Synopsis
The Times Thriller of the Month, January 2026
'Paul Warner's impressive debut wins the reader's trust with its nuanced depiction of character, brisk handling of the action and sure grasp of the cost to spies of a life of deception and betrayal' - THE TIMES
'This is an impressive launch for what promises to be an exciting new series' - FINANCIAL TIMES
'Terrifying - if you have children you'll never see them the same way again' - RORY CLEMENTS
'An expertly thrown knife of a spy novel that slips the blade between your ribs when you least expect it' - DAVID GOODMAN, author of A RELUCTANT SPY
___________________________________
Mark Wolfe was the greatest spy of his generation.
Now he's been put out to pasture.
Gone are the days of dead-drops beneath railway station clocks in foreign lands that no longer exist - of dry-cleaning, double agents and triple crosses. Now Mark's stuck behind a desk in Vauxhall Cross in charge of recruiting the next wave of spooks, his only excitement fending off advances from deep-pocketed private security companies.
Yet his discontent is just another secret to add to the pile. As far as his wife and children are concerned, Mark is a quiet, affable civil servant who has no idea how to use the TV remote.
So when he discovers his daughter, Jody, has an unhealthy obsession with joining MI6, Mark is caught off guard. The Service is keeping her recruitment a secret from him - but why?
Then Jody disappears during a mission. And with MI6 washing their hands of her, Mark is thrust back into a terrifying new world of modern espionage.
A truly epic espionage thriller, A Spy in the Blood takes you from modern day London to Afghanistan as a once-legendary spy confronts the complex horrors of modern tradecraft.
'Paul Warner's impressive debut wins the reader's trust with its nuanced depiction of character, brisk handling of the action and sure grasp of the cost to spies of a life of deception and betrayal' - THE TIMES
'This is an impressive launch for what promises to be an exciting new series' - FINANCIAL TIMES
'Terrifying - if you have children you'll never see them the same way again' - RORY CLEMENTS
'An expertly thrown knife of a spy novel that slips the blade between your ribs when you least expect it' - DAVID GOODMAN, author of A RELUCTANT SPY
___________________________________
Mark Wolfe was the greatest spy of his generation.
Now he's been put out to pasture.
Gone are the days of dead-drops beneath railway station clocks in foreign lands that no longer exist - of dry-cleaning, double agents and triple crosses. Now Mark's stuck behind a desk in Vauxhall Cross in charge of recruiting the next wave of spooks, his only excitement fending off advances from deep-pocketed private security companies.
Yet his discontent is just another secret to add to the pile. As far as his wife and children are concerned, Mark is a quiet, affable civil servant who has no idea how to use the TV remote.
So when he discovers his daughter, Jody, has an unhealthy obsession with joining MI6, Mark is caught off guard. The Service is keeping her recruitment a secret from him - but why?
Then Jody disappears during a mission. And with MI6 washing their hands of her, Mark is thrust back into a terrifying new world of modern espionage.
A truly epic espionage thriller, A Spy in the Blood takes you from modern day London to Afghanistan as a once-legendary spy confronts the complex horrors of modern tradecraft.
Details
29 January 2026
9781785129940Imprint: Zaffre
Reviews
Terrifying - if you have children you'll never see them the same way again
This explosive debut shifts from the shadowy streets of London to the freezing mountains of the Hindu Kush, powered by double-crosses, brutal action and last-resort adrenaline. Warner's wry humour, fatalism and the dogged persistence of his protagonist Mark Wolfe draw you deep into the plot, spiralling through betrayal, sacrifice and the inexorable corruption of the secret world. An expertly thrown knife of a spy novel that slips the blade between your ribs when you least expect it.
Warner's impressive debut wins the reader's trust with its nuanced depiction of character, brisk handling of the action and sure grasp of the cost to spies of a life of deception and betrayal
Warner steadily cranks up the tension as the story accelerates to a shocking climax. This is an impressive launch for what promises to be an exciting new series.
