A Reluctant Spy: A Gripping Spy Thriller Debut

RIGHT PLACE. RIGHT TIME. WRONG MAN.

'Engrossing...ingenious...Goodman combines traditional elements - the nods to Buchan, Fleming and le Carré - with the topicality of 2020s technology and the threat from Russia' SUNDAY TIMES, THRILLERS OF THE MONTH
'A propulsive, intelligent, ripped-from-the-headlines spy novel that's guaranteed to cost you hours of sleep. Highly recommended' DAVID McCLOSKEY
'A twisty storyline and convincing action scenes make this a very promising debut' FINANCIAL TIMES
'A gripping debut, perfect for fans of Mick Herron and David McCloskey' THE SUN

Jamie Tulloch is a successful exec at a top tech company, a long way from the tough upbringing that drove him to rise so far and so quickly.

But he has a secret...since the age of 23, he's had a helping hand from the Legend Programme, a secret intelligence effort to prepare impenetrable backstories for undercover agents. Real people, living real lives, willing to hand over their identities for a few weeks in return for a helping hand with plum jobs, influence and access.

When his tap on the shoulder finally comes, it's swiftly followed by the thud of a body. Arriving at a French airport ready to hand over his identity, Jamie finds 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, he must convince his sceptical mission handler he can do the job of a trained field agent while using his own life story as convincing cover.

Can Jamie play himself well enough to avoid being killed - and to avert a lethal global conflict?

'In the very top tier of espionage fiction' M. W. CRAVEN
'An excellent debut with terrific pace...will grip you to the end' JAMES SWALLOW
'A twisting, edge-of-your-seat tale of mercenaries, greed, corruption, and espionage' I.S. BERRY
'I was on the edge of my seat the whole time' ANTONY JOHNSTON
'A rip-roaring page-turning keep-you-up-all-night thriller' NICHOLAS BINGE, author of ASCENSION
'Smart, riveting, and eerily prescient' SUNYI DEAN, Sunday Times Bestselling author of THE BOOK EATERS
'A pulse-pounding, twisting thrill-a-minute read that Slow Horses fans are going to absolutely love' ADAM SIMCOX

Author: David Goodman
Publisher: Headline
Published: 09/23/2025
Pages: 384
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.45lbs
Size: 7.70h x 4.90w x 1.00d
ISBN: 9781035416028

About the Author
David Goodman is an author of espionage and speculative fiction. He lives in East Lothian, Scotland with his family. You can learn more about David and his writing at his website, www.davidgoodman.net.