Slow Horses

Would the security services, at the behest of unscrupulous politicians, aid small-time terrorists in kidnapping? This is the main plot of Slow Horses. But what of the Slow Horses themselves? Who or what are they? The name Slough House is a wordplay ("might as well be Slough", ie. the middle of nowhere) and from this another wordplay names the denizens of the house as Slow Horses… neatly scene-setting the world of failed spies and the disdain in which they're held and from which they're desperate to escape. At the start it is confusing that the narration switches quickly from character to character, and this relies on stereotypes instead of character development. But the settings are great, the story good, and the boss of the Slow Horses, Jackson Lamb, so memorable in his own disdain of the world that you'll want to read on. Can the Slow Horses, against the odds and their own failings uncover and foil the plot? And even if they manage, will they get their proper jobs back?