Spybrary Spy Podcast

On this episode of the Spybrary Spy Podcast we talk to author Merle Nygate all about her first espionage novel The Righteous Spy In a Goodreads review - Spybrary listener Gary Dexter raves that The Righteous Spy is: The best espionage book that I have read with a contemporary U.K. setting since Mick Herron's "Slow Horse" series. Gary Dexter, Spybrarian Gary has read many a spy novel in his time and does not dish out the praise lightly so we were intrigued to talk to Merle Nygate and find out more. A twisting international spy thriller, The Righteous Spy is a shocking page turner that portrays a clandestine world in which moral transgressions serve higher causes. A must-read for fans of Homeland, Fauda and The Americans, it will also appeal to readers of Charles Cumming and John le Carré. Merle Nygate is a screenwriter, script editor, screenwriting lecturer and novelist; she's worked on BAFTA winning TV, New York Festival audio drama and written original sitcoms; previously she worked for BBC Comedy Commissioning as well as writing and script editing across multiple genres. Most recently, Merle completed her first espionage novel which won the Little Brown/UEA Crime Fiction Award. It was described by the judge as 'outstanding'. In this Spybrary Podcast interview the author of the Righteous Spy reveals that her book was inspired by feedback she received in a class exercise whilst studying for a MA in Crime Fiction. She shares more about her research for the book and also talks us through her writing process and inspiration. This is a candid discussion with an author who knows her way around the greats (she lists Len Deighton as her favourite spy author) and shares the story of a pivotal moment when she decided to take writing seriously whilst passing a book store on her way back to her office job one lunch time.

On Episode 61 of the Spybrary Spy Podcast, Shane and Karl talk about the recently released book from Geoff Dyer titled 'Broadsword Calling Danny Boy' on Where Eagles Dare. In this no holds barred discussion two well read spy fans give you their assessment of the book. Karl Gunner Øen becomes the first Norwegian spy fan to join us on the Spybrary Spy Podcast. Karl is an avid reader of spy lit and watcher of spy movies. We talk briefly about spy fiction in Norway as well as the activities of real life Norwegian Spy Catcher Ørnulf Tofte. Please check out this video about the KGB in Oslo. Especially of interest if you have read The Spy and The Traitor by Ben Macintrye as it concerns one Arne Treholt who features in the book.

Listeners of Spybrary met up in Berlin to follow in the footsteps of Len Deighton's Bernard Samson. Be a fly on the wall as the Spybrarians visit Berlin landmarks. Listen to the spy book, tv, movie and music chat as the beers flow!

Spybrary Spy Podcast and the SpyWrite Spy blog have teamed up to give you a a chance to vote for your favourite spy movies in our Spy Movie Hall of Fame poll. On this, our 59th episode Spywrite's Jeff Quest and Spybrary Host Shane Whaley talk through the movies nominated by Spybrarians in our Listeners facebook group. Jeff and Shane talk through the good, the bad and the not yet watched! Rather than just voting for your current favourites, why not join us in watching some of those nominated movies that you have never watched before? Shane is catching up with OSS 117 – Mission to Tokyo, Jeff is finally going to watch Billion Dollar Brain! Spy Movie Hall of Fame Voting Booth – vote here. Deadline is November Friday 16th. We will announce the top 10 on a future episode of Spybrary, a special round table edition where the panels will deep dive and share their thoughts on the winning spy movies. Shane and Jeff also chat through what spy books and spy tv shows they have been reading and watching of late.

Spybrary Spy Podcast with Matthew Kresal After a rejuvenating few months at Shrublands our Brush Pass Reviews makes a welcome return to the Spybrary Spy Podcast. Matthew Kresal's brush pass has been decoded. Tune in and hear his transmission where he gives us his rapid briefing on the Battle for Bond, a book written by Robert Sellars. 'In 1963, Ian Fleming, the creator of the 20th century's greatest fictional character was in court, accused of plagiarism. The screen version of James Bond was not Fleming's creation. It was the creation of Jack Whittingham, who was employed by maverick producer Kevin McClory to adapt the character to the big screen. Had this screen character never been developed, James Bond might have been just another minor fictional spy character. Battle for Bond – Robert Sellars The Battle for Bond is a tale of bitter recriminations, betrayal, multi-million dollar lawsuits and even death. It is the fabled story of Kevin McClory's 40 year legal battle over the rights to the screen version of James Bond, which he and Whittingham had created. The first edition of this book was banned by the Ian Fleming Will Trust. But the truth never dies! This second edition features a new foreword by Len Deighton.

