In this episode of Spymasters, Antonia Senior sits down with acclaimed author Alex Preston to discuss his gripping new novel A Stranger in Corfu — a dark, atmospheric story that blends the glamour of the Mediterranean with the psychological wreckage of espionage.

At the centre of the novel is Nina, a young MI6 agent dispatched into the collapsing chaos of 1990s Yugoslavia, where the moral certainties of her training collide with the brutal reality of intelligence work. What follows is a haunting journey — one that eventually leads her to a mysterious island off Corfu, a place that feels less like paradise and more like a retirement home for damaged spies.

Alex reveals the real-world inspirations behind the story, including Corfu’s extraordinary intelligence history, and the chilling legacy of Operation Valuable — the failed Anglo-American Cold War effort to destabilise communist Albania.

This is an episode about idealism, betrayal, compromised souls, and the seductive power of “beautiful lies.” If you love John le Carré, moral complexity, or spy stories that feel uncomfortably real… you’re going to love this conversation.

🔗 Buy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=A+Stranger+in+Corfu+Alex+Preston

🔗 Buy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=Stalin%27s+Apostles+Antonia+Senior

If you love deep-dive history, espionage stories, and book-led discussions…

📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HistoryBookBuffs
🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4eI5pI5YFZy9Oa4XwQ7m9c
🍏 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/search?term=History%20Book%20Buffs

A Stranger in Corfu, Alex Preston, Spymasters podcast, MI6 spy novel, espionage fiction, Corfu spy history, Operation Valuable, Cold War operations, John le Carré influence, moral ambiguity, literary spy thriller, Yugoslavia intelligence, British intelligence fiction, CIA and MI6 operations, spy retirement island, psychological espionage fiction

Spy fiction is at its best when it’s morally uncomfortable.

Nina’s story captures the psychological cost of being trained to lie for a living.

Corfu isn’t just beautiful — it’s a landscape soaked in Cold War intrigue.

Operation Valuable remains one of the most fascinating and disastrous intelligence missions of the era.

The novel’s dual timeline structure deepens both suspense and emotional impact.

Espionage isn’t about heroes and villains — it’s about people trying to survive the compromises they’ve made.

“What drives us all?”

“Is it ever worth it?”

“A dark wave that is constantly about to break.”

00:00 – Introduction to Alex and A Stranger in Corfu
02:37 – Why Corfu is the perfect spy setting
06:51 – Kim Philby, betrayal, and the ghost of intelligence history
11:25 – Nina’s story and the power of a dual timeline
16:48 – The moral ambiguities of espionage
20:59 – Generational links and inherited damage
26:50 – Idealism vs. reality in the spy world
30:06 – The seduction of “beautiful lies”
35:23 – Nina, trauma, and the dark wave
38:47 – Future projects and closing thoughts

Please consider following Spymasters, leaving a rating, and sharing the episode with a fellow spy-fiction addict.

Because the truth is rarely clean… and espionage never ends.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Former CIA analyst and bestselling spy novelist David McCloskey returns to Spymasters to talk to Antonia Senior about his new thriller The Persian — a razor-sharp spy story set inside the Israel–Iran shadow war.

We discuss how real-world covert operations (from sabotage to targeted assassinations) have shaped modern espionage, and how spy fiction can capture the human cost of clandestine conflict: fear, tradecraft, loyalty, identity, and moral compromise. McCloskey breaks down how he researches intelligence operations using open-source reporting and conversations with former practitioners — and why he chose to write a spy novel with no Americans at the center of the story.

We also explore the culture and risk tolerance differences between intelligence services, the evolution of surveillance and remote warfare, and the perennial question: should writers “stay in their lane,” or is imagining other lives the whole point of fiction?

What the Israel–Iran covert conflict looks like — and why it’s perfect terrain for a spy novel

The premise of The Persian: a Persian Jewish dentist recruited as a Mossad asset

Researching espionage through open-source intelligence (OSINT), reporting, and real tradecraft insight

Mossad vs CIA: risk tolerance, bureaucracy, operational style, and culture

Remote and tech-enabled killing — drones, distance, and the changing nature of modern war

Writing morally complex characters (and why the book isn’t a “morality play”)

Representation in fiction: writing characters outside your own experience

A teaser for McCloskey’s next novel: CIA and MI6 under strain — and spying on each other again

David McCloskey is a former CIA analyst and the author of multiple acclaimed spy novels including Damascus Station, Moscow X, and The Seventh Floor. His work is known for its operational authenticity and insider-level realism — without losing sight of the human story.

