A Spy in the Blood is the latest book from Paul Read writing as Paul Warner, published by Zaffre.

The hardback retail price is £16.99, but cheaper in Sainsburys and on Amazon, Paul says. The paperback edition is out early summer. It is also available from Rother Books in Battle.

Paul, aged 47, lives in Bexhill.

“I moved back to Bexhill – I was born here – during lockdown. Before that I was based with the missus and two kids in Naples, Italy, and, before that, north London.”

As for the book: “It’s the story of Mark Wolfe, once the greatest spy of his generation, who’s now in charge of recruitment at MI6 and looking forward to a well-deserved retirement. But his daughter has an unhealthy obsession with joining the Service and, as Mark used to, possesses a terrifying aptitude for clandestine work.

“It all hits the fan when she goes missing on a mission and MI6 wash their hands of her, and it’s left to Mark to find out the truth. So, this old timer, who hasn’t got his hands dirty since the nineties, is forced back into the field. An analogue spy in a modern, digital world, trying to make sense of modern espionage and the new world order.

“I always wanted to write an espionage novel, and from the point of view of an older spy, I and liked the idea of making it a family drama too. It evolved over several drafts, but the core story was there all along. In retrospect, it all seems quite organic, the process, but I definitely struggled with the structure at times. Talking of The Times, the newspaper just decreed A Spy in the Blood their Thriller of the Month. That’ll definitely be mentioned on the cover for the paperback edition! The Financial Times were very complimentary too.

“I’ve long been inspired by spy fiction. Graham Greene, John le Carre. I think Mick Herron is fantastic. David McCloskey is incredible. I grew up with James Bond. My first memory is of watching the bank holiday premiere of Live and Let Die and being so petrified I couldn’t sleep. I know the book will appeal to fans of spy fiction, but also those readers who enjoy twisty, pacy thrillers.

“The second book in the Mark Wolfe series, Funeral for a Spy, is coming out next January. I’m finishing a third at the moment, so hopefully A Spy in the Blood will sell more than a handful of copies to make the endeavour worth it! Amazon actually sold out on its first day, after The Times review, and had to order more copies in.

“I’m not a first-time author, but this is my first book as Paul Warner, who only pens spy thrillers.

“I have always been writing. Always will. By any metric, my life as a writer has been marked by far more failure than success, but I’ll take the wins when they happen. I don’t know why I’m compelled to write. I’m sure growing up in a sleepy town had a lot to do with it!”