SpyMasters

About SpyMasters

Writer and critic Paul Burke interviews all the best writers on espionage. Each episode will bring you fascinating stories on spies, covert action and more - delving in to fact and fiction, past and present.

Publisher

Paul Burke

Category

arts · history · true crime

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

30 Jan 2024

Latest episode

1 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

65 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   1 Oct 2026

   Spies on Screen by Paul Burke

   Paul Burke is interviewed by Barry Forshaw, Financial Times Crime Fiction Critic and author of Crime Fiction: A Reader's Guide. Discussing SPIES ON SCREEN: FROM SILENT TO STREAMING, favourite films, Alfred Hitchcock, Eric Ambler, Bond, Bourne and MI, iconic performances, action v realism, the history of espionage cinema and streaming. SPIES ON SCREEN The definitive guide to espionage on film and TV. Covering more than 900 spy movies and series, from Bond and Bourne to Hitchcock and Herron, Spies on Screen is the first comprehensive guide of the modern era, exploring how the genre has evolved alongside real-world concerns about geopolitics, surveillance, cyber warfare and global conflict. In a series of compelling and accessible essays, Burke combines expert analysis with cultural history to define the trends, themes and transformations of spying across more than a century of hot and cold conflict. Whether you are hoping to discover a new series or to reconnect with a forgotten classic, look no further. Spies on Screen is