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A Nest of Wasps: Gripping, dark and dryly funny, retired spy Felicity Jardine's second adventure
Former spy Felicity Jardine is caught up in the long tentacles of an operation at the Greek Embassy in the 1980s, in this gripping new spy thriller by the author of A Sting in her Tale.
Former spy Felicity Jardine is caught up in the long tentacles of an operation at the British Embassy Athens from the 1980s, in this gripping new spy thriller by the author of the CWA Steel Dagger shortlisted A Sting in her Tale.
After a month of various people clearing up various messes, Felicity Jardine is finally cleared to go back to her little village cottage. But when a celebratory cream tea with her new and well-connected friend Percy is interrupted by a sniper's bullet, she's off again, to a safe house in Notting Hill. There her only contact is her former colleague Matthew, still with MI6, who offers her a bit of investigation she can do online to pass the time. But Felicity is not one to work from home when she can be out and getting stuck in, especially when someone on the inside seems to be betraying her...
Former spy Felicity Jardine is caught up in the long tentacles of an operation at the British Embassy Athens from the 1980s, in this gripping new spy thriller by the author of the CWA Steel Dagger shortlisted A Sting in her Tale.
After a month of various people clearing up various messes, Felicity Jardine is finally cleared to go back to her little village cottage. But when a celebratory cream tea with her new and well-connected friend Percy is interrupted by a sniper's bullet, she's off again, to a safe house in Notting Hill. There her only contact is her former colleague Matthew, still with MI6, who offers her a bit of investigation she can do online to pass the time. But Felicity is not one to work from home when she can be out and getting stuck in, especially when someone on the inside seems to be betraying her...
320 pages, Paperback
Published September 15, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 15, 2026
2.5 rounded up.
August 13, 2026
Another refreshing look at retired wrinklies being pulled back into the world in which they were once active. Felicity Jardine is a tough cookie and she has some interesting contacts. Most enjoyable read.
Read
August 12, 2026Fantastic sequel
Loved the first Felicity Jardine and this one is even better, retired spies never retire.Wonderfully paced, funny and thrilling, a great read.
Adult Richard Osman with wry observation and a occasional shocking surprise.
A must read, both of them.
Loved the first Felicity Jardine and this one is even better, retired spies never retire.Wonderfully paced, funny and thrilling, a great read.
Adult Richard Osman with wry observation and a occasional shocking surprise.
A must read, both of them.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Seventy-year old spies should not be this much fun.
"A Nest of Wasps" opens a short time after the events of the previous book. After debriefing and "people cleaning up various messes", former spy Felicity Jardine is allowed to return home. But no sooner is she settled, and enjoying an outing with former colleague Matthew, than someone tries to kills her, and she is quickly moved to a safe house. While she's stuck there, Matthew wonders if she could help out by poring over some old MI6 files... what could go wrong?
Lots, as it turns out, and soon Felicity is knee-deep in trouble, and when her investigations get her to thinking back to the 80's when she was operating undercover in the Greek isles, things move in to high gear. Much of the middle of the book is spent on this period, and it's fun to see a younger, less experienced Felicity, find her way through the murky world of espionage, and to see how events then led to her current problems. The setting is beautifully realised. you can almost feel the sun and sea breeze. Returning to London, those familiar with the city will enjoy mapping Felicity's route as she tracks down various leads. Here we see a glimpse of just how good a spy she was in her heyday.
Felicity is a gorgeous character - in her seventies, but sparky, fit, and never unprepared for any situation. Mrs Pollifax was never this sexy. As previously, this book will likely not be enjoyed by hardcore Deighton or Le Carre fans, but for those who like a strong story with a lighter tone, with some humour and some pathos, this will be ideal read.
Fans of the previous book will be glad to know that familiar faces are back - former spies Matthew and Ambrose, and Felicity's son Bernard.
The dark humour is also still there, making this a suspenseful, but fun and feisty. I really hope this isn't' the last we see of Felicity.
Highly recommended.
"A Nest of Wasps" opens a short time after the events of the previous book. After debriefing and "people cleaning up various messes", former spy Felicity Jardine is allowed to return home. But no sooner is she settled, and enjoying an outing with former colleague Matthew, than someone tries to kills her, and she is quickly moved to a safe house. While she's stuck there, Matthew wonders if she could help out by poring over some old MI6 files... what could go wrong?
Lots, as it turns out, and soon Felicity is knee-deep in trouble, and when her investigations get her to thinking back to the 80's when she was operating undercover in the Greek isles, things move in to high gear. Much of the middle of the book is spent on this period, and it's fun to see a younger, less experienced Felicity, find her way through the murky world of espionage, and to see how events then led to her current problems. The setting is beautifully realised. you can almost feel the sun and sea breeze. Returning to London, those familiar with the city will enjoy mapping Felicity's route as she tracks down various leads. Here we see a glimpse of just how good a spy she was in her heyday.
Felicity is a gorgeous character - in her seventies, but sparky, fit, and never unprepared for any situation. Mrs Pollifax was never this sexy. As previously, this book will likely not be enjoyed by hardcore Deighton or Le Carre fans, but for those who like a strong story with a lighter tone, with some humour and some pathos, this will be ideal read.
Fans of the previous book will be glad to know that familiar faces are back - former spies Matthew and Ambrose, and Felicity's son Bernard.
The dark humour is also still there, making this a suspenseful, but fun and feisty. I really hope this isn't' the last we see of Felicity.
