CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger 2025

The British Crime Writers’ Association awarded the 2025 Cartier Diamond Dagger to Mick Herron. Congratulations, Mick!

Mick Herron is the author of the Slough House series and other mystery and thriller novels.

A CWA press release explains that this prize “recognises authors whose crime writing careers have been marked by sustained excellence, and who have made a significant contribution to the genre.” Herron is quoted as saying: “I’ve spent the best part of my life—not the majority of it; just the best part—in the crime writers’ community, and to receive this accolade from these friends and colleagues is both a career highlight and a personal joy. I’m touched and thrilled beyond measure, and will try to live up to the honour.” 

Past Diamond Dagger honorees include Ian Rankin, Lynda La Plante, Walter Mosley, Ann Cleeves, Andrew Taylor, Lindsey Davis, Michael Connelly, Val McDermid, and John le Carré.

HT: The Rap Sheet

Slough House, Season 4 premiere: AppleTV +

Slow Horses, Season 4, will premiere on AppleTV+ September 4. Slow Horses continues to draw from Mick Herron's books, with season four's plot coming from book four, Spook Street. Starring Gary Oldman in his Emmy-nominated role as Jackson Lamb, the AppleTV+ Original Series Slow Horses follows the irascible head of MI5's Slough House, Jackson Lamb, and his misfit team of washed-up agents who will do anything to redeem themselves. 

The Apple TV+ spy thriller, based on Mick Herron's Slough House novels, centers around the MI5's "dumping ground department," known as Slough House. The series follows the dysfunctional British intelligence agents who "end up in Slough House due to their career-ending mistakes as they frequently find themselves blundering around the smoke and mirrors of the espionage world." Gary Oldman leads the group as Jackson Lamb, and he will be back for more in Slow Horses season four. 

Slow Horses helped break the Apple TV+ record with 9 Emmy nominations, including outstanding lead actor for Gary Oldman.

And, the good news is that there will be a Season 5. 

Mick Herron's Slow Horses on AppleTV+: April 1

Apple TV+  announced today the premiere date and first look at the espionage series “Slow Horses,” starring Academy Award winner Gary Oldman, which will make its worldwide debut on Friday, April 1, 2022. The six-episode drama, adapted from CWA Gold Dagger Award-winning Mick Herron’s first novel in the "Slow Horses” series, will premiere globally on Apple TV+ with the first two episodes, followed by one new episode weekly every Friday.

“Slow Horses” follows a team of British intelligence agents who serve in a dumping ground department of MI5 – Slough House. Oldman stars as Jackson Lamb, the brilliant but irascible leader of the spies who end up in Slough House due to their career-ending mistakes. Joining Oldman is a decorated ensemble cast including Academy Award nominee Kristin Scott Thomas (“Darkest Hour”), Academy Award nominee Jonathan Pryce (“The Two Popes”), BAFTA Scotland Award winner Jack Lowden (“Dunkirk”), and Olivia Cooke (“Sound of Metal”).

The series is produced for Apple by See-Saw Films and adapted for television by Will Smith (“Veep”). Graham Yost executive produces alongside Smith. Jamie Laurenson, Hakan Kousetta, Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, Gail Mutrux and Douglas Urbanski also serve as executive producers on the series. James Hawes directs all six episodes and executive produces.