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 *
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 * Mail on Sunday *
Wolff offers a subtler version of comic spy fiction that treats its characters as amusing, fascinating and sometimes poignant enigmas * Sunday Times *
A welcome addition to a genre often still dominated by male protagonists * Financial Times *
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 * Book Brunch *
Spies and Other Gods places him in the top tier of today’s spy writers … the tradecraft involves sophisticated surveillance and high-tech methods of eavesdropping, showcasing the author’s intelligence background. But Wolff’s greatest strength lies in his imaginative language and clever exploration of his characters. Like John le Carré, he is first and foremost a writer of fiction who happens to have been a spy * The Spectator *
[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 * Daily Mail *
A head of service losing his marbles and a jaded dentist delighted to be unexpectedly thrust into the secret world are among the delicious character studies in this bracingly cynical yarn – Jake Kerridge * Telegraph *
With the battle-lines drawn, Wolff proceeds to craft a quirky spy novel by employing black humour, an offbeat narrative voice (the story is told by a disembodied ‘spirit of spying’) and a host of morally questionable spooks to shine a harsh light on the inner workings of British intelligence. The comparisons with Mick Herron’s Slough House series are inevitable, but they are also very favourable: Wolff may wear his insider’s knowledge lightly, but Spies and Other Gods is a hugely entertaining spy novel with considerable emotional heft * Irish Times *
A funny, cynical look into the world of spies * Town & Country *
A fresh tale with a vividly rendered spyscape. What makes this novel completely original is his choice of narrator - not a flesh-and-blood character but a mysterious, amorphous all-seeing entity … one whose roving eye and singular voice combine to create a commentary that is, by turn, witty, acerbic, and insightful * Washington Examiner *
Wolff conveys a world of expedience, uncertainty, default mendacity and motive-mongering with economy, deftness and wit * London Standard *
Quirky … A cynical, funny spin on spycraft * Kirkus Reviews *
The great innovation here is the book’s narrator, a metaphysical presence that mischievously describes itself as ‘the spirit of spying’ … It’s an ingenious device … [that] allows us to see the world of espionage from a unique perspective - the perspective from which it sees itself * Spybrary *
A mysterious assassin working across borders and without clear patterns has British intelligence in chaos mode in this new international spy thriller from one of the boldest voices in the genre * CrimeReads *
Through careful character development, [Wolff] explores themes of family connection, loyalty, accountability and conflicting personal and professional responsibilities … a worthy addition to the genre * Crime Fiction Lover *

James Wolff grew up in Beirut and has lived in Damascus, Cairo and Istanbul. He worked as a British intelligence officer for over ten years. He lives in England.

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