'Perfect' book adaptation with A-list Brit cast is 'next Slow Horses'
Netflix is set to release a tense and twisty new British thriller series based on a book by bestselling writer Mick Herron, who is best known for his hugely successful Slow Horses saga
Apple TV+ is gearing up to unveil its latest gripping British thriller - and this one comes straight from the mind of bestselling author Mick Herron.
Down Cemetery Road, based on Herron's debut novel from 2003, is being billed as must-watch television alongside his hugely successful Slow Horses series.
Arriving globally on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, the eight-part drama stars Emma Thompson and Ruth Wilson in a twisting Oxford-set mystery filled with explosions, conspiracies, and Herron's trademark darkly comic style.
The story begins in a seemingly quiet Oxford neighbourhood, where a peaceful evening is shattered when a house suddenly explodes.
That same night, a young girl disappears without a trace, reports the Express.
Local resident Sarah Tucker (Ruth Wilson) quickly becomes convinced the two events are connected.
Unable to shake her suspicions, she recruits private detective Zoe Boehm (Emma Thompson), a woman haunted by her own demons, to help uncover what really happened.
Together, Sarah and Zoe become entangled in a complex web of secrets suggesting people long thought dead are actually still alive - whilst others are being murdered at an alarming rate. Apple TV+ has described the series as showcasing "all the hallmarks of Mick Herron's funny and acerbic writing," while dubbing it an "unmissable companion piece" for fans of Slow Horses.
The cast is a veritable who's who of British film and television, featuring award-winning talent and familiar faces.
Oscar-winner Emma Thompson stars as Zoe Boehm, a brilliant but troubled detective, while Golden Globe-winner Ruth Wilson plays Sarah Tucker, the persistent neighbour whose dogged determination lands them both in danger.
Joining Thompson and Wilson are Adeel Akhtar as Hamza, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett as Downey, Tom Goodman-Hill as Gerard, Darren Boyd as C. and more.
Given Herron's reputation for sharp-witted spy fiction, comparisons to Apple's critically acclaimed Slow Horses are inevitable.
However, Down Cemetery Road offers something entirely unique.
In a chat with TV Insider, Ruth Wilson said: "It gets mad as it goes on and gets more wild and dangerous, and the landscape changes, and in the way it's shot is all wild and brutal in the last three, and it feels like a sort of action movie thriller by the end. That's why it's different to Slow Horses. It's a road movie and it's an odyssey for these two characters, and through it, they're finding things out about themselves as they go. It is in the same world and the same humour and wit, but actually structurally, it's quite different."
The novel received glowing praise, with Audiofile Magazine saying: "Mick Herron skillfully weaves a complex story with interesting snippets of current events . . . This is the perfect choice for those who like to analyze many layers and false starts as a story unfolds."
The Guardian said: "A not-to-be-missed treat . . . Herron's incisive portraits are as pitch perfect as ever, and even if you've read this series before, it's worth reminding yourself of its excellence."
Apple TV+ will launch the opening two episodes of Down Cemetery Road on Wednesday, October 29, 2025.
The remaining six episodes will drop weekly, concluding on December 10.