Headline snaps up espionage thriller by debut author David Goodman

Headline has snapped up A Reluctant Spy, an espionage thriller by debut author David Goodman to be published in September 2024.  

Editorial director Toby Jones acquired world English rights from Harry Illingworth. 

A Reluctant Spy sees Jamie Tulloch, who has risen a long way from a tough upbringing to become a successful tech executive, harbouring a secret: since the age of 23, he’s been part of the Legends Programme, a secret intelligence effort to prepare impenetrable backstories for undercover agents. Real people, living real lives, hand over their identities for a few weeks in return for jobs, influence and access. 

When his tap on the shoulder finally comes, Jamie arrives at a French airport to find his primary contact dead, the agent who’s supposed to step into his life AWOL and his options for escape non-existent. Pitched into a deadly mission on hostile territory, Jamie must contend with a rogue Russian general, arms dealers, elite hackers, CIA tac-ops and the discovery of a brewing plan for war. Dangerously out of his depth, can Jamie play himself well enough to avoid being killed – and to avert a lethal global conflict? 

Jones said: “With an original yet frighteningly plausible premise, David’s stylish, compulsive writing forces the reader to grapple with a deadly dilemma. Sweeping from the hidden corridors of power to the feverish intensity of live operations, A Reluctant Spy contains all the elements beloved by fans of espionage thrillers.” 

Goodman added: “I am delighted to be working with Toby Jones and his team. With A Reluctant Spy, I aimed to bring an outsider’s perspective to the world of international espionage, answering a question we’ve all surely thought about – what would I do if I found myself plunged into the secret world? Toby saw the potential in this book from the outset and I can’t wait to work with Headline to make it real.”

From The Bookseller article | Sian Bayley