On this episode we talk to 2 Tom Clancy fans about the Jack Ryan Amazon TV series! 'Jack Ryan Is a Patriotic Nightmare' Watching this show feels like falling down a Fox News rabbit hole. Vanity Fair's Jack Ryan Review Review: 'Meet the New Jack Ryan, Same as the Old Jack Ryan' New York Times Jack Ryan Review 'Gloriously macho: For too long the leftie-dominated entertainment industry has been ignoring the truth about our world' The Spectators' Jack Ryan Review These are 3 polarising headlines written about the Jack Ryan Amazon TV series. Taken from Vanity Fair, The New York Times and Spectator Magazine. We tackle these reviews and more on the Spybrary Podcast Episode 57

Berlin Game -Len Deighton - Spybrary Book Club Edition Spybrary listeners voted overwhelmingly for Berlin Game to be the first spy book to be discussed in our first ever book club Spybrary edition. Listen to an in-depth conversation on this spy classic with Spybrary host Shane Whaley, Deighton expert Rob Mallows and newcomer to Len Deighton's work but not the spy genre Peter Newman. WARNING - Please do not listen to the Berlin Game Book Club edition of Spybrary if you have not read the book. Unlike other episodes of the Spybrary Spy Podcast this episode if full of Berlin Game spoilers. It is a book club edition so we cover lots of aspects of the book including many of the twists and turns. Spybrary Host Shane Whaley claims that this is one of the top 3 spy books ever written, if not the best! 'Not just a multi-layered spy novel but also a love letter from Len Deighton to Berlin' he says. Rob Mallows says Berlin Game is the book that got him hooked on Len Deighton. Peter Newman delivers a fresh approach as this was his first time reading Berlin Game. What did our panel think of the plot, the characters, the writing, the conclusion? Tune in to find out! 'Fleming made spy fiction globally popular, but it took Deighton in the Sixties with novels such as The IPCRESS File to make it hip. His finest work, though, came later, in the Eighties, with this trilogy (completed by Mexico Set and London Match) about the disillusioned SIS agent Bernard Samson. Less exuberant than his early books but more subtle, Berlin Game is a terrific feat of plotting that out-le-Carrés le Carré in its sardonic portrait of Secret Service office politics. Tarantino (who had Max Cherry read a copy in Jackie Brown) should hurry up and film it, like he said he would.' Jake Kerridge - The Telegraph. Notable Quotes from Berlin Game by Len Deighton 'How long have we been sitting here?' I said. I picked up the field glasses and studied the bored young American soldier in his glass-sided box. 'Nearly a quarter of a century,' said Werner Volkmann. His arms were resting on the steering wheel and his head was slumped on them. 'That GI wasn't even born when we first sat here waiting for the dogs to bark.' Bernard Samson ----- 'Do you know some quiet restaurant where they have sausage and potatoes and good Berlin beer?' 'I know just the place, Bernie. Straight up Friedrichstrasse, under the railway bridge at the S-Bahn station and it's on the left. On the bank of the Spree: Weinrestaurant Ganymed.' 'Very funny,' I said. Between us and the Ganymed there was a wall, machine guns, barbed wire, and two battalions of gun-toting bureaucrats.'

On Episode 55 of the Spybrary Podcast, guest host Matthew Kresal talks to the writer and director of Red Moon, a cold war thriller audio drama. Produced by Wireless Theatre Red Moon is an alternate history story about what would have happened had the Soviets landed on the moon before the Americans. If today's episode has piqued your interest, Wireless Theater have kindly made Episode 1 of Red Moon free for you to try out. PHASE ONE: MOONRISE London, 1979. As American and Soviet moonbases aim their nuclear missiles at targets across the planet, former MI5 officer Eddie Sloper is about to uncover a deadly secret.

Welcome to Episode 54 of the Spybrary Spy Podcast! Recently we received some intelligence suggesting that two well known Spybrarians and Spy Book bloggers Matthew Bradford and Jeff Quest were planning a meetup in Los Angeles. So we sent some of our agents to tail them for the day, thankfully they did what every self-respecting Spybrarian would do. They met up and hit some book stores, picking up a stack of first editions and signed copies. Mind you Quest has the knack of discovering signed copies everywhere he goes!!! Then they retired several pubs, to drink some beer and chat spy books. Quest and Bradford are two extremely well read guys when it comes to spy literature, can you imagine being a fly on the wall of that conversation? Well today you can be. One of our agents was able to place a listening device in their vicinity (we can't reveal where, secret tradecraft) so you can hear Bradford and Quest talking all about the Red Sparrow Trilogy with special focus on The Kremlin's Candidate, the final book of the Red Sparrow trilogy written by ex CIA man Jason Matthews. This is a no holds barred conversation, no kid gloves with this one as you would expect with two Spybrary heavyweights such as Quest and Bradford. -----WARNING----- Our transcribers tell us that whilst the product is gold., there is a spoiler alert towards the last segment. Don't worry the chaps give fair and clear warning, so if you are like me and you have not read The Kremlin's Candidate yet you can still tune in to this transmission.-------WARNING---- The audio is not studio quality, our engineers have worked on the file and it is intelligible just not crystal clear, occasional background and interference as our targets move from place to place in LA in an effort to evade our tail. Please send any audio complaints to Q branch and not to us. Seriously though, a big thanks to Jeff Quest and Matthew Bradford for taking the trouble to record this chat for us. I think you will all enjoy it! Fans talking spy books in a bar over a pint? This is quintessential Spybrary!

We talk to the man behind Spy Guys and Gals, the biggest spy book resource online! Can he whittle down over 7000 spy books to just 5! Its Dead Drop 5 time!