearney are both ambitious women who aren’t afraid to stab others in the back to get what they want, something that I feel is tuned down a bit in the show. Or, perhaps, that’s because we aren’t in their heads and so can’t hear their scheming – and often insensitive – thoughts. Not that Diana Taverner tries particularly hard to hide it: “London rules” and all.

Jackson Lamb continues to astound with just… his everything. I know that this has become another broken record to report: but he really is so much worse in the books. I genuinely think that the TV show adaptation made him kinder. Made him care more. There’s no doubt that he cares about his Joes – that’s a given – but I think the TV show made sure the audience knew this sooner. Maybe it starts becoming more apparent in the later books, but I was a little perturbed at the lack of outward attentiveness. As such, in general, it really is interesting to see how relationships between characters were changed for a television audience as opposed to what they originally were in the books.

Another example of this happening, is when River says some rather unkind words to Catherine before she’s kidnapped. After the fact, the guilt and desire to apologise is something that plays on his mind and fuels his desperate fight to free her. This interaction doesn’t happen in the books and I appreciate that the show did this change because it shows the growing relationship between the Slow Horses.

Another change that Apple made, that stuck out to me in regards to this (and this will be a spoiler if you’ve not read the book; or vice versa and not seen the show), but it’s the whole scene were River breaks into the Park. In the show, we see the records keeper, Molly Doran, receive a call that she picks up while River is frantically looking for the file that he’s been sent for. It’s Lamb on the phone, and in no uncertain terms, he instructs Molly to tell River to leave. Molly even imparts words of trust on Lamb’s behalf and that’s what finally gets River moving. He makes it all the way back out of the Park before he’s caught by the Dogs and I personally found the action taken by Lamb to be a very thoughtful and caring one.

By comparison, in the book, no call comes to Molly in her office; Molly doesn’t act on behalf of the Slow Horses; and River doesn’t manage the very impressive feat of breaking back out of the Park. Instead, he’s captured by the Dogs then and there in the archives, which was a surprise to read off the page having seen the show first. I find that I much prefer the way the entire scenario was handled by the adaptation instead. Because it’s one thing to break into the Park, but it’s another thing to break back out again (mostly) Scott free! We see Molly, in my eyes at least, choosing to side with Lamb and his Slow Horses, and we also – very importantly – see Lamb’s concern for his Joes. And as someone who loves the found family trope, seeing the active care that Lamb shows River was just so wholesome for me!

The more that I read on with this series, the more I appreciate the the decision making that must have gone into the adaptation process. I’d have loved to be in the room when the ideas were flowing and would have loved to hear the arguments for and against certain choices.

Still, one thing that would have been good to see, is the Batman and Spiderman interaction from the first chapter brought to the screen – no matter how bizarre it would have appeared to casual audiences.

The Slow Horses series really is brilliant to read and it just keeps getting better and better. Everything about it, from the books to the Apple adaptation, keeps me coming eagerly back for more.

And with an ending like that, I can’t wait to pick up book four!