Apple TV+ is welcoming a new mystery series, Down Cemetery Road, which shares a notable connection with the hit spy thriller Slow Horses. Both shows are adaptations of novels penned by the acclaimed British author, Mick Herron.

Mick Herron is celebrated for his gripping mystery and spy thriller novels. His debut novel, published in 2003, was none other than Down Cemetery Road. This book serves as the foundation for the new Apple TV+ series, starring Emma Thompson and Ruth Wilson. The story introduces us to Zoë Boehm, portrayed by Thompson, an unconventional private detective drawn into a complex case when tragedy strikes close to home. Ruth Wilson plays Sarah Tucker, a local art historian who hires Zoë’s spouse and partner, Joe Silvermann, played by Adam Godley, to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a young girl, the sole survivor of an unusual explosion. Together, they uncover a vast, perilous conspiracy waiting to be unraveled.

Herron continued Zoë’s story in three subsequent novels: The Last Voice You Hear (2004), Why We Die (2006), and Smoke and Whispers (2009). After concluding this series, Herron shifted his attention to the Slough House series. The first installment, Slow Horses, released in 2010, quickly gained a devoted following, inspiring the acclaimed Apple TV+ series of the same name.

With both Down Cemetery Road and Slow Horses originating from Herron’s literary universe, fans might wonder if the two Apple TV+ series are interlinked. Could Down Cemetery Road be set in the same world as Slow Horses? Here’s what viewers should know about the new show.

What is Down Cemetery Road About?

Set in modern-day Oxford, Down Cemetery Road follows Sarah Tucker, an art restorer living in suburban discontent. When a nearby house explosion occurs, Sarah becomes fixated on connecting with the disaster’s lone survivor, a young girl named Dinah. Suspecting a conspiracy to erase Dinah’s existence, Sarah enlists the help of local private investigator Joe Silvermann. The investigation soon spirals into a series of startling twists and tragedies, pulling Joe’s wife, Zoë, deeper into the mystery.

Given the conspiratorial nature of Down Cemetery Road‘s central mystery, it’s not hard to imagine Slow Horses‘s River Cartwright (Jack Lowden) getting involved. So is Down Cemetery Road connected to Slow Horses?

Is Down Cemetery Road Connected to Slow Horses?

Alas, Apple TV+ does not appear to be making an interconnected Mick Herron universe (yet). Down Cemetery Road is not directly connected to Slow Horses. Although they share a similar tone, the two stories don’t intersect.

This is also how it is in Mick Herron’s books. Some of his stories do feature references to Slow Horses characters, like recent standalone novel The Secret Hours. There are even published short story collections that feature stories about Zoë Boehm and Joe Silvermann in the same compilation as tales about Gary Oldman’s Jackson Lamb. However the characters themselves never overlap. Their individual stories are just collected in the same anthologies.

As far as we know, Down Cemetery Road and Slow Horses are not connected.