Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

Preview
  • Bad Actors

  • Slough House, Book 8
  • By: Mick Herron
  • Narrated by: Sean Barrett
  • Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (1,230 ratings)

£0.00 for first 30 days

Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Bad Actors

By: Mick Herron
Narrated by: Sean Barrett
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Summary

*Now a major TV series starring Gary Oldman*

The eighth book in the critically acclaimed and bestselling Slough House THRILLER series by Mick Herron, who has been called 'Britain's finest living thriller writer' [Sunday Express]

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.

©2022 Mick Herron (P)2022 Hodder & Stoughton
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2
activate_samplebutton_t1

Listeners also enjoyed...

Down Cemetery Road cover art
The Lincoln Lawyer: Booktrack Edition cover art
The Last Voice You Hear cover art
Why We Die cover art
Smoke and Whispers cover art
The Insider cover art
What Falls Between the Cracks cover art
Bangk! cover art
My Name Is Nobody cover art
The Stranger Times cover art
A Man with One of Those Faces cover art
Red Station cover art
Minimum Wage Magic cover art
A Litter of Bones: A Scottish Crime Thriller cover art
The Collapsing Empire cover art
The Final Game cover art

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)

What listeners say about Bad Actors

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,007
  • 4 Stars
    156
  • 3 Stars
    46
  • 2 Stars
    16
  • 1 Stars
    5
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    958
  • 4 Stars
    113
  • 3 Stars
    26
  • 2 Stars
    9
  • 1 Stars
    9
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    864
  • 4 Stars
    180
  • 3 Stars
    48
  • 2 Stars
    9
  • 1 Stars
    6

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A delight

It’s difficult to review this instalment without giving spoilers; suffice to say that in between the lyrical pages, Lamb is in his best form thanks to COVID providing even more chances for him to bully his horses, and the political vignettes are so satisfactory that you don’t know whether to laugh or cry. Gosh have I missed Slough House

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

I love Shirley Dander

given that we're all desperate to learn what happened to River and Sid, the first half hour felt unbearably slow but soon settled into the familiar rhythm. SPAD nerd Anthony Sparrow is a treat, and when Shirley gets going it's wonderful. The narration, as always, is perfect.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Superb

A great story, well paced and liberally sprinkled with satirical notes that make you laugh whilst on the edge of your seat.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Perfect but for one thing...

I found this series of books by seeking out other books narrated by Sean Barrett. From Jo Nesbo to Wallander to here.
I have come to adore the characters in these stories and was not let down.
The only person who seems to have been let down is the amazing Sean Barrett. Whoever is responsible for editing the audiobook was either in a rush or was not very good to start with. There are at least 5 or 6 badly edited parts and not enough attention has been paid to recording his voice.
Don't let that put you off. Consider them Jackson Lamb farting or scratching himself and carry on
Great story with loads of laughs directed at politicians and their staff we all know.
Well done Mick Herron and Sean Barrett.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Not as good as previous titles in the series

I was really looking forward to Bad Actors, there having been quite a long wait since the previous book in the series, and I have to agree with some others who have said that this isn't Mick Herron's best Jackson Lamb or Sean Barrett's best narration. I think both are a little under par here. Also, the production quality is woeful, the editing abysmal. I really think Audible's output quality has dipped dramatically since being taken over by Amazon. Altogether somewhat disappointing.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

One of Kick Herron's best!

The gang has their usual challenges, but the story is one of Herron's best to date. The Shirley Dander character is filled out as is that of Claude Whealon.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Remarkable interpretation of recent events but some dodgy editing

Yet another entertaining slow horses romp by Mick Heron, showing his trademark sly references to current UK politicians. Many old friends are joined by new, possibly short-lived, characters. Cynicism remains sharp and insightful. Only criticism is the presumably unintended inclusion of narration out takes, suggesting the production deadline was too close to be comfortable. Not enough to detract from Sean Barrett’s excellent narration

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Sound engineer wants sacking

As many have said not the finest recording, bass heavy, the only way l could resolve was to reduce the playback speed to 0.9

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great book but woeful audio

The story is great and Sean B is his usual excellent self, narrating with skill and panache. But the audio quality and production, as mentioned by others, really isn’t up to standard. Do get the book but be warned that sound quality and poor editing will be part of the story. …

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

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.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful