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A Spy in the Blood
Mark Wolfe was the greatest spy of his generation. Now he's been put out to pasture. Gone are the days of dead-drops beneath railway station clocks in foreign lands that no longer exist - of dry-cleaning, double agents and triple crosses. Now Mark's stuck behind a desk in Vauxhall Cross in charge of recruiting the next wave of spooks, his only excitement fending off advances from deep-pocketed private security companies. Yet his discontent is just another secret to add to the pile.
As far as his wife and children are concerned, Mark is a quiet, affable civil servant who has no idea how to use the TV remote. So when he discovers his daughter, Jody, has an unhealthy obsession with joining MI6, Mark is caught off guard. The Service is keeping her recruitment a secret from him - but why? Then Jody disappears during a mission. And with MI6 washing their hands of her, Mark is thrust back into a terrifying new world of modern espionage.
A Spy in the Blood takes you from modern day London to Afghanistan as a once-legendary spy confronts the complex horrors of modern tradecraft.
As far as his wife and children are concerned, Mark is a quiet, affable civil servant who has no idea how to use the TV remote. So when he discovers his daughter, Jody, has an unhealthy obsession with joining MI6, Mark is caught off guard. The Service is keeping her recruitment a secret from him - but why? Then Jody disappears during a mission. And with MI6 washing their hands of her, Mark is thrust back into a terrifying new world of modern espionage.
A Spy in the Blood takes you from modern day London to Afghanistan as a once-legendary spy confronts the complex horrors of modern tradecraft.
- GenresEspionage
348 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 29, 2026
23 people are currently reading
69 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 6, 2026
I think I had certain expectations from the description, and maybe I just had the wrong idea of what it would be… that his daughter would feature a bit more (it’s mostly through flashback memories). Instead, it’s a lot of the father being this super spy once upon a time, then travelling out to Afghanistan and blundering about looking for a needle in a haystack, regularly getting captured or attacked (clearly the super spy must be rusty?)… and then a flurry of action at the end which all just seemed quite unlikely.
Hopefully I’m the outlier here and more people like it, but unfortunately I found that after a promising start, it became a slog for me personally.
I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review.
Hopefully I’m the outlier here and more people like it, but unfortunately I found that after a promising start, it became a slog for me personally.
I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review.
February 22, 2026
Paul Warner makes an entertaining entry into the world of fictional espionage with his first novel.
Mark Wolfe was once a top notch spy, but now he is considered to be out-of-touch, and has been put out to pasture. He is now stuck behind a desk in Vauxhall Cross in charge of recruiting the next wave of spooks. As far as his wife and children are concerned, Mark is a quiet, affable civil servant who has no idea how to use the TV remote. He is surprised when his daughter, Jody, decides to join MI6 and is annoyed that her recruitment was being kept secret from him. When Jody disappears during a mission, Wolfe is thrust into the terrifying new world of modern espionage.
After a nice opening scene that establishes Wolfe’s still functioning skills, A Spy In The Blood moves along at a good pace and quickly takes the reader from the plush offices and command centres of MI6 in London to the back alleys of Kabul at the peak of the Allies presence in Afghanistan. Wolfe’s search for his daughter through the treacherous corners of Kabul, generates a decent amount of suspense and the final hundred pages offer plenty of action. Some events strain credibility, but not to an outrageous degree, and it is interesting watching Wolfe as he tries to adjust to the new world of espionage.
The characters are solid, although we mainly see Jody through flashbacks, and Warner is good at contrasting the office suits with the hardcore on-the-ground agents. The spycraft, both modern and old school, is well handled and convincing, and the exotic locations are well described and vivid. Warner is also good at generating a sense of distrust and the requisite surprises that a spy plot needs. Enjoyable.
See full review and more at: https://murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/n...