The Persian is out now (publication-day episode). Available wherever you buy books, or here: https://amzn.eu/d/5DzqbwC

If you enjoy deep-dive conversations on espionage, intelligence history, covert action, tradecraft, and spy fiction, hit Follow on Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts and leave a rating — it helps more listeners find the show.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What happens when a secret police force writes its own novels?

In this episode of Spymasters, Antonia Senior is joined by academic and KGB expert Filip Kovacevic to explore the hidden world of Soviet spy fiction—and the extraordinary role it played inside the KGB itself. Drawing on his book KGB Literati, Kovacevic reveals how intelligence officers, counter-spies, and veterans of state security became novelists, producing stories designed to shape public opinion, recruit future officers, and redefine the image of the KGB within Soviet society.

From the early post-war novels of Roman Kim to the officially sanctioned Chekist Stories series produced by the KGB Press Bureau, the conversation uncovers how fiction became a tool of counterintelligence, psychological influence, and regime legitimacy. We also examine why Western intelligence analysts paid close attention to these books, how they influenced a young Vladimir Putin, and why the tradition continues today under the FSB and SVR.

A deep dive into propaganda, imagination, and power—and a reminder that in espionage, stories can be as important as secrets.

Find the book: https://amzn.eu/d/fRVZgoI

Find Filip on X: @chekistmonitor

on the web: thechekistmonitor.blogspot.com

on substack: https://kgbstack.substack.com/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This special crossover episode brings together espionage and crime fans for a fast-paced round-table on our Books of the Year 2025.

Antonia Senior (Spymasters) is joined by:

Paul Burke – host of Aspects of Crime

Mark Ellis – bestselling author of the Frank Merlin series

Thomas Waugh – author of Endgame

Together we unpack the best in spy fiction, crime writing, historical thrillers and intelligence non-fiction—from World War II espionage and Cold War intrigue to the new era of China-focused spy thrillers.

Books discussed include:

The Darkest Winter by Carlo Lucarelli

Appointment in Paris by Jane Thynne

The Second Traitor by Alex Gerlis

The Peak by Sam Guthrie

Shadow of a Queen by Peter Tonkin

The Predicament by William Boyd

Smoke and Embers by John Lawton

The Poet’s Game by Paul Vidich

Clown Town by Mick Herron

The Revolutionists by Jason Burke

Man of Bones by Ben Creed

The Spy in the Archives by Gordon Corera

Expect passionate debate, insider recommendations, Cold War gossip, a very loud puppy, and a surprising amount of Noel Coward.

Perfect listening for fans of John le Carré, Mick Herron, Len Deighton, Helen Fry, and anyone hunting for genuinely brilliant new espionage reads.

🎙️ Spymasters x Aspects of Crime – Books of the Year 2025

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Former diplomat and political insider Sam Guthrie joins Antonia Senior to talk about Chinese espionage, industrial spying and his debut Hong Kong–set thriller, The Peak. Blending politics, business and spycraft, the novel follows an unreliable narrator, a dangerous love triangle and a single act of compromise that changes everything.

Sam and Antonia dig into how modern China, ASIO-style counterintelligence, and the clash between national security and trade shaped the book. They explore honey traps, business delegations gone wrong, and why ordinary executives—not just spooks—are now targets for Chinese intelligence and industrial espionage.

The conversation ranges from Australia–China relations and foreign interference laws to AI, quantum computing and the future of great-power competition. Along the way, they discuss the human side of spying: flawed characters, loyalty, guilt, and how a 1990s mixtape becomes both a love letter and a vehicle for secret messages.

In this episode:

Chinese espionage, industrial spying and national security

Hong Kong, Australia and the new front line of geopolitics

Compromise, honey traps and how people get turned

Writing flawed, unlikeable but compelling characters

China’s rise, Western naivety and what might come next

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this lively literary conversation, Antonia Senior and Paul Burke explore the fascinating world of spy and crime fiction — from the golden age of classic espionage novels to the digital dilemmas of modern spy thrillers. As Paul launches Aspects of Crime, a new magazine, and a platform for authors and readers, they discuss how technology reshapes the genre, why characters like Charlie Muffin and Frederick Forsythe still resonate, and how emerging writers are redefining the moral and political edges of spy literature today.

Expect deep dives into literary influences, lesser-known espionage gems, and the enduring tension between secrecy, betrayal, and morality that defines the best spy stories. Whether you love Le Carré, Deighton, Fleming, or new voices in espionage fiction, this episode offers both nostalgia and discovery for fans of intelligent thrillers.

