Mick Herron has been called a modern John le Carré for his British mystery thrillers. All of the Mick Herron books in order contain themes of espionage and psychological suspense.
He is well-known for his Slough House series, especially with its recent adaptation. However, he also has more books in his bibliography for fans to enjoy. Keep reading to find out more about how you should read all his books in order.
Jump to:
- The Oxford Investigations Books
- Slough House Books
- Standalone Books
- Short Story Collections
- Anthologies
- Mick Herron Adaptations
- Who is Mick Herron?
The Oxford Investigations Books
The first series on this list of the Mick Herron books in order contains his debut and that is The Oxford Investigations series. Its more colloquial title is the Zoë Boehm series as she is one of the main characters.
The storylines of Zoë, an Oxford private investigator with a violent, troubled past and a remarkable phobia of death, will converge with Sarah Tucker, a dissatisfied housewife in a remote Oxford suburb.
It is very important to read these books in original publication order, as later books — particularly the last — will contain character development spoilers.
- Down Cemetery Road (2003)
- The Last Voice You Hear (2004)
- Why We Die (2006)
- Smoke and Whispers (2009)
Slough House Books
Next up is Mick Herron’s most well-known series with eight novels and three novellas. A bind-up of the novellas will be published in November 2022. This collection will also have a brand new holiday-themed interlude.
Slough House is where former British intelligence agents for the MI5 must go if they make a disastrous call on a case and prove themselves unreliable. To end up at Slough House as a “slow horse” these agents bring with them a trail of disgrace, and it is these characters we follow.
But they also have a burning desire for redemption, which means these agents will do whatever it takes once given the chance to pursue justice again.
As these books follow the same cast of characters, it is best to read them in order to fully understand the motivations of the characters and their relationship with each other. There also may be minor spoilers for past events or character revelations if you read the books out of order. The chronological order is the same as the publication order.
- Slow Horses (2010)
- Dead Lions (2013)
The List (2015) (Novella) - Real Tigers (2016)
- Spook Street (2017)
- London Rules (2018)
The Marylebone Drop / The Drop (2018) (Novella) - Joe Country (2019)
The Catch (2020) (Novella) - Slough House (2021)
- Bad Actors (2022)
Standing by the Wall (2022) (Novella Collection) - Clown Town (2025)
Standalone Books
Mick Herron has also published three standalone novels. However, Nobody Walks and The Secret Hours do take place in the Slough House world and feature some of its characters. Just like his series, these books feature high stakes psychological suspense with lots of twists and turns.
- Reconstruction (2008)
- Nobody Walks (2015)
- This is What Happened (2018)
- The Secret Hours (2023)
Short Story Collections
If you adore Mick Herron’s writing and would like to experience more of it, he also has collected his short stories into two publications. Both short story collections feature standalone mysteries as well as stories that follow his Slough House characters or P.I. Zoë Boehm. However, All the Livelong Day and Other Stories is now out of print.
- All the Livelong Day and Other Stories (2013) (Out of Print)
- Dolphin Junction: Stories (2021)
Anthologies
Finally, Mick Herron has also had his work published in two anthology collections.
- The Mammoth Books of Best British Crime 8 (2011)
- The Usual Santas (2016)
Mick Herron Adaptations
Slough House has recently been adapted for the screen with an Apple TV+ show, Slow Horses, adapting the 2010 novel by the same name. It stars Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb, alongside Kristin Scott Thomas, Jonathan Pryce, Saskia Reeves, Olivia Cooke, and Jack Lowden.
In June 2022, Apple TV+ confirmed a second season of Slow Horses was on it’s way. Digital Spy says it’s already been filmed and just waiting for it’s air date.
Going a step further, TVLine claims it’s already been renewed for Seasons 3 and 4 as well.
Who is Mick Herron?
Mick Herron is an English mystery thriller author who was born in Newcastle upon Tyne. He attended post-secondary and graduated with an English degree from Balliol College in Oxford, which is where he still lives.
He wrote his first book while commuting between Oxford and London, squeezing in the time to write 350 words a day until his first novel, Down Cemetery Road, was published in 2003. This is the first book in the Zoë Boehm series, or The Oxford Investigations, which is where it largely takes place.
Herron has also written quite a few short stories, many of which first appeared in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine. He has also published two short story collections during the last almost 20 years.
However, in 2008 Herron began writing what has since become his longest and most well-known series: Slough House. This series takes place in London, revolving around the titular Slough House. Herron actually describes the location of the house in such detail in his books, that keen fans have been able to find the location of this fictional haunt, which is near the Barbican Tube Station.
The premise of the series concerns former MI5 agents who have been cast aside for past misdemeanors. They’re sent to Slough House, but all of them what to be redeemed in the eyes of MI5. So, when a chance arises to sleuth their way back into good graces, they jump at the opportunity.
Looking for more books in order?
If you want more thriller authors and reading-order guides like this one, start with my Thriller Books in Order index.