Espionage fiction is as popular as it has been in a long time, thanks to Mick Herron, David McCloskey and many others. Releasing a spy novel in this market is a tough task, let alone the first in a planned series. Paul Warner, who has written under the name Paul Read, brings us the superspy Mark Wolfe in A Spy in the Blood.
Mark was once the toast of MI6, but age has caught up to him, and now he oversees recruitment drives for the agency. He’s drifting through this new world with technology often alien to him and a family oblivious to his history… or so he thinks. Just when Mark thought he could ease into pensioner life, his daughter Jody decides to follow in her father’s tradecraft footsteps. He’s torn between pride and concern, wanting his daughter to fend for herself but not necessarily mirror his path. She’s a natural, flying through training and quickly on assignments of her own.
The focus is firmly kept on Mark as he initially tries to keep tabs on Jody, who is more than capable of handling herself. Things take a sharp turn when she goes missing on an assignment. Now, MI6 is unwilling to get involved, forcing Mark back into action. What follows is a fast-paced, often very funny tale that shows a real aptitude for the genre from Warner. It’s a unique take, pitting an ageing spy in what is a young man’s game, with Paul’s brain and years of experience often keeping him one step ahead.
Wolfe is a compelling character, jaded from his time with MI6 but still committed to his country and family. With this set to be the first in at least a two-book series with Funeral For a Spy due in 2027, he is sure to become a fan favourite. We are treated to references to his glory days, gaps that Warner has left ample room to fill in the next instalment. The mystery over the exact nature of Mark’s assignments is part of the allure.
There are plenty of mysterious agencies involved, keeping us guessing if they’re allies or antagonists of Mark as he tries to track down Jody. This coupled with references to The Taliban and other Middle Eastern organisations, keeps stakes and tension high.
Warner’s writing is punchy, fast-paced, with plenty of social commentary and geopolitical references that feed into the plot organically, rarely feeling forced. We travel from London to Afghanistan in pursuit of answers. What appears at some stages a straightforward, completely upends our expectations with an ambitious ending that shows real guts and strays from what we would expect. It may prove divisive, but it really shows Warner is willing to push himself and, in the process, you.
This is a unique entry into a congested genre with plenty to indicate that Warner has it in him to stand apart from many wannabes as a real voice to look out for in future, whetting our appetite for the follow-up. I would happily lap it up now, if I could. Having the focus more on a has-been and his commitment to his family really separates this from typical spy fare, and while there is plenty of action, it never feels like it’s there in sacrifice of a compelling story.
There is so much to admire in the plotting and writing style that this is a must read for fans of the genre. It has the topicality of Damascus Station with some of the humour of the Slow Horses series, while being distinct in its own right.
Bonnier Books
Hardback
£8.99
CFL Rating: 5 Stars
