The Head of British Intelligence is having a bad day. Only six months off retirement and Sir William Rentoul is wondering if he’ll make it that far, what with the sudden descent of a brain fog dense enough to turn every day into a series of small humiliations.

To make matters worse, when parliamentary researcher Aphra McQueen is brought in to investigate an internal complaint, she discovers something horrifying: the murder of nine Iranian dissidents. The elusive assassin, nicknamed CASPIAN, kills across borders, forcing intelligence services throughout Europe into an alliance. Their only lead? An unsuspecting dentist in the UK.

Aphra McQueen seems to know more about the operation than she is letting on. What will she uncover? What is she really up to? And can she survive the unexpected events that will bounce her from London to Birmingham to Paris to Lausanne?

In the exhilarating chase that follows, Spies and Other Gods offers a vibrant, fresh and darkly funny take on the spy thriller that lays bare the human cost of secrecy.

Praise for Spies and Other Gods:

“A quirky and captivating espionage thriller . . .  Sly asides and metacommentary from a cynical narrator who’s identified only as the ‘spirit of spying’ complement the verisimilitude Wolff brings to the proceedings. Fans of Mick Herron’s Slough House series will appreciate this.”—Publishers Weekly

“Quirky . . . A cynical, funny spin on spycraft.”—Kirkus Reviews

“As always with Wolff, the writing is clear and evocative . . . The tradecraft involves sophisticated surveillance and high-tech methods of eavesdropping, showcasing the author’s intelligence background. But Wolff’s greatest strength lies in his imaginative language and clever exploration of his characters. Like John le Carré, he is first and foremost a writer of fiction who happens to have been a spy.”—Andrew Rosenheim, The Spectator

“With so much epistemological uncertainty at play among the characters in Spies and Other Gods, the unexpected is always just around the corner. The author handles the plotting like reverse origami, unfolding secrets in an order that allows their consequences to gain momentum right up to the final reveal, which deserves a ‘Voila!’.”—Bruce J. Krajewski, Washington Independent Review of Books

“A story that rivals some of the best spy novels, or any mystery novel, I’ve ever read . . . Wolff—a pseudonym for the former British intelligence officer—has, at least in my book, pulled a ‘John le Carré’ in which the story satisfies with its necessary fictional rectitude, while also accurately portraying humans too prideful to admit their errors, as long as self-preservation is achieved . . . Spies and Other Gods is a must-read for the summer and may indeed be my favorite book of 2026. It is certainly one of my favorite spy novels from any year.”—Dustin Bass, The Epoch Times

“In his new stand-alone (following The Man in the Corduroy Suit) Wolff delves into the inner workings of MI6 spies with a sly, sardonic tone and smartly crafted characterizations . . . Wolff doesn’t let any of his characters off easy in this clever thriller that is more of a character study than a plot-driven story . . . Funny in a dry, satirical way, this is for fans of novels by John le Carré and Mick Herron.”—Library Journal

“Wolff has created a character-rich environment in his new spy novel, which will keep readers guessing at what will happen next. A Parliamentary oversight committee for British intelligence has brought in a young researcher to investigate an anonymous complaint against the agency. Nothing is as it seems among the book’s many players, and the secrets they keep result in casualties. An engaging story that takes a rather satirical look at the world of espionage.”—The Epoch Times

“Both darkly funny and irresistibly tense . . . A very lively story, told with wit and warning . . . Remarkably touching.”—Neil Nyren, BookTrib

“A complex espionage story with issues seldom seen in that sub-genre . . . the characterization is marvelous.”—Pam Did It

“As a former British Intelligence Officer, Wolff is the perfect candidate to write this alluring tale about the inner workings of spy culture. He writes the narrator as a sort of all-seeing essence of espionage, adding a welcome and unique tone. The narrator’s godlike connotation removes the fourth wall, placing readers into the scene and posing questions that serve to enhance the experience. Mysterious and at times existential, this book will cleanse the palate of seasoned spycraft readers in the best way.”—Kristen Shaw, Booklist

