Standing by the Wall

*A Slough House Christmas short story from the Sunday Times number one bestseller of BAD ACTORS.*

Here in Slough House, the intelligence services home for inept spies, its beginning to feel a lot like Christmas.

Roddy Ho is used to being the one the slow horses turn to when they need miracles performed, and hes always been Jackson Lambs Number Two. So when Lamb has a photograph that needs doctoring, its Ho he entrusts with the task. Christmas is a time for memories, but Lamb doesnt do memories - or so he says. But what is it about the photo that makes him want to alter it? How would the slow horses cope if Roddy Ho didnt exist? And most importantly of all, are the team having Christmas drinks, and if so, where?

Standing by the Wall offers a glimpse into the kind of seasonal merriment you might expect at Slough House, where the boss generally marks the festive season with an increase in hostilities. But then, this is the secret service, not Secret Santa. And the slow horses arent here to enjoy themselves.

Roddy Roddy Roddy? Ho Ho Ho!