The Spy's Wife

by Reginald Hill

A “splendidly sharp . . . mix of espionage, wifely identity crisis, and unlikely romance” by the author of the Dalziel and Pascoe mysteries (Kirkus Reviews).   Best known for his Dalziel and Pascoe novels, which were adapted into a hit BBC series, Reginald Hill proves himself to be a “master of . . . cerebral puzzle mysteries” in his stand-alone thrillers as well—now available as ebooks (The New York Times).   Molly Keatley is a happy housewife living comfortably day-to-day in Westcliff-on-Sea. That changes in a heartbeat when her husband, Sam, grabs his suitcase, offers a hurried “I love you,” sprints out the door, and disappears from her life. Then, a British agent invites himself in with shattering Sam is a Soviet spy and traitor. And his secrets don’t end there. Though her dream life has been upended by an unforgivable betrayal, Molly won’t be intimidated. Not by Sam’s unstable mistress, not by British Intelligence, nor by Sam’s colleagues, who are watching every move she makes. But when she receives a surreptitious invitation from Sam to join him in Bucharest, Molly’s life will change once again as she discovers the nature of his lies, the consequences of deception, and the truth about her own desires.   Reginald Hill has crafted a “terrific, suspenseful tale and an extraordinary heroine” (Cleveland Plain-Dealer).  

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, British Literature, Espionage

241 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1980

About the author

Reginald Charles Hill was a contemporary English crime writer, and the winner in 1995 of the Crime Writers' Association Cartier Diamond Dagger for Lifetime Achievement.

After National Service (1955-57) and studying English at St Catherine's College, Oxford University (1957-60) he worked as a teacher for many years, rising to Senior Lecturer at Doncaster College of Education. In 1980 he retired from salaried work in order to devote himself full-time to writing.

Hill is best known for his more than 20 novels featuring the Yorkshire detectives Andrew Dalziel, Peter Pascoe and Edgar Wield. He has also written more than 30 other novels, including five featuring Joe Sixsmith, a black machine operator turned private detective in a fictional Luton. Novels originally published under the pseudonyms of Patrick Ruell, Dick Morland, and Charles Underhill have now appeared under his own name. Hill is also a writer of short stories, and ghost tales.

Reviews

[Nancy H · Rating 3 out of 5]

From a classic master of suspense, this book tells the story of a woman whose husband comes home unexpectedly almost as soon as he has left in the morning, grabs a suitcase, and walks out of her life. Immediately she is barraged with people who try to get her to believe he is a spy who has betrayed his country, and who is now on the run. She doesn't know what to believe as evidence seems to be piling up, yet makes no sense to her. This is a quick read and satisfying read with some surprises.

[Sharon Mensing · Rating 4 out of 5]

A man defects during the Cold War, leaving his wife behind. What’s the rest of the story? This was not really so much a mystery, but there was a sense of not being sure who was being honest/real. The characters were well realized, the writing was wonderful, and the story came to an interesting end.

[Chloe (Always Booked)]

DNF after a few chapters. The writing style of this was just not for me. There were a lot of things about the basic set up and the character motivations that were confusing from the beginning and the writing style held us at a weird distance. Not for me, but I do love the shorter chapters!

[Lesley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Listened to this as an audiobook, finished the story but the narrator was annoying.

[Teri-K · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was so excited to find this book at the used bookstore. It sounds really interesting - a British wife finds out her husband of eleven years is a Russian spy when he disappears; she feels pressured to help track him down but instead decides to be "nobody's pawn". Can't wait to read it! Well, I'm a third of the way through, and very, very disappointed. The writing style is so bare bones I feel like I'm reading telegrams, not a book. The wife is emotionally dead, and that may be realistic but it's not interesting to read about. And so far the only thing she's decided to do is start swearing occasionally. Somehow I was expecting more. Will I get it? I'm not hopeful.

Later - The book did perk up in the second half. It felt like the writing improved some, though perhaps that was because the heroine began to express some feelings. Still she remained very undecided and passive throughout, and I'm not sure even the ending shows she changed much. All in all I found this very unlike the description and quite disappointing. If I'd known it was about the immediate weeks after a woman finds out her husband is a spy and she's barely coping with her life, I'd have known what to expect. And I wouldn't have bought or read it. 2 stars because I didn't hate it, I was just very let down.

[Simon Mcleish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally posted on my blog here in September 2000.

What would you do if your partner suddenly turned out to be a spy, and you only discovered this when the security services came knocking on your day on the day that they defected? That is the basic idea which inspires this spy thriller, and makes it unusual - most thrillers concentrate on the defector, or the investigators; there can be few where the innocent take centre stage.

