Spies and Other Gods

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 * Smoke and Embers *
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 * The Sea *
Wonderful, gripping, intelligent and original. Great fun and incredibly insightful regarding the real nature of intelligence work -- Oliver Harris, author of * Ascension *
A wonderfully riveting thriller full of surprises -- Gordon Corera, author of * MI6: Life and Death in the British Secret Service *
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 * The Peacock and the Sparrow *
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 * Publishers Weekly *
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 * Booklist *
Praise for James Wolff --

A memorable voice in the genre

* New York Times *

Extraordinarily good

* The Spectator *
Wolff is a new Maestro -- Simon Sebag Montefiore * Evening Standard Books of the Year *
A superb debut * The Times Thriller of the Month *
A classic spy story . . . Whimsical, inventive and shape shifting * The Wall Street Journal *
A dazzling thriller for our time . . . gritty and diamond-sharp -- James Naughtie
This important book . . . brought home to me the complex and shifting situation in the Middle East and the danger of looking for simple responses or explanations -- Ann Cleeves