🎙️ Key themes: spy fiction, crime fiction, book recommendations, espionage, modern literature, classic novels, emerging writers, book reviews, literary discussion

spy fiction podcast, crime fiction podcast, espionage literature, classic spy novels, modern spy thrillers, book review podcast, literary podcast, authors interview, Aspects of Crime, Charlie Muffin, Philip Marlowe, spy books, thriller writers, book discussion

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, Antonia Senior speaks with journalist and author Jason Burke about The Revolutionists, and the extraordinary true story of Gunnar Ekberg — the Swedish spy who infiltrated radical left-wing movements in Europe during the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Ekberg witnessed first-hand a moment of enormous ideological energy: when secular, nationalist and progressive revolutionary groups believed they were the vanguard of global change. Embedded inside these movements, he saw their organising, their fervour, their drift toward violence — and ultimately, their decline.

But Ekberg’s story also marks the hinge-point in modern terrorism. As the decade unfolded, the revolutionary energy that once drove secular movements shifted dramatically. Islamism emerged as the dominant revolutionary force in the Middle East, while Western Europe’s security focus transformed as left-wing groups faded and jihadist networks rose.

Through Ekberg’s eyes — and Burke’s deep analysis — this conversation explores how ideology, violence and global power structures evolved, and why that shift still shapes the world we live in today.
 terror history, Gunnar Ekberg, Jason Burke, The Revolutionists, 1970s radicalism, secular nationalism, Islamism, hijackings, European terrorism, Middle East extremism, podcast interview, history of terrorism.
If you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe, rate us, and check the links below for Jason Burke’s book.

UK: https://amzn.eu/d/4R5tIYd

UK Independent Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-revolutionists-the-story-of-the-extremists-who-hijacked-the-1970s-jason-burke/1c42ef7f8d866dbe?ean=9781847926067&next=t

https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-revolutionists-the-story-of-the-extremists-who-hijacked-the-1970s-jason-burke/1c42ef7f8d866dbe?ean=9781847926067&next=t

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Spymasters, Antonia Senior speaks with bestselling historian Dr. Helen Fry about her riveting new book, The White Lady.

Set in German-occupied Belgium during World War I and World War II, Fry’s book uncovers the incredible true story of a secret  spy network that risked everything to gather intelligence behind enemy lines. Together, Fry and Senior explore:

How ordinary women became extraordinary spies

The ingenious knitting codes and covert communication systems they used

The bravery of Thérèse de Radiguès

How these early networks inspired were remobilised in the run up to World War II

The untold stories of courage, deception, and sacrifice that shaped modern intelligence work

If you love stories of espionage, resistance networks, women in war, and WWI intelligence, this conversation is not to be missed.

📘 Buy Helen Fry’s The White Lady on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1526779318

“Espionage was a family affair in many cases.”
“The genius of deception saved lives.”
“Bravery and sacrifice — the cost of freedom.”

00:00 — Introduction: Helen Fry and The White Lady
01:07 — The Espionage Networks of World War I
03:47 — The Knitting Women of Belgium
07:20 — The Consequences of Espionage
10:08 — Thérèse de Radiguès’s Heroism
13:41 — The Significance of the White Lady Network
15:56 — How Intelligence Shaped the War
19:33 — The Return of Resistance in WWII
23:45 — Thérèse’s Defiance Against the Gestapo
27:21 — The Legacy of Women in Espionage
31:22 — Closing Reflections

WWI espionage, Helen Fry, The White Lady, women spies, Belgian resistance, SOE, secret agents, female intelligence networks, World War I history, Spymasters podcast, Antonia West, hidden histories, British intelligence, resistance heroes

🔊 Sound Bites⏱️ Chapters🔎 Keywords

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Join host Antonia Senior as she delves into the gripping world of espionage with author Merle Nygate. In this episode, they explore the challenges of writing a spy thriller set against the backdrop of real-world events, focusing on Nygate's latest novel, "The Protocols of Spying." Discover how the Mossad's London station grapples with intelligence failures and what lies ahead for its chief, Eli Amran, in a post-October 7th world. Don't miss this insightful conversation about the art of crafting a compelling spy narrative. Subscribe and follow for more engaging discussions on the world of spies.

Buy the novel: https://amzn.eu/d/4MhdKTb

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Spymasters, Antonia Senior interviews historian Roger Moorhouse about the Enigma code and its impact on naval warfare during World War II. The conversation explores the crucial role of Polish codebreakers, the operations of U-boats, and the significant turning points in the Battle of the Atlantic. Morehouse shares insights into the human cost of U-boat warfare, the effectiveness of aerial attacks, and the technological advantages gained through codebreaking, ultimately highlighting the complexities of this critical theatre of war.

Buy the book: https://amzn.eu/d/eDr7o0Z

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices