"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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Spy Thriller Fans! Win a Copy of A Strange Way to Die by Rosamund Pearl, George Bamford
Closing date: 16/07/2026
From one of our most treasured BBC broadcasters, The Spy Across the Water is the the third instalment in James Naughtie's brilliant spy series, woven around three brothers bound together forever through espionage.
We live with our history, but it can kill us.
Faces from the past appear from nowhere at a family funeral, and Will Flemyng, spy-turned-ambassador, is drawn into twin mysteries that threaten everything he holds dear.
From Washington, he's pitched back into the Troubles in Northern Ireland and an explosive secret hidden deep in the most dangerous but fulfilling friendship he has known.
And while he confronts shadowy adversaries in American streets, and looks for solace at home in the Scottish Highlands, he discovers that his government's most precious Cold War agent is in mortal danger and needs his help to survive.
In an electric story of courage and betrayal, Flemyng learns the truth that his life has left him a man with many friends, but still alone.
The Spy Across the Water features in the following genres: Espionage and spy thriller, Political / Legal Thrillers, Thriller and Suspense, Fiction, Books of the Month, Recommendations, Historical Fiction, Narrative theme: Politics, Fiction: narrative themes
The Spy Across the Water is available in Paperback, Hardback, Ebook (Epub)
The Spy Across the Water was written by James Naughtie and published by Head of Zeus an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing (UK)
The Spy Across the Water has 406 pages
Yes it is part of The Will Flemyng Thrillers series
£8.99