Mark Wolfe was once a top notch spy, but now he is considered to be out-of-touch, and has been put out to pasture. He is now stuck behind a desk in Vauxhall Cross in charge of recruiting the next wave of spooks. As far as his wife and children are concerned, Mark is a quiet, affable civil servant who has no idea how to use the TV remote. He is surprised when his daughter, Jody, decides to join MI6 and is annoyed that her recruitment was being kept secret from him. When Jody disappears during a mission, Wolfe is thrust into the terrifying new world of modern espionage.
After a nice opening scene that establishes Wolfe’s still functioning skills, A Spy In The Blood moves along at a good pace and quickly takes the reader from the plush offices and command centres of MI6 in London to the back alleys of Kabul at the peak of the Allies presence in Afghanistan. Wolfe’s search for his daughter through the treacherous corners of Kabul, generates a decent amount of suspense and the final hundred pages offer plenty of action. Some events strain credibility, but not to an outrageous degree, and it is interesting watching Wolfe as he tries to adjust to the new world of espionage.
The characters are solid, although we mainly see Jody through flashbacks, and Warner is good at contrasting the office suits with the hardcore on-the-ground agents. The spycraft, both modern and old school, is well handled and convincing, and the exotic locations are well described and vivid. Warner is also good at generating a sense of distrust and the requisite surprises that a spy plot needs. Enjoyable.
See full review and more at: https://murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/n...
March 19, 2026
★★★★☆ (4/5)
A really strong debut in the spy genre.
A Spy in the Blood delivers a very compelling premise, backed up by a solid storyline and a well-paced build-up. What stood out most for me was how immersive the narrative felt — you’re not just following the main character’s actions, you’re genuinely brought along on his internal journey, constantly assessing his state of mind as events unfold.
That psychological angle added real depth and made the experience feel more like an adventure than a straightforward spy thriller.
My only slight criticism is that toward the end, it leaned a bit too heavily into a propaganda-like tone, spelling out the “rights and wrongs” of the world a little more than necessary. It didn’t ruin the story, but it did take me out of the immersion slightly.
Overall though, a very promising start. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for book two in 2027.
A really strong debut in the spy genre.
A Spy in the Blood delivers a very compelling premise, backed up by a solid storyline and a well-paced build-up. What stood out most for me was how immersive the narrative felt — you’re not just following the main character’s actions, you’re genuinely brought along on his internal journey, constantly assessing his state of mind as events unfold.
That psychological angle added real depth and made the experience feel more like an adventure than a straightforward spy thriller.
My only slight criticism is that toward the end, it leaned a bit too heavily into a propaganda-like tone, spelling out the “rights and wrongs” of the world a little more than necessary. It didn’t ruin the story, but it did take me out of the immersion slightly.
Overall though, a very promising start. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for book two in 2027.
February 18, 2026
This was a different kind of spy novel, and I really enjoyed that about it. The main character is not young gun anymore. His body is worn down, but his instincts, intelligence, and lethal skill set are still there, which makes for a compelling read.
February 18, 2026
One of the best spy thrillers I’ve read and I’ve read a lot!
For a debut novel it’s even more impressive.
Please read this!
For a debut novel it’s even more impressive.
Please read this!
March 5, 2026
I really enjoyed this! A good holiday read
March 20, 2026
readable contemporary spy thriller with an interesting dad/daughter dynamic.
March 25, 2026
Part 1, set in London, is quite promising with some character development. Part 2, set in Afghanistan, is just cliched action stuff. Complete let down.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A spy novel for spy fans.
"A Spy in the Blood" opens in 2017. MI6 operative Mark Wolfe was the greatest spy of his generation, but now is responsible for recruiting and validating potential new recruits. He lives a quiet life, his family and friends believing him to be a simple civil servant, but a small part of him misses the Cold War days of dead-drops and secret assignations.
His life takes a new turn when his daughter reveals an obsession with joining the service, and is quickly fast-tracked into the role of field agent. Things only get worse when she disappears during a mission, and is branded a traitor.
