"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.
From one of our most treasured BBC broadcasters, The Spy Across the Water is the third instalment in James Naughtie's brilliant spy series, woven around three brothers bound together 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 ever 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.
'A thoughtful and detailed novel of statecraft and spycraft, recommended for fans of le Carré' Ian Rankin 'Naughtie writes sophisticated, complex spy novels, rich in character and incident. The Spy Across the Water is perhaps his finest yet.' Charles Cumming
Praise for James Naughtie:
'As convincing as any of John le Carré's' Independent 'Beautifully written, deftly plotted, skilfully paced, imaginatively conceived' Robert Littell 'An involved and beautifully plotted spy story' Allan Massie 'Hugely gripping and atmospheric' Mail on Sunday 'Complex and psychologically detailed' Charles Cumming 'A tour de force' Kate Mosse
