Spies and Other Gods

An electrifying novel from a former spy set in the mysterious world of British espionage

De: James Wolff

Narrado por: Matt Addis

From a former spy comes an electrifying novel about the mystery, paranoia and ruthlessness of the secretive world of British espionage

'Wonderfully entertaining' John Banville, author of Booker Prize-winning The Sea

'Wolff offers a subtler version of comic spy fiction that treats its characters as amusing, fascinating and sometimes poignant enigmas' Sunday Times

'Wolff is the new maestro' Simon Sebag Montefiore

The Head of British Intelligence is having a bad day. Only six months off retirement and Sir William Rentoul is wondering if he'll make it that far, what with the sudden descent of a brain fog dense enough to turn every day into a series of small humiliations.

To make matters worse, Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee - the body that oversees Sir William - has received an anonymous complaint from one of his officers. Sir William dimly recalls accepting that there should be a channel for whistleblowers, but he never expected that they would pick his most sensitive case, one involving an Iranian assassin and a trail of dead bodies, or that the person who turned up to poke their nose into his files should be a lowly parliamentary researcher named Aphra McQueen, who displays smarts, tenacity and rebelliousness in unsettling measures.

Aphra seems to know more about the operation than she is letting on. What will she uncover? What is she really up to? And can she survive the unexpected events that will bounce her from London to Birmingham to Paris to Lausanne?

'Extraordinarily good' The Spectator

A memorable voice in the genre' New York Times©2026 James Wolff

Reseñas de la Crítica

There's an acute, almost intense intelligence at work in James Wolff's fiction . . . I was hooked on plot and prose, a prose so compelling that it makes you re-read whole paragraphs to savour them again. Wolff is not in this simply to deliver spills and thrills - he's a superb, spare, almost minimal stylist and ... an original (John Lawton, author of)

In the smoke-and-mirrors world of spy fiction, James Wolff shines as a steady bright light. Spies and Other Gods is intricately made, slyly humorous and wonderfully entertaining (John Banville, author of Booker Prize-winning)

Wonderful, gripping, intelligent and original. Great fun and incredibly insightful regarding the real nature of intelligence work (Oliver Harris, author of)

A wonderfully riveting thriller full of surprises (Gordon Corera, author of)

At once dark, haunting, witty, and bitingly funny, Spies and Other Gods conveys exactly what an intelligence organization and the business of spying are all about. Wolff makes polar ends meet: cynicism and compassion, humor and pathos. The narrator is intriguing and brilliant, winking at the reader on every page. Read it for the humour, the insight, or the gut-wrenching twist at the end - but, above all, read it (I.S. Berry, bestselling author of)

A captivating espionage thriller . . . Sly asides and metacommentary from a cynical narrator who's identified only as the "spirit of spying" complement the verisimilitude Wolff brings to the proceedings. Fans of Mick Herron's Slough House series will appreciate this

As a former British Intelligence Officer, Wolff is the perfect candidate to write this alluring tale about the inner workings of spy culture. He writes the narrator as a sort of all-seeing essence of espionage, adding a welcome and unique tone. The narrator's godlike connotation removes the fourth wall, placing readers into the scene and posing questions that serve to enhance the experience. Mysterious and at times existential, this book will cleanse the palate of seasoned spycraft readers in the best way

This fine new novel is saturated in the world-weary cynicism that comes with experience . . . A fascinating, tricksy yarn told in an engaging, offbeat style

Wolff offers a subtler version of comic spy fiction that treats its characters as amusing, fascinating and sometimes poignant enigmas

A welcome addition to a genre often still dominated by male protagonists

There are many things to recommend this novel - the tight pacing, the dry humour, the realistic characters - but one thing that makes it particularly stand out is the way that Wolff gives a voice to the organisation itself . . . his writing glitters with humour and his plotlines are hugely exciting

[A] delicious spy story . . . displays not only a wry wit and insider knowledge, but also a disdain for the spying establishment - reminiscent of the great Len Deighton