“A fresh tale with a vividly rendered spyscape. What makes this novel completely original is his choice of narrator — not a flesh-and-blood character but a mysterious, amorphous all-seeing entity . . . one whose roving eye and singular voice combine to create a commentary that is, by turn, witty, acerbic, and insightful.”—Malcolm Forbes, Washington Examiner

“With the battle-lines drawn, Wolff proceeds to craft a quirky spy novel by employing black humour, an offbeat narrative voice (the story is told by a disembodied ‘spirit of spying’) and a host of morally questionable spooks to shine a harsh light on the inner workings of British intelligence. The comparisons with Mick Herron’s Slough House series are inevitable, but they are also very favourable: Wolff may wear his insider’s knowledge lightly, but Spies and Other Gods is a hugely entertaining spy novel with considerable emotional heft.”—Declan Burke, The Irish Times

“Wolff conveys a world of expedience, uncertainty, default mendacity and motive-mongering with economy, deftness and wit.”—James Hanning, The London Standard (UK)

“Wolff sets up an engaging mystery that effortlessly manages to illuminate the shadowy world of spycraft . . . Another engaging addition to the growing canon of espionage novels written by ex-spies.”—Pile By the Bed

“The great innovation here is the book’s narrator, a metaphysical presence that mischievously describes itself as ‘the spirit of spying’ . . . It’s an ingenious device . . . [that] allows us to see the world of espionage from a unique perspective – the perspective from which it sees itself.”—David Clark, Spybrary

“A mysterious assassin working across borders and without clear patterns has British intelligence in chaos mode in this new international spy thriller from one of the boldest voices in the genre.”—Dwyer Murphy, CrimeReads

“Beguiling . . . [with] vivid descriptions and a cast of credible, interesting characters, especially the researcher Aphra McQueen. It also has the requisite spy fiction tropes of rivalry between agencies, and with Government, internal backstabbing, surprising twists, believable spying detail and a growing sense of unease . . . In all, I really enjoyed the freshness and political reflections of Spies and Other Gods, and was pleasantly surprised by the book’s various twists and turns. I also cheered at the end.”—Jeff Popple, Murder, Mayhem and Long Dogs

“At once dark, haunting, witty, and bitingly funny, Spies and Other Gods conveys exactly what an intelligence organization and the business of spying are all about. Wolff makes polar ends meet: cynicism and compassion, humor and pathos. The narrator is intriguing and brilliant, winking at the reader on every page. Read it for the humor, the insight, or the gut-wrenching twist at the end—but, above all, read it.”—I.S. Berry, bestselling author of The Peacock and the Sparrow

“Through careful character development, [Wolff] explores themes of family connection, loyalty, accountability and conflicting personal and professional responsibilities . . . a worthy addition to the genre.”—Crime Fiction Lover

“There is an economy and effortlessness to Wolff’s prose . . . a thought-provoking glimpse of a belief system under threat from outside and how it copes or adapts.”—David Jarvis, Aspects of Crime

“In this spy thriller that’s not quite a thriller (in a good way), parliamentary researcher Aphra McQueen is brought in to investigate an anonymous complaint of how the British Intelligence have handled a case. The author, James Wolff, worked for British intelligence for over ten years—so it’s a funny, cynical look into the world of spies. At one point, the omniscient narrator notes, ‘Anyone who chooses writing spy novels over spying itself can’t have been much good in the first place.’”—Town & Country

“A really good espionage story . . . Really well-done . . . It’s got a really unique style to it.”—Catherine Raynes, Saturday Morning with Jack Tame

“In the smoke-and-mirrors world of spy fiction, James Wolff shines as a steady bright light. Spies and Other Gods is intricately made, slyly humorous and wonderfully entertaining.”—John Banville

“There’s an acute, almost intense intelligence at work in James Wolff’s fiction . . . I was hooked on plot and prose, a prose so compelling that it makes you re-read whole paragraphs to savour them again. Wolff is not in this simply to deliver spills and thrills — he’s a superb, spare, almost minimal stylist and . . . an original.”—John Lawton

“Wonderful, gripping, intelligent and original. Great fun and incredibly insightful regarding the real nature of intelligence work.”—Oliver Harris