Highly recommended.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Another outing for Felicity who proves the point that retired spies never leave the service !
This book picks up just after the previous one finishes- Felicity is recovering from her ordeal at home and goes out to to tea with her neighbour. Percy. When there is an attempt on her life at the cafe, Percy rushes her to a safe house in London where Matthew, a former colleague tasks her with helping to reveal a traitor in the service, aided by some other former spies including her friend, Ambrose.
I liked the flashbacks to when Felicity was a young agent in Greece- it was interesting to see how she learnt her trade. I loved the humour inherent in the novel- Felicity’s sarcasm and self deprecation is very amusing, serving to lighten the tension.
Her relationship with her son, Bernard, the cabinet Minister, was explored in this book and I really enjoyed seeing the interactions between the two of them. Despite her failings as an absent mother she still has a good bond with him and he turns to her when he has a problem.
There have been a plethora of of “retired spy” novels as well as elderly detective ones- think Richard Osman but Mark Ezra’s books are full of the humour that the others don’t necessarily have, He has really perfected the voice of Felicity - she’s definitely someone I’d like to meet again in a further novel.
I highly recommend this book and its predecessor “A Sting in her Tale”.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.
This book picks up just after the previous one finishes- Felicity is recovering from her ordeal at home and goes out to to tea with her neighbour. Percy. When there is an attempt on her life at the cafe, Percy rushes her to a safe house in London where Matthew, a former colleague tasks her with helping to reveal a traitor in the service, aided by some other former spies including her friend, Ambrose.
I liked the flashbacks to when Felicity was a young agent in Greece- it was interesting to see how she learnt her trade. I loved the humour inherent in the novel- Felicity’s sarcasm and self deprecation is very amusing, serving to lighten the tension.
Her relationship with her son, Bernard, the cabinet Minister, was explored in this book and I really enjoyed seeing the interactions between the two of them. Despite her failings as an absent mother she still has a good bond with him and he turns to her when he has a problem.
There have been a plethora of of “retired spy” novels as well as elderly detective ones- think Richard Osman but Mark Ezra’s books are full of the humour that the others don’t necessarily have, He has really perfected the voice of Felicity - she’s definitely someone I’d like to meet again in a further novel.
I highly recommend this book and its predecessor “A Sting in her Tale”.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.
Review of advance copy received from Author
2nd in the spy series featuring the under estimated powerhouse that is Felicity Jardine ( can be read as a stand alone )
Felicity is a wondrous character to read and be involved with, a former spy but as she says ‘you never really retire’….she approaches her adventures with sharp humour….however do not be fooled she can take ‘the best of them on’ and usually with a bolshy ‘I’ve had worse situations’ attitude
This time she is called to help solve a decades old mystery relating to her time working at the Greek Embassy and with other ‘ex’ colleagues try and figure out what really happened
I love the authors humour, his delight in describing the yummiest of food and the really fascinating facts on spy’s, embassies and subterfuge ( the safe house was a revelation )
Also love the irreverent but so observant descriptions of other characters in the book, really very funny and irresistible for a reader
As good if not better than any spy related book read and I hope Felicity is soon back with another story to tell me
Great Book
Felicity is a wondrous character to read and be involved with, a former spy but as she says ‘you never really retire’….she approaches her adventures with sharp humour….however do not be fooled she can take ‘the best of them on’ and usually with a bolshy ‘I’ve had worse situations’ attitude
This time she is called to help solve a decades old mystery relating to her time working at the Greek Embassy and with other ‘ex’ colleagues try and figure out what really happened
I love the authors humour, his delight in describing the yummiest of food and the really fascinating facts on spy’s, embassies and subterfuge ( the safe house was a revelation )
Also love the irreverent but so observant descriptions of other characters in the book, really very funny and irresistible for a reader
As good if not better than any spy related book read and I hope Felicity is soon back with another story to tell me
Great Book
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.
Ex-spy Felicity's life is under threat from a character from the first book in this series. Rescued by a colleague, she is installed in a safe house and asked (along with a select group of other former MI6 agents) to uncover the identity of a mole who led to the death of a British operative in Athens in the 1980s. Felicity dons disguises and practises spy craft as her life remains under threat. The 2019 (present day of the narrative) sections are interspersed with ones from Greece in the past.
This was fun. Felicity is a likeable heroine and I enjoyed her tricks and manoeuvring. Her relationship with her politician son Bernard was amusing and the ending most satisfactory.
Ex-spy Felicity's life is under threat from a character from the first book in this series. Rescued by a colleague, she is installed in a safe house and asked (along with a select group of other former MI6 agents) to uncover the identity of a mole who led to the death of a British operative in Athens in the 1980s. Felicity dons disguises and practises spy craft as her life remains under threat. The 2019 (present day of the narrative) sections are interspersed with ones from Greece in the past.
This was fun. Felicity is a likeable heroine and I enjoyed her tricks and manoeuvring. Her relationship with her politician son Bernard was amusing and the ending most satisfactory.
October 10, 2026
It's not quite as good as book 1, lacking in some of the humour which is a shame. Felicity is also less self sufficient in this book, less solo saving and more someone saving her a lot of the time. Still enjoyable and fast paced but just not quite the same level as book 1.
September 15, 2026
An excellent sequel to “A Sting in Her Tale”. Engaging, twisty plot, with interesting characters and wry humour throughout. Looking forward to the next one!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews