Discuss author Mick Herron’s use of setting as a thematic device by contrasting the building of Slough House against other settings in the novel, like the MI5 headquarters at Regent’s Park or the underground facility where Douglas works.

This guide identifies Real Tigers as a satirical response to the conventions of spy fiction established by authors like Ian Fleming and John le Carré. Analyze how Herron uses characterization and plot to subvert traditional espionage tropes.

How does Lamb’s leadership style serve to both manage and motivate the exiled agents of Slough House? Evaluate the success of his approach.

Discuss how Peter Judd’s character in the narrative functions as Herron’s commentary about public-facing government officials. What does Herron think about the power structures that run the United Kingdom?

Discuss Herron’s use of dramatic irony in the novel. How does he leverage narrative structure to build irony, and how does it provide further commentary on the capabilities of institutional structures?

How might you argue that Catherine Standish is the protagonist of the novel? Analyze the novel’s themes against her character arc to support your answer.

Analyze how the central motif of real tigers versus slow horses applies to the novel’s antagonists, such as Sean Donovan and Diana Taverner.

Compare the ways in which Taverner and the female agents of Slough House navigate the male-dominated and deeply cynical world of British intelligence. How do their different approaches to patriarchal power challenge or reinforce the novel’s satirical critique of institutional structures?