The idea is interesting in itself, and that and the competent writing carry the reader through to the end of the novel. It has disadvantages, principally the plotting problems caused by the presence of a massive unmotivated coincidence: at almost the same time that her husband Sam vanishes, Molly discovers that her mother is seriously ill. The novel has reasonably believable characters, with the exception of a neurotic former girlfriend of Sam's.

[Kwoomac · Rating 3 out of 5]

My brother sent me a bunch of books he found while cleaning out a friend’s attic, a bunch of which were by Reginald Hill. This was my first. Very much a 50’s cold war vibe. Wife stays at home while husband earns his living in the city (London) as a journalist. Her predictable, if boring, world comes to an end when she learns her husband has defected to Russia. It’s an interesting perspective. The focus is on the person left behind.

Quite well-written. Hill does a wonderful job of creating believable characters. As expected, a story about spies, a disillusioned housewife, small town pettiness, with a little cancer thrown into the mix, is a little dark. No happily ever after here, sorry.

[Matt Kuhns · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is just about adequate to its smart premise, i.e., after the spy is rumbled and defects, what becomes of the spouse? Just about. It does feel a bit uneven and unclear about where, if anywhere, the story is going.

Not bad, though, and a bit of a novel time-capsule at this point. Housewives gobbling down tranquilizers and sleeping pills like breath mints, all narrated as completely matter-of-fact. Be tougher to keep a straight face about it all today, I suspect.

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love reading mysteries, but this is not the type that I generally read. It's just so different! There is also a bit of a time warp since this book was published during a time when women married young and promptly stopped working outside of the home.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This started as a four star then got downgraded once the action moved abroad.
The concept was really good: what happens to the spouse of Briton, a spy for a foreign country, once outed? This is why I loved the first part of the book. I thought Molly’s actions seemed interesting and understandable, though I personally would have cooperated more with the authorities (MI6?). Would I have met my husband in Romania or a similar country associated with the enemy? Hard to be certain but probably not, knowing what I do now of the life of people who defected to Russia e.g. Guy Philby et al. I’m not sure of why Sally Ann went to Romania too. I can understand the journalist going, but not her.

[Sherrill Watson · Rating 3 out of 5]

See Michelle's review, below.

The missus English spy's wife, who didn't know at all that he was a spy, back during the cold war. She becomes pregnant; there are other spies around her, both good and bad (versions of spy vs. spy), and she has to sort them out. It's a little simplistic, but a new beginning for her, thinking and beginning to make decisions for herself. The reader must deal with her (old fashioned) staying home (well, except for going to Russia!) and not working.

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who's telling the truth? How could the steady, kind, intelligent technology reporter possibly be a spy? He certainly lived a lifestyle that matched his salary. How could he possibly be leading a secret life? The spy's wife never had the need to be a detective but she's learning fast. Slow thriller that shows no hint of where it's headed. At the end she, and everyone around her, have evolved into someone else.

[Bill Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few months ago I had never read a book by Reginald Hill. Now I have finished three. This was a short book compared to the other two and did not take long to read.

Molly Keatley is coming to grips with the fact her husband of eight years was a Russian spy. The British officer in charge of the case is a Morris Monk. The story has some funny twists regarding marriage and children and family. Most of the story is pretty light-hearted and it was an easy book to finish.

[Lila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hill takes an unusual point of view in this short spy novel: the wife's. Molly is no-nonsense working class, trying to juggle the international manipulations and her mother's cancer as she deals with the fact that her husband has been spying for the Russians. Battling foreign office minders and journalists, she comes out okay. As the spymaster notes--the working class handle tragedy better than scandal.

[Steve Gutin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hill was a great writer. I've enjoyed his Dalziel & Pascoe books immensely, but this was the first non-series one I've read of his. It's terrific, and not what I expected. It's kind of a spy novel, but its portrait of the titular character is what makes it so great. There's some spies, but its not what we think of as a spy novel. Superbly written.

[Dawn Tyers · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting perspective on the spy/traitor trope. The wife of the title does not seem to be a particularly likeable person but we don’t really know what she was like before her husband’s defection. She often bullies the people around her even at times recognising that what she’s doing is unjust. The novel is fast-paced with recognisable characters and places.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fairly early Hill, a semi-literary exploration of what happens to the wife of a defector. It was okay, and maybe some people will enjoy it more than I did. But it felt a little aimless to me.

[Vallery Feldman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gentle cold war book from that master author Reginald Hill. A woman discovers her husband is really a spy for the Soviets and what happens after her discovery. Recommended.

[Michelle Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

So her husband is a spy and she didn’t know. But after that she blooms and become a very likeable person. Far far from Dizel and Pascoe but great story.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Took awhile to get into it but after awhile I cared what happened to Molly. The author popped in a few words I had to look up.

[Diana Petty-stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very entertaining story about the wife of a journalist who goes to work one morning, comes right back home and then disappears. Thirty minutes later British intelligence is knocking on her door. It is a light read with humorous moments.

[Pamela Mclaren · Rating 3 out of 5]

One day your whole world is tossed upside down and suddenly, there are no instructions on how to behave when you discover that your husband has fled you, your home and his country.

That is the situation Molly Keatley has found herself in. She has a nice enough life, a comfortable relationship with her husband, Sam — until one morning, her journalist husband dashes home, grabs a bag and says "I'm sorry."

Soon she is faced with officials with news she never would have believed she would hear and tossed into an abyss. What do you do when you've been told your husband is a spy? And every aspect of your life is torn apart, dissected?

A very different book, not really so much a mystery, but a psychological thriller — who does Molly trust? What can she say to friends, family, to journalists? Written more than 20 years ago, I found myself having a hard time seeing Molly's behavior as normal, but then, her life isn't normal any more. It is, in the end, a character read of one woman who finds herself trending new territory ... and what she ends up deciding for herself.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the story of a British wife/homemaker whose husband comes home unexpectedly, runs inside for a few things and then drives away, saying "Sorry" as he tears up one of her rosebushes. She finds out not much later that she has much more to be annoyed about than just the rosebush when she is visited by 2 officials who tell her that her husband is a Soviet spy. The book follows Molly's journey on how she deals with this revelation and how others around her are pushing her to take on their agendas. The British spy service wants her to work for them to root out her husband's contacts and possibly find him, and she has other challenges with a sick mother who is going into surgery, a dependent father, and a former fiancee, now married, who still wants her. The style is very British, but I liked how Molly becomes stronger and stands up for what she wants. The ending was a little unexpected, but not too unsatisfying.

[Jodi · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's funny how I sometimes like a book better after discussing it with my book club. I didn't dislike the book when I read it, it just wasn't among my favorite but it did make for a decent conversation. We all talked about how if we were in Molly's shoes if our husbands could cover up being a spy. Hmmmmmm......... I must say I was disappointed with some of her choices such as sleeping with her ex after her husband disappeared. It also shocked me how when her mother went into the hospital for surgery how she and her dad stayed home and had tea. I'm sure it is a cultural difference along with a generational difference with this book being written in 1980 but it seemed so strange to have a loved one in the hospital and to not be there with them. I was surprised and happy that in the end, she ended up with Monk!

[Dorothy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book thought it seems slow to start and is not one of Reg Hill's usual mystery formats. It also seemed a bit out of date but at the time it was written, the Soviet Union and the Iron Curtain had not collapsed so it seemed more like a historical novel. Since I listened to this on CD, I was a bit irritated by the thick West Midlands accent and idiom of the MI5 field supervisor as I felt in reality, some of the accent would have been rubbed off by working closely with colleagues. Other than that, since the story focus on what happened to the wife and how she reacted to the shock of finding out that her journalist husband had a secret life as a KGB agent and has defected to Russia, it was an interesting slant on what could have been a prosaic spy story.

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like The Pilot's Wife, this book was a general fiction, mild mystery, woman-coming-to-grips-with-a-changed-reality story. And also like The Pilot's Wife, I just didn't get it.

BUT - I read the book because it was written by Reginald Hill, whose Dalziel books I totally heart. I'm amazed that in this 'chick' book that his writing was so sensitive and descriptive. Doesn't fit the stereotype of a man writing what he thinks a woman should do/say/be. It truly was well-written, just not a subject matter that speaks to me.

[Shifra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed listening to this british mystery. Molly Keatley very early in the story discovers that her husband is a spy and has disappeared. Concurrently she is confronted with her mother's illness and her husband's treachery. As a character she definitely evolves from a too comfortable housewife to a woman who has to confront much and actually rises to the occasion. Molly is an interesting character study and the yarn is fun lacking the usual brutal aspects most spy stories provide. Fun!

[Karen Barth]

While certainly not great literature, I found "The Spy's Wife" an entertaining novel. I disagree with several (male) reviewers who found the character of Molly unbelievable. Hmmm, it's the late 1060's and you are leading the perfect suburban life when you husband disappears and you discover that he is a Russian spy. She acts out, drinks, takes Valium. Who wouldn't? I found her journey of discovery believable and the ending humorously ironic. I would recommend for a quick read on a rainy weekend.

[Brenda · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have no idea how this managed to get published. Time passes, so things happen, but there is no story. Ending is completely implausible, and the main character spends most of the book trying to figure out how she feels about her husband being a Soviet spy in 1970s England. She never comes to any conclusion. Irritated that I finished this.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read by Julia Barrie. I have just listened again to this novel by Reginald Hill which is an exploration of character and changing attitudes. From the unexpected and dramatic farewell by Sam to the wry final sentence, we see Molly change and grow as she is presented with moral and ethical dilemmas. Hill's narratives are always engrossing, well-written and usually challenging.