Headline snaps up espionage thriller by debut author David Goodman

Headline has snapped up A Reluctant Spy, an espionage thriller by debut author David Goodman to be published in September 2024.  

Editorial director Toby Jones acquired world English rights from Harry Illingworth at DHH Literary Agency. 

A Reluctant Spy sees Jamie Tulloch, who has risen a long way from a tough upbringing to become a successful tech executive, harbouring a secret: since the age of 23, he’s been part of the Legends Programme, a secret intelligence effort to prepare impenetrable backstories for undercover agents. Real people, living real lives, hand over their identities for a few weeks in return for jobs, influence and access. 

When his tap on the shoulder finally comes, Jamie arrives at a French airport to find his primary contact dead, the agent who’s supposed to step into his life AWOL and his options for escape non-existent. Pitched into a deadly mission on hostile territory, Jamie must contend with a rogue Russian general, arms dealers, elite hackers, CIA tac-ops and the discovery of a brewing plan for war. Dangerously out of his depth, can Jamie play himself well enough to avoid being killed – and to avert a lethal global conflict? 

Jones said: “With an original yet frighteningly plausible premise, David’s stylish, compulsive writing forces the reader to grapple with a deadly dilemma. Sweeping from the hidden corridors of power to the feverish intensity of live operations, A Reluctant Spy contains all the elements beloved by fans of espionage thrillers.” 

Goodman added: “I am delighted to be working with Toby Jones and his team. With A Reluctant Spy, I aimed to bring an outsider’s perspective to the world of international espionage, answering a question we’ve all surely thought about – what would I do if I found myself plunged into the secret world? Toby saw the potential in this book from the outset and I can’t wait to work with Headline to make it real.”