"Fabulous characters weave their way through the Northern Ireland Troubles and ending of the Cold War in this worthwhile and stimulating spy thriller."
Intricately plotted, with a focus on the labyrinth that exists behind the front door of politics, this is a fascinating read. Former spy Will Flemyng from Paris Spring set in the late 60’s and The Madness of July in the 70’s, here returns as ambassador at the British Embassy in Washington in the mid 80’s. He has to spin multiple plates while attempting to keep negotiations with the Republic of Ireland from being derailed and to maintain the safety of a Cold War Agent. Author James Naughties’s background as a special correspondent for BBC news ensures this novel feels like an entirely persuasive and credible take on proceedings. This is the first time I’ve stepped into this series, and can happily announce that you could easily read The Spy Across the Water as a standalone. As always with a series, I do recommend going back and starting at the beginning, particularly if you love to imagine yourself at the centre of history and how things might have actually played out behind the scenes. While the different strands to the story swirl intriguingly around each other, there is a tightly knitted complexity which meant I was on full alert at all times. Flemyng keeps a tight lid on his knowledge, feeding it to those he trusts in bite-sized chunks and therefore my head was whirling with possibilities throughout. Vivid and vibrant locations act as fabulous settings for the relationships between characters to spark into life. The interplay of words and actions taken are of vital importance and handled beautifully, with events flowing towards an ending which echoes with a feeling of authenticity. The Spy Across the Water is a provocative and compelling novel I recommend to all those who relish spy thrillers with layers of fascinating complexity.
| Primary Genre | Espionage and spy thriller |
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