And so Wolfe throws himself into a frantic search for his daughter, which takes him from London to Kabul, and the horrors of the war in Afghanistan. The story moves along a quite a pace, as Wolfe follows in his daughter's footsteps. He soon finds the modern world of espionage is very different from the one he knew. The events take place shortly after the US dropped the "mother of all bombs" on an ISIS refuge, killing and maiming dozens of locals and he soon learns first-hand of the dangers and tensions which now exist. As he learns more about his daughter's mission, he realises just how many people might have wanted her dead. As he gets closer, he has cause to wonder if he ever knew his daughter.
There are several key scenes early in the book, when Wolfe and his family come under close scrutiny from his own people. Did he know his daughter was a traitor? Is he a traitor? Does he know where she is? He finds himself on the other side of the table, and doesn't like it. We also see the effects of his double life - his wife of twenty-five years having no clue her husband was a spy. It rips apart his relationships, and we see the price spies pay for being part of The Game. At the same time, we also see glimpses of the exceptional field agent he once was. MI6 consider him "gone rogue" so all he has to rely on are his rusty skills and instincts.
The final 100 pages of the book are gripping - still not knowing who he can trust, but getting closer to his daughter, Wolfe is pushed to the limit, both physically and mentally, and is forced to make decisions which will affect the rest of his life.
Inevitably reviewers will applaud this book as "the new le Carre", or "the book Deighton wished he'd written" and that's unfair. This book is a fresh look at an old scenario - the price people pay for being a spy. The lies and deception, and the stress and the isolation are laid bare and not every one comes out the other side.
Luckily, book two of the adventures of Mark Wolfe is in the pipeline, and I'll be first in the queue to read it. Meantime, I heartily recommend "A Spy in the Blood" for all spy fans.
"A Spy in the Blood" opens in 2017. MI6 operative Mark Wolfe was the greatest spy of his generation, but now is responsible for recruiting and validating potential new recruits. He lives a quiet life, his family and friends believing him to be a simple civil servant, but a small part of him misses the Cold War days of dead-drops and secret assignations.
His life takes a new turn when his daughter reveals an obsession with joining the service, and is quickly fast-tracked into the role of field agent. Things only get worse when she disappears during a mission, and is branded a traitor.
And so Wolfe throws himself into a frantic search for his daughter, which takes him from London to Kabul, and the horrors of the war in Afghanistan. The story moves along a quite a pace, as Wolfe follows in his daughter's footsteps. He soon finds the modern world of espionage is very different from the one he knew. The events take place shortly after the US dropped the "mother of all bombs" on an ISIS refuge, killing and maiming dozens of locals and he soon learns first-hand of the dangers and tensions which now exist. As he learns more about his daughter's mission, he realises just how many people might have wanted her dead. As he gets closer, he has cause to wonder if he ever knew his daughter.
There are several key scenes early in the book, when Wolfe and his family come under close scrutiny from his own people. Did he know his daughter was a traitor? Is he a traitor? Does he know where she is? He finds himself on the other side of the table, and doesn't like it. We also see the effects of his double life - his wife of twenty-five years having no clue her husband was a spy. It rips apart his relationships, and we see the price spies pay for being part of The Game. At the same time, we also see glimpses of the exceptional field agent he once was. MI6 consider him "gone rogue" so all he has to rely on are his rusty skills and instincts.
The final 100 pages of the book are gripping - still not knowing who he can trust, but getting closer to his daughter, Wolfe is pushed to the limit, both physically and mentally, and is forced to make decisions which will affect the rest of his life.
Inevitably reviewers will applaud this book as "the new le Carre", or "the book Deighton wished he'd written" and that's unfair. This book is a fresh look at an old scenario - the price people pay for being a spy. The lies and deception, and the stress and the isolation are laid bare and not every one comes out the other side.
Luckily, book two of the adventures of Mark Wolfe is in the pipeline, and I'll be first in the queue to read it. Meantime, I heartily recommend "A Spy in the Blood" for all spy fans.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews