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Yesterday's Spy
'Atmospheric, informative and flawlessly plotted' The Sunday Times'Riveting...with style and energy, evocative scene-setting and strong characterisation' Financial Times_____________________________A man in search of his son.An agent on the run from his past.A country on the verge of revolution...Nothing good ever comes from a midnight phone call, especially from Downing Street. For washed-up spy Harry Tower, it is the worst news at the worst possible time. His son, Sean, has gone missing in troubled Iran after writing an exposé about government corruption.Their relationship has never recovered since Harry's wife's suicide, for which Sean holds his father responsible. And Harry, with his career on the verge of disintegration, needs to find him and put things right.When Harry arrives in Tehran, he finds a city on the cusp of revolution. Foreign powers are jockeying for influence, money and, most importantly, oil. The CIA are conspiring to undermine the government with an impending coup, and there are dark mutterings about opium smuggling. But the reasons for Sean's disappearance may be even more sinister than Harry first suspected.Before long, he is on the run - not only from a faceless enemy, but from his own past. Which will catch up with him first?Yesterday's Spy is Tom Bradby at his very best, delivering a cunning espionage novel rich in intrigue and history that will keep you guessing until the final pages._____________________________Readers are loving Yesterday's Spy'His telling of fiction is as good as his telling of the news on TV!' *****'A very enjoyable book and a real page turner' *****'Writing that seems not just plausible but frighteningly real' *****_____________________________Praise for Tom Bradby'A gripping thriller' Sunday Times'Enthralling and fast-moving' Daily Mail'Teems with twists...imaginative and unexpected' The Times'Cracking' Financial Times'An all-too-plausible premise' Observer
448 pages, Paperback
First published June 28, 2022
189 people are currently reading
3731 people want to read
About the author
Tom Bradby
18 books293 followersTom Bradby is a British journalist and novelist. He has been political editor for ITV News since July 2005.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 137 reviews
May 12, 2022
*3.5 Stars*
Author Tom Bradby’s latest offering ‘Yesterday’s Spy’ is set mainly in 1950’s Tehran and features recently retired SIS agent Harry Towers.
Towers’ journalist son Sean, has gone missing in Iran after writing an article involving government corruption - obviously a very dangerous thing to do. Harry heads out to Tehran to find his son - he doesn’t know if Sean has been kidnapped or ‘disposed’ of, but he certainly intends to find out.
With flashbacks to the 1930’s, we begin to see what makes Harry tick, however, I can’t say that I really connected with him or any of the other characters.
Though it wasn’t my favourite Tom Bradby thriller because of my disconnect with the characters, it was nevertheless fast paced at times, (particularly towards the end), and I still enjoyed it.
*I was invited to read Yesterday’s Spy by the publisher, and have given an honest unbiased review in exchange. Many thanks to them *
Author Tom Bradby’s latest offering ‘Yesterday’s Spy’ is set mainly in 1950’s Tehran and features recently retired SIS agent Harry Towers.
Towers’ journalist son Sean, has gone missing in Iran after writing an article involving government corruption - obviously a very dangerous thing to do. Harry heads out to Tehran to find his son - he doesn’t know if Sean has been kidnapped or ‘disposed’ of, but he certainly intends to find out.
With flashbacks to the 1930’s, we begin to see what makes Harry tick, however, I can’t say that I really connected with him or any of the other characters.
Though it wasn’t my favourite Tom Bradby thriller because of my disconnect with the characters, it was nevertheless fast paced at times, (particularly towards the end), and I still enjoyed it.
*I was invited to read Yesterday’s Spy by the publisher, and have given an honest unbiased review in exchange. Many thanks to them *
June 12, 2022
Thanks to Atlantic Monthly Press/Henry Holt & Co for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. 📚 ❤️ 🥰
Author Tom Bradby’s “Yesterday’s Spy” starts off slow but don’t be fooled—the story really gets going in this historical fiction mystery. You feel the loss of the main character Harry Tower’s wife passing through details of their love story plus the anguish of losing not only the closeness Harry once had with his both his deceased wife but also his son Sean, to ultimately the horror that Sean’s disappeared in Tehran and Harry struggling to find him, a child he realizes he doesn’t know. There’s so many thrilling tales in this single, well-researched book based on the 1953 coup on Tehran that everyone will be entrenched, wondering until the very end. Truly cerebral spycraft!!
Author Tom Bradby’s “Yesterday’s Spy” starts off slow but don’t be fooled—the story really gets going in this historical fiction mystery. You feel the loss of the main character Harry Tower’s wife passing through details of their love story plus the anguish of losing not only the closeness Harry once had with his both his deceased wife but also his son Sean, to ultimately the horror that Sean’s disappeared in Tehran and Harry struggling to find him, a child he realizes he doesn’t know. There’s so many thrilling tales in this single, well-researched book based on the 1953 coup on Tehran that everyone will be entrenched, wondering until the very end. Truly cerebral spycraft!!
May 19, 2022
First stand alone read by this author as previously had read his last trilogy and loved all 3
This I enjoyed but was very different to the trilogy, the historical information is amazing and anyone with an interest in Iranian local and world politics in the 1950’s will find it a must
We meet our spy, Harry, as he finds out his son has gone missing in Tehran, but what was he really doing there…Harry makes it his mission to find out with adventures and personal introspective along the way ( re his past )
It’s a mix of a man coming to terms with his life and failings ( as well as success’s ), drama and an insight into spying, foreign policies and how the UK amongst others behaved in Iran at that time
An unusual mixture of emotion and action made this a satisfyingly interesting and different read
8/10
4 Stars
This I enjoyed but was very different to the trilogy, the historical information is amazing and anyone with an interest in Iranian local and world politics in the 1950’s will find it a must
We meet our spy, Harry, as he finds out his son has gone missing in Tehran, but what was he really doing there…Harry makes it his mission to find out with adventures and personal introspective along the way ( re his past )
It’s a mix of a man coming to terms with his life and failings ( as well as success’s ), drama and an insight into spying, foreign policies and how the UK amongst others behaved in Iran at that time
An unusual mixture of emotion and action made this a satisfyingly interesting and different read
8/10
4 Stars
July 28, 2023
‘This is not my operation. This is not my war. Not this time. I just want to find my son.’
Set mostly in Iran, August 1953 - a period of political unrest where a transfer of power sees the Prime Minister replaced by an army general, Yesterday's Spy follows SIS operative, Harry Tower, one-time Maths student at Cambridge University, as he searches for his son, Sean, an investigative journalist who it appears has uncovered the financial details of a company based in Tehran, pointing to a number of shareholders making ‘a killing’ – before disappearing.
A slow-burner at times, Tower is portrayed as a man conflicted as he travels across Iran with his son’s Iranian girlfriend, Shahnaz, herself the rebellious daughter of a general, steering him through bureaucratic and military obstacles. There are flashbacks to Germany in the early thirties, where Tower met his wife, to Sean’s early childhood and to unsuccessful operations in the Balkans of which the enemy appeared to have prior knowledge.
The background is a mole in MI6 – – and Tower, dogged by SIS operatives, is unsure who can be trusted. And in the early stages of the Cold War, British and American interests are prepared to prop up the Shah’s regime as a block against Soviet expansion in the region. Towards the end, a twist I did not anticipate, and the storyline speeds up in a race to escape worthy of any spy thriller. Highly recommended.
Set mostly in Iran, August 1953 - a period of political unrest where a transfer of power sees the Prime Minister replaced by an army general, Yesterday's Spy follows SIS operative, Harry Tower, one-time Maths student at Cambridge University, as he searches for his son, Sean, an investigative journalist who it appears has uncovered the financial details of a company based in Tehran, pointing to a number of shareholders making ‘a killing’ – before disappearing.
A slow-burner at times, Tower is portrayed as a man conflicted as he travels across Iran with his son’s Iranian girlfriend, Shahnaz, herself the rebellious daughter of a general, steering him through bureaucratic and military obstacles. There are flashbacks to Germany in the early thirties, where Tower met his wife, to Sean’s early childhood and to unsuccessful operations in the Balkans of which the enemy appeared to have prior knowledge.
The background is a mole in MI6 – – and Tower, dogged by SIS operatives, is unsure who can be trusted. And in the early stages of the Cold War, British and American interests are prepared to prop up the Shah’s regime as a block against Soviet expansion in the region. Towards the end, a twist I did not anticipate, and the storyline speeds up in a race to escape worthy of any spy thriller. Highly recommended.
February 8, 2023
‘In another time and place…’
Mr Bradby’s latest novel takes us back to 1953, to the involvement of the USA and the UK in an historic coup in Iran. Harry Towers, a recently retired British intelligence officer has been recently widowed. One night, after drowning his sorrows, he is awakened by a phone call. His estranged son Sean has gone missing in Tehran. Sean, a journalist, had recently written an article about the involvement of government officials in the opium trade. Tom travels to Iran in search of his son.
Here, he finds that Sean’s girlfriend Shahnaz Salemi is the only person who seems concerned about Sean’s disappearance. Tehran is seething with the rivalry between those who back the Shah who is sympathetic to the West and those who want a fairer deal for the Iranian people. At the heart of the struggle: access to oil.
Has Sean been taken because of the story he wrote, or because of a story he has planned? Or could his abduction be related to Harry’s own intelligence activities? Harry has history in Iran, and enemies. Harry’s travel to Iran 1953 may have been unofficial but his presence is noticed by both friends and enemies.
Harry realises that he knows very little about Sean’s life and it becomes clear that while Shahnaz cares for Sean, she has some secrets of her own. Tension builds as does the civic unrest. Can Harry find Sean? Can either of them survive? While the main story is set in Iran in 1953, there are flashbacks to Harry’s life as a student in Germany in 1933. A fast-paced story, with well developed characters and plenty of tension.
I have enjoyed each of the Tom Bradby novels I have read so far and would certainly recommend this one. Not only is this a finely crafted spy novel, I also learned something about the 1953 coup in Iran. Names and countries may differ, but political duplicity seems to be one constant in international affairs.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Mr Bradby’s latest novel takes us back to 1953, to the involvement of the USA and the UK in an historic coup in Iran. Harry Towers, a recently retired British intelligence officer has been recently widowed. One night, after drowning his sorrows, he is awakened by a phone call. His estranged son Sean has gone missing in Tehran. Sean, a journalist, had recently written an article about the involvement of government officials in the opium trade. Tom travels to Iran in search of his son.
Here, he finds that Sean’s girlfriend Shahnaz Salemi is the only person who seems concerned about Sean’s disappearance. Tehran is seething with the rivalry between those who back the Shah who is sympathetic to the West and those who want a fairer deal for the Iranian people. At the heart of the struggle: access to oil.
Has Sean been taken because of the story he wrote, or because of a story he has planned? Or could his abduction be related to Harry’s own intelligence activities? Harry has history in Iran, and enemies. Harry’s travel to Iran 1953 may have been unofficial but his presence is noticed by both friends and enemies.
Harry realises that he knows very little about Sean’s life and it becomes clear that while Shahnaz cares for Sean, she has some secrets of her own. Tension builds as does the civic unrest. Can Harry find Sean? Can either of them survive? While the main story is set in Iran in 1953, there are flashbacks to Harry’s life as a student in Germany in 1933. A fast-paced story, with well developed characters and plenty of tension.
I have enjoyed each of the Tom Bradby novels I have read so far and would certainly recommend this one. Not only is this a finely crafted spy novel, I also learned something about the 1953 coup in Iran. Names and countries may differ, but political duplicity seems to be one constant in international affairs.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
April 7, 2022
I find this author easy to read with writing that seems not just plausible but frighteningly real.
The spy thriller is often a runaway train of an adventure where agents need to think on their feet and improvise. This is at odds with the world of espionage where the less charismatic and forgettable players are, the best suited to engage in double dealing and subterfuge, they would be.
Tom Bradby writes good and believable characters but his locations and settings are what marks out his stories.
In Yesterday’s Spy we have the prospect of a Soviet mole in London but the real interest is based in Iran and the behind the scenes string pulling to maintain British and American interests while thwarting the expansion of communism and the threat of nations being drawn under a Soviet influence.
While I enjoyed the book enormously and the various interests in play trying to control Iran’s future and therefore the access to its oil production. I wasn’t fully comfortable with the lead protagonist Harry Tower. While I wanted him to succeed I was not sure of his principles or moral code. I never really unpacked his relationship with his immediate family; the loss of his wife and the disappearance of his son in Tehran. This lack of emotional engagement, or clarity of motivation in Harry’s home life and driving force at work remains as much of a mystery in the end as it is revealed through the pages of the book.
Therefore although I appreciated the book I feel I never fully engaged in the story.
The spy thriller is often a runaway train of an adventure where agents need to think on their feet and improvise. This is at odds with the world of espionage where the less charismatic and forgettable players are, the best suited to engage in double dealing and subterfuge, they would be.
Tom Bradby writes good and believable characters but his locations and settings are what marks out his stories.
In Yesterday’s Spy we have the prospect of a Soviet mole in London but the real interest is based in Iran and the behind the scenes string pulling to maintain British and American interests while thwarting the expansion of communism and the threat of nations being drawn under a Soviet influence.
While I enjoyed the book enormously and the various interests in play trying to control Iran’s future and therefore the access to its oil production. I wasn’t fully comfortable with the lead protagonist Harry Tower. While I wanted him to succeed I was not sure of his principles or moral code. I never really unpacked his relationship with his immediate family; the loss of his wife and the disappearance of his son in Tehran. This lack of emotional engagement, or clarity of motivation in Harry’s home life and driving force at work remains as much of a mystery in the end as it is revealed through the pages of the book.
Therefore although I appreciated the book I feel I never fully engaged in the story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 16, 2022
A big thank you to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, Bantam Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. I loved the last three books he had written in the Kate Henderson series so was very excited to be invited to read Tom Bradby's latest book.
Another exiting political spy thriller, this time a stand alone, based mostly in Tehran, Iran. Harry Tower is an old spy and finds out his son, Sean, has gone missing after writing an expose about government corruption. Harry then travels to Tehran to try and track him down.. He meets Sean's girlfriend Shahnaz and together they start to work together to find out what had happened. Is he dead or alive?
The book travels back and forth between 1935 and the 1950's so there's no use of mobile phones and the latest technology, which really intrigued me and I also enjoyed the history lesson as had no real knowledge of the time in Iran, but found it really interesting.
A thoroughly enjoyable read. I preferred his last three books a little more, but this is definitely worth reading and I'll definitely be on the lookout for whatever comes next
Another exiting political spy thriller, this time a stand alone, based mostly in Tehran, Iran. Harry Tower is an old spy and finds out his son, Sean, has gone missing after writing an expose about government corruption. Harry then travels to Tehran to try and track him down.. He meets Sean's girlfriend Shahnaz and together they start to work together to find out what had happened. Is he dead or alive?
The book travels back and forth between 1935 and the 1950's so there's no use of mobile phones and the latest technology, which really intrigued me and I also enjoyed the history lesson as had no real knowledge of the time in Iran, but found it really interesting.
A thoroughly enjoyable read. I preferred his last three books a little more, but this is definitely worth reading and I'll definitely be on the lookout for whatever comes next
December 20, 2022
Harry Towers is a retired SIS agent. His son disappears while covering the news in Iran prior to the coup d’etat in 1953, in which Iran went from a democracy to a monarchy. Harry goes to Teheran in search of his son. The plot also contains flashbacks of Towers life prior to World II, beginning with his recruited to SIS , studying abroad in Germany and events until the present day. I found the story to be enjoyable. The first half of the book is rather a mundane spy novel but then it does pick up. The characters are nothing special but the historical background is rather interesting as are the flashbacks.
November 16, 2024
Decent Smilie/Bond hybrid that is a very easy read. The Tehran setting during the coup in 1952 makes it interesting, otherwise the plot would be standard spy-novel fayre. A good, light, beach read.
May 13, 2022
Thanks to Grove Atlantic, the author, and Goodreads for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book a spy novel with two time lines. The first is in the 1930's and the second is in the 1950's. If you like books about espionage with lots of action, you will enjoy this book. The book is for sale this August. 4.25 🌟
January 29, 2024
Interesting fictionalised account of the 1953 coup in Iran orchestrated by the CIA and the British Secret Service supposedly because of the Communist threat but in reality for oil and wealth - devastating political interference with repercussions to this day. 3.5 stars
December 17, 2024
Great book. I never saw the twist coming and I doubt that most other readers will either. This was my first book by Bradby but I am already adding a couple more to my list from the library.
June 26, 2022
4.5*
I'd only recently found out about Goodreads giveaways and spammed a bunch and this was the one I won. I was super excited to read it as I'd recently read my first Tom Bradby novel "White Russian" and absolutely loved it.
I read this shortly after reading the highly acclaimed John Le Carre novel "Tinker, Tailor Soldier, Spy" and it took me a while for me to separate this book from that one, particularly the main character Harry Tower who would fit right in the Le Carre novel. I liked this much better than Tinker, Tailor, Solider Spy.
I'm a sucker for historical fiction that is based in a factual setting. Having read two Bradby books now he clearly has a gift for this particular genre. This book deals with the Iranian coup which I knew very little about. Bradby tells an interesting story with that as the backdrop and I was engaged throughout the entire book and was immersed in the coup itself, which is a factual event that actually happened. It made me want to read up on it more after having finished this book.
I will definitely be doing some more Bradby books in the future. He's 2 for 2 so far for me.
Thank you Goodreads for the advanced copy of this book! It was really cool to read an unedited, unpublished book before it went public
I'd only recently found out about Goodreads giveaways and spammed a bunch and this was the one I won. I was super excited to read it as I'd recently read my first Tom Bradby novel "White Russian" and absolutely loved it.
I read this shortly after reading the highly acclaimed John Le Carre novel "Tinker, Tailor Soldier, Spy" and it took me a while for me to separate this book from that one, particularly the main character Harry Tower who would fit right in the Le Carre novel. I liked this much better than Tinker, Tailor, Solider Spy.
I'm a sucker for historical fiction that is based in a factual setting. Having read two Bradby books now he clearly has a gift for this particular genre. This book deals with the Iranian coup which I knew very little about. Bradby tells an interesting story with that as the backdrop and I was engaged throughout the entire book and was immersed in the coup itself, which is a factual event that actually happened. It made me want to read up on it more after having finished this book.
I will definitely be doing some more Bradby books in the future. He's 2 for 2 so far for me.
Thank you Goodreads for the advanced copy of this book! It was really cool to read an unedited, unpublished book before it went public
May 19, 2022
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.
I knew nothing at all about Iran in 1953 before reading this book, which I assume referred to actual historical events, given that it featured a cameo appearance from Winston Churchill. I found this ignorance an insurmountable obstacle to getting to grips with the plot, which was detailed and complex and referred back to other historical events from 1933 onwards. There were entertaining bits where Harry managed to evade whoever was currently following him by employing spy craft, but mainly I failed to engage with him or with Shahnaz, his son's fiancee, who seemed to act with remarkable autonomy for an Iranian woman in 1953, but as I said, what do I know about Iran in 1953...?
I knew nothing at all about Iran in 1953 before reading this book, which I assume referred to actual historical events, given that it featured a cameo appearance from Winston Churchill. I found this ignorance an insurmountable obstacle to getting to grips with the plot, which was detailed and complex and referred back to other historical events from 1933 onwards. There were entertaining bits where Harry managed to evade whoever was currently following him by employing spy craft, but mainly I failed to engage with him or with Shahnaz, his son's fiancee, who seemed to act with remarkable autonomy for an Iranian woman in 1953, but as I said, what do I know about Iran in 1953...?
August 4, 2022
Tom Bradby’s “Yesterday’s Spy” is a very well-written spy novel set in 1953 Iran. Part historical novel, part thriller, part mystery, and part espionage tale, it is also a novel of interesting characters playing “the great game” for very high stakes.
It is 1953. Harry Tower has been a talented British SIS officer for many years. So talented that he’s trusted by Winston Churchill.
Harry and his journalist son Sean see eye-to-eye on almost nothing and barely speak. But when Sean disappears in Iran after writing an article critical of certain “powers-that-be,” Harry’s on the next plane to Teheran to find him. Harry meets Sean’s Iranian girlfriend, Shahnaz, and together, they begin the search for Sean. That hunt is complicated by civil unrest in Iran caused by American/British attempts to replace socialist Prime Minister Mossadegh with the Shah to ensure access to Iranian oil. It’s even further complicated by something the Americans are demanding from the British, something Harry won’t like very much.
Who took Sean? Is he alive or dead? If he’s alive, where is he? Those are the questions that keep us readers turning the pages. And now will Harry, who has already lost so much, come out of this?
Mr. Bradby’s treatment of Iranian settings and Iran’s society, politics, foreign affairs, and economy in 1953 is first-rate. He skillfully depicts life in Teheran where modern automobiles share the roads with donkeys and camels, spicy aromas drift on the wind from bazaars, and chic western styles of dress and grooming co-exist uneasily with traditional Muslim garb.
Mr. Bradby is equally adept at weaving the political history of the time into his story, including an explanation of how important Iranian oil was to the U.S. and Britain, and why, as well as the attitudes those nations held and the actions they undertook that made them so unpopular with certain segments of Iranian society. Those interested in the history of the Shah’s return to power (setting the stage for his ouster a quarter of a century later) may find “Yesterday’s Spy” particularly illuminating.
At times, I found the novel a bit overlong and repetitive, especially when it came to backstory. But there are also scenes of action and danger that Ian Fleming or Robert Ludlum might well have enjoyed. Overall, I very much enjoyed “Yesterday’s Spy” and look forward to reading more of Mr. Bradby’s work.
It is 1953. Harry Tower has been a talented British SIS officer for many years. So talented that he’s trusted by Winston Churchill.
Harry and his journalist son Sean see eye-to-eye on almost nothing and barely speak. But when Sean disappears in Iran after writing an article critical of certain “powers-that-be,” Harry’s on the next plane to Teheran to find him. Harry meets Sean’s Iranian girlfriend, Shahnaz, and together, they begin the search for Sean. That hunt is complicated by civil unrest in Iran caused by American/British attempts to replace socialist Prime Minister Mossadegh with the Shah to ensure access to Iranian oil. It’s even further complicated by something the Americans are demanding from the British, something Harry won’t like very much.
Who took Sean? Is he alive or dead? If he’s alive, where is he? Those are the questions that keep us readers turning the pages. And now will Harry, who has already lost so much, come out of this?
Mr. Bradby’s treatment of Iranian settings and Iran’s society, politics, foreign affairs, and economy in 1953 is first-rate. He skillfully depicts life in Teheran where modern automobiles share the roads with donkeys and camels, spicy aromas drift on the wind from bazaars, and chic western styles of dress and grooming co-exist uneasily with traditional Muslim garb.
Mr. Bradby is equally adept at weaving the political history of the time into his story, including an explanation of how important Iranian oil was to the U.S. and Britain, and why, as well as the attitudes those nations held and the actions they undertook that made them so unpopular with certain segments of Iranian society. Those interested in the history of the Shah’s return to power (setting the stage for his ouster a quarter of a century later) may find “Yesterday’s Spy” particularly illuminating.
At times, I found the novel a bit overlong and repetitive, especially when it came to backstory. But there are also scenes of action and danger that Ian Fleming or Robert Ludlum might well have enjoyed. Overall, I very much enjoyed “Yesterday’s Spy” and look forward to reading more of Mr. Bradby’s work.
May 7, 2022
This review is based on an advance reader copy I got through a Goodreads giveaway.
This book was primarily set during the 1953 Iranian coup. It was interesting to learn about this. Yes, I know this is fiction, but if a novel gets you interested enough to look up information on your own it has done its job.
I didn't find the book itself to be very engaging though. I think the main problem is that the characters are all very flat. The only one I liked at all was Shahnaz and she had no depth to her at all. On a couple occasions, it seems the author tried to add some but it felt very forced. Bradby did make sure to note that men everywhere found her attractive. Over and over and over again.
This book was primarily set during the 1953 Iranian coup. It was interesting to learn about this. Yes, I know this is fiction, but if a novel gets you interested enough to look up information on your own it has done its job.
I didn't find the book itself to be very engaging though. I think the main problem is that the characters are all very flat. The only one I liked at all was Shahnaz and she had no depth to her at all. On a couple occasions, it seems the author tried to add some but it felt very forced. Bradby did make sure to note that men everywhere found her attractive. Over and over and over again.
August 10, 2022
This was a new author for me and Yesterday's Spy ended up being kind of a mixed bag for me. I liked the characters well enough and was definitely drawn in by the plot. The journey was exciting and kept me turning pages. I also appreciated learning about a time and place in the world I was not very familiar with. That being said, sometimes I lost the political plot threads. Things were always explained well enough that I could hang on to the gist, but I'm sure I lost many details due to my unfamiliarity. Also, without giving away any spoilers, I'll just say that the ending was somewhat unsatisfying for me. I'm not sure I'll run to grab another by this author, but Yesterday's Spy was a fun, quick, read.
Thank you to Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for this ARC!
Thank you to Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for this ARC!
August 16, 2022
Interesting period of history in post WW2 Iran with Harry Tower as the central character. The detail was impressive but somehow the story soon began convoluted and unbelievable. So we are left feeling this was a good chance 'thrown away'. Not sure I'll be seeking out any more by this author.
November 19, 2023
3.75 stars
August 25, 2024
Quite good not one of his best
December 29, 2024
Started slow but got interesting and the action picked up.
October 22, 2023
A gripping spy story set in Iran.
August 8, 2022
Solid spy thriller set mainly during the Iranian uprising of 1953, something I knew little about. Skillfully written with strong characters and a satisfying story. Recommended.
March 30, 2022
This is my first experience of the authors books and I must say I was very impressed.. His telling of fiction is as good as his telling of the news on TV! Yesterday's Spy is a work of fiction set in a few days of real history, the Iranian coup of 1953 when the democratically elected Prime Minister was overthrown in a revolt orchestrated by the US and UK governments. The motivation was to both, prop up the Shah who was sympathetic with the West and generous with terms to exploit Iran's oil reserves, and to keep out influence from the USSR. Thrown into this real life subterfuge are the fictional characters of this story namely Harry Tower, a long serving MI5 operative but a bit of a misfit, his estranged son Sean, a reporter who has gone missing in Iran and Sean's girlfriend Shahnaz whose also has an estranged father, an important figure in the Iranian Military. Harry secretly travels to Tehran to try and find his son and comes across Shahnaz, unaware his son was in any relationship. This unlikely pairing with suspicions on both sides set of in search of Sean as the expected coup with the inevitable chaos and confusion starts to unfold.
While the main timeline covers just the few days of the coup there are flashbacks to pre war periods when Harry was a student and meets his future wife in Germany in the prewar days of the Nazi regime and to other periods in his life as he tries to come to terms with his wife's periods of anxiety and depression and eventual suicide which results in the estrangement with Sean.
All the characters are very well crafted as is the storyline. There really is something for everyone, the intrigue you would expect in a Spy Thriller, plenty of action as Shahnaz finds out that Harry really is pretty handy in tight situations, guilt and introspection from Harry all too aware of the people he has hurt in his lifetime plus a ringside view of what a coup d'etat is like in the middle of 1950's Tehran.
There is a twist in the end which I found disappointing but readers will have to make up there own minds. Other than that I found the book very enjoyable and a real page turner.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me access to this book.
While the main timeline covers just the few days of the coup there are flashbacks to pre war periods when Harry was a student and meets his future wife in Germany in the prewar days of the Nazi regime and to other periods in his life as he tries to come to terms with his wife's periods of anxiety and depression and eventual suicide which results in the estrangement with Sean.
All the characters are very well crafted as is the storyline. There really is something for everyone, the intrigue you would expect in a Spy Thriller, plenty of action as Shahnaz finds out that Harry really is pretty handy in tight situations, guilt and introspection from Harry all too aware of the people he has hurt in his lifetime plus a ringside view of what a coup d'etat is like in the middle of 1950's Tehran.
There is a twist in the end which I found disappointing but readers will have to make up there own minds. Other than that I found the book very enjoyable and a real page turner.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me access to this book.
March 27, 2024
Started ok, but then became another James Bond/Jack Reacher character who seems to have superhuman abilities, but perhaps without sufficient charisma.
The end of the book lost me. Was he working for the Russians? No idea.
The end of the book lost me. Was he working for the Russians? No idea.
May 9, 2022
I am grateful to the author and Grove Atlantic for granting me access to an ARC in return for an honest review. As a fan of Mr. Bradby's earlier Kate Henderson series, I was disappointed by this story. I knew little about the 50s politics in the Middle East, particularly Iran, so the plot was new to me. It made for a good potential story of the cold war in a different venue. That potential was not realized, with much more of a focus on James Bond-esque action with little character development. I was used to Mr. Bradby's use of moral ambivalence in his previous novels, but this story did not build on its premise.
The mix of timelines and backstories kept me interested to the point of completing the book, but the ending was foreshadowed and it was hard for me to muster up much in the way of sympathy.
This one didn't work for me, but I will watch for future efforts by this author.
The mix of timelines and backstories kept me interested to the point of completing the book, but the ending was foreshadowed and it was hard for me to muster up much in the way of sympathy.
This one didn't work for me, but I will watch for future efforts by this author.
April 8, 2022
I have to say it took me a bit to get into this book as I was thinking about a similar character I'd read in other books, however once you got your head round this one, what a great book it was to read. Lots of twists and turns you weren't really expecting and I'm loath to say more about the plot for fear of giving it away! But definitely a great book to read and one you'll find you can't put down until it is finished!
June 21, 2022
I really didn’t like this book. It’s another I simply could not finish. I am a big fan of the author but his writing style just bored me. I did my normal 100 pages but there are so many wonderful books in the world that I cannot continue. 100 pages of describing landscapes, without getting to know the main characters, with really poor narrative. I just got to the point where I really didn’t care what happened. Not for me
October 11, 2022
On August 19, 1953, Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh was overthrown in a coup d’etat jointly planned by the United States and Great Britain and led on the ground by the CIA. With the support of the country’s leading mullah, Abol-Ghasem Kashani, Americans under the command of Kermit Roosevelt, Jr. restored Mohammad Shah Reza Pahlavi as Iran’s supreme leader. The shah’s brutal, dictatorial regime during the following two decades led directly to the 1979 Iranian Revolution that still echoes in today’s headlines. Now, British journalist Tom Bradby recalls the events of 1953 in Yesterday’s Spy, a fast-paced spy thriller loosely based on the history of the coup.
A VETERAN SPY UNDER SUSPICION AS A MOLE
Bradby’s story unfolds in Tehran in 1953, with flashbacks to events in the 1930s and 1940s in the life of the eponymous spy, Harry Tower. His work for MI6 is the centerpiece of the tale. (“He was probably the most operationally experienced executive officer in SIS.”) A scholarship boy from a working-class family at Cambridge, he has never “fitted in” among the aristocrats and gentry who populate the Secret Intelligence Service. And his work, often under direct orders from Prime Minister Winston Churchill, has brought him under suspicion as a KGB spy.
Now, Harry has secretly flown to Tehran to find his son, a novice journalist for the Manchester Guardian, who has been kidnapped. There, he pursues first one lead to his son, then another, encountering lies at every turn. Meanwhile, he finds that MI6 is attempting to frame him as a scapegoat for missions that went wrong during and after World War II.
A SPY’S LIFE UNRAVELS AMID THE 1953 IRANIAN COUP
Yesterday’s Spy opens in Germany in 1933, where young Harry has been studying mathematics on a term away from Cambridge. We follow him through his recruitment by MI6, his wartime assignments behind enemy lines, and his postwar work sending anti-Communist agents to infiltrate Yugoslavia and Albania. But those missions go badly wrong from the start. Harry falls under suspicion for their failure. Nearly a decade later, he is still under a cloud as a result. But his boss, and Winston Churchill (now Prime Minister again), both support him absolutely. Yet there appear to be others in SIS who do not. Because one of his colleagues in on his tail in Tehran.
The action unfolds on several tracks amid the tumult of Tehran in the run-up to the coup.
** Harry’s pursuit of leads to his son along with the young man’s Iranian girlfriend.
** Evading the SIS team trying to entrap him.
** The emerging story of the forces behind the coup, including both British and Americans as well as senior figures in the Iranian police and army.
** Soviet agents inserting themselves into the action, causing havoc to reign.
** And the increasingly violent action on the streets.
It’s all very confusing . . . until it isn’t. And you’re unlikely to expect how Bradby resolves it all.
THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
The 1953 Iranian coup was one of the seminal events of the 20th century. Its importance is under-appreciated in the US. And accounts of that time tend to focus on the CIA. Even MI6, whose collaboration with the Americans was indispensable, is often overlooked. So is the Soviet involvement.
Today, with our eyes clouded by decades of history of the Islamic Republic, we may find it difficult to imagine the dynamics of Iranian society in the 1940s and 50s. The stakes couldn’t have been higher. “Without the discovery of an inexhaustible supply of oil in Iran, the British Empire would never have won two world wars.” But the British effectively stole that oil, leaving the large and growing Iranian public hungry and desperate. And the resulting rise of a populist regime under Mohammad Mosaddegh was only one of the threats to the West. The Soviet Union was actively seeking to seize power in Tehran as well. For once, the Eisenhower Administration’s crusade against Communism around the world may have acted against a genuine threat there . . . or at least one that could be more easily rationalized than all the others that followed in Guatemala, the Congo, and Chile.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tom Bradby is a journalist for Britain’s ITV, where he has worked since 1990. Yesterday’s Spy is his tenth novel. He was born in Malta in 1967 and educated at the University of Edinburgh, where he studied history. Bradby lives in Hampshire with his wife and their three children.
A VETERAN SPY UNDER SUSPICION AS A MOLE
Bradby’s story unfolds in Tehran in 1953, with flashbacks to events in the 1930s and 1940s in the life of the eponymous spy, Harry Tower. His work for MI6 is the centerpiece of the tale. (“He was probably the most operationally experienced executive officer in SIS.”) A scholarship boy from a working-class family at Cambridge, he has never “fitted in” among the aristocrats and gentry who populate the Secret Intelligence Service. And his work, often under direct orders from Prime Minister Winston Churchill, has brought him under suspicion as a KGB spy.
Now, Harry has secretly flown to Tehran to find his son, a novice journalist for the Manchester Guardian, who has been kidnapped. There, he pursues first one lead to his son, then another, encountering lies at every turn. Meanwhile, he finds that MI6 is attempting to frame him as a scapegoat for missions that went wrong during and after World War II.
A SPY’S LIFE UNRAVELS AMID THE 1953 IRANIAN COUP
Yesterday’s Spy opens in Germany in 1933, where young Harry has been studying mathematics on a term away from Cambridge. We follow him through his recruitment by MI6, his wartime assignments behind enemy lines, and his postwar work sending anti-Communist agents to infiltrate Yugoslavia and Albania. But those missions go badly wrong from the start. Harry falls under suspicion for their failure. Nearly a decade later, he is still under a cloud as a result. But his boss, and Winston Churchill (now Prime Minister again), both support him absolutely. Yet there appear to be others in SIS who do not. Because one of his colleagues in on his tail in Tehran.
The action unfolds on several tracks amid the tumult of Tehran in the run-up to the coup.
** Harry’s pursuit of leads to his son along with the young man’s Iranian girlfriend.
** Evading the SIS team trying to entrap him.
** The emerging story of the forces behind the coup, including both British and Americans as well as senior figures in the Iranian police and army.
** Soviet agents inserting themselves into the action, causing havoc to reign.
** And the increasingly violent action on the streets.
It’s all very confusing . . . until it isn’t. And you’re unlikely to expect how Bradby resolves it all.
THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
The 1953 Iranian coup was one of the seminal events of the 20th century. Its importance is under-appreciated in the US. And accounts of that time tend to focus on the CIA. Even MI6, whose collaboration with the Americans was indispensable, is often overlooked. So is the Soviet involvement.
Today, with our eyes clouded by decades of history of the Islamic Republic, we may find it difficult to imagine the dynamics of Iranian society in the 1940s and 50s. The stakes couldn’t have been higher. “Without the discovery of an inexhaustible supply of oil in Iran, the British Empire would never have won two world wars.” But the British effectively stole that oil, leaving the large and growing Iranian public hungry and desperate. And the resulting rise of a populist regime under Mohammad Mosaddegh was only one of the threats to the West. The Soviet Union was actively seeking to seize power in Tehran as well. For once, the Eisenhower Administration’s crusade against Communism around the world may have acted against a genuine threat there . . . or at least one that could be more easily rationalized than all the others that followed in Guatemala, the Congo, and Chile.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tom Bradby is a journalist for Britain’s ITV, where he has worked since 1990. Yesterday’s Spy is his tenth novel. He was born in Malta in 1967 and educated at the University of Edinburgh, where he studied history. Bradby lives in Hampshire with his wife and their three children.
June 1, 2022
My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Grove Atlantic for an advanced copy of this new historical spy story.
Deception has a nasty habit of eating away at people. Lying about your job to your family and neighbors. Lying to your co- workers about the work that you are doing. Lying about the work to your government who is lying about the work they don't want to know what you are doing. Lying to yourself about the importance of what you do, though all everything that exists around you is built up on a very precarious pedestal, and can fall all away with just one truth. Tom Bradby in the historical thriller Yesterday's Son shows the price of deception on one man and his attempt to fix a legacy of wrongs for his only son's safety.
Harry Towers is a spy with British intelligence who has reached the end of his career, and has also lost his wife to suicide, and his son to both neglect and apathy. Harry receives a call from that his son has gone missing in Iran, a country that Harry had some dealings with in the past, and knows from current work at his job, is ripe for revolution. With American help. Harry travels to Iran, finding the country much worse than he expected, and also much more dangerous. For his son was writing articles about powerful people, who might not like what is being said about them. The more Harry digs the more he wonders if the many sins of his past are catching up with him, and that he and his son are in much more danger than he thought.
A very taut, very historically interesting thriller with real world actions taking place as the story develops. Real world actions that are still giving writers story ideas for thrillers today. The writing is very good, all from Harry's point of view, and the story never snags, or drags almost from the the first chapter. The author plays semi- fair, certain characters know more than they are telling, but the clues are there, and the story doesn't make any surprise jumps. Harry is very well written, and well developed. The other characters are also, sleazy when meant to be, earnest when needed, all with secrets and very well written. Also the country of Iran is a major character in the story, described well with a nice background and history that doesn't bog the story down, or hold things up.
A very good spy thriller, almost a throw back to the old Eric Ambler stories, though Harry is more of a seasoned professional rather than a lucky amateur. A very enjoyable read, and recommended for fans of Eric Ambler, David Ignatius, Charles Cumming and Joseph Kanon. This is the first book that I have read by Tom Bradby, and look forward to reading other books by him.
Deception has a nasty habit of eating away at people. Lying about your job to your family and neighbors. Lying to your co- workers about the work that you are doing. Lying about the work to your government who is lying about the work they don't want to know what you are doing. Lying to yourself about the importance of what you do, though all everything that exists around you is built up on a very precarious pedestal, and can fall all away with just one truth. Tom Bradby in the historical thriller Yesterday's Son shows the price of deception on one man and his attempt to fix a legacy of wrongs for his only son's safety.
Harry Towers is a spy with British intelligence who has reached the end of his career, and has also lost his wife to suicide, and his son to both neglect and apathy. Harry receives a call from that his son has gone missing in Iran, a country that Harry had some dealings with in the past, and knows from current work at his job, is ripe for revolution. With American help. Harry travels to Iran, finding the country much worse than he expected, and also much more dangerous. For his son was writing articles about powerful people, who might not like what is being said about them. The more Harry digs the more he wonders if the many sins of his past are catching up with him, and that he and his son are in much more danger than he thought.
A very taut, very historically interesting thriller with real world actions taking place as the story develops. Real world actions that are still giving writers story ideas for thrillers today. The writing is very good, all from Harry's point of view, and the story never snags, or drags almost from the the first chapter. The author plays semi- fair, certain characters know more than they are telling, but the clues are there, and the story doesn't make any surprise jumps. Harry is very well written, and well developed. The other characters are also, sleazy when meant to be, earnest when needed, all with secrets and very well written. Also the country of Iran is a major character in the story, described well with a nice background and history that doesn't bog the story down, or hold things up.
A very good spy thriller, almost a throw back to the old Eric Ambler stories, though Harry is more of a seasoned professional rather than a lucky amateur. A very enjoyable read, and recommended for fans of Eric Ambler, David Ignatius, Charles Cumming and Joseph Kanon. This is the first book that I have read by Tom Bradby, and look forward to reading other books by him.
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