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espionage thrillers

The Thrill of “Rootable” Characters (and Three I’ll Never Forget)

By M.P. Woodward

May 19, 2023

In my humble opinion, the most important aspect of thriller writing is characterization—does a hero leap off the page? Is a villain memorable? And the big question—does the reader give a damn about either of them? Would I give a damn about either of them? As I see it, a great plot is nothing but…

We’ve Been Expecting You: Opening the Door to Inclusivity in James Bond

By Kim Sherwood

April 18, 2023

There by the lift, on that last day, Bond asked Moneypenny if she thought he had a cold heart.   “No,” she said. “That’s the problem.”   Before she could add another word, M had called James back, and she never told him what she meant. That his heart, or his sentiment, or whatever you…

Chaos and Tumult as Fuel for Fiction

By Tom Bradby

September 19, 2022

Ten novels—and more than a few screenplays—into my writing career, an interview question rather took me by surprise the other day. What prompts you, I was asked, to open your computer and start writing a new story? Is it the characters, the setting, the politics, the moment in time? And I thought; hell, yes, what…

Spinsters and Spies: My Favorite Older Women in Crime Fiction

By Deanna Raybourn

September 7, 2022

Crime fiction is kinder than most genres to older women. Where they can be a little harder to find in other genres, mysteries and thrillers like to give the woman of mature years some time in the spotlight. She may be a sleuth or—less common but perhaps more interesting—a villain. Either way, the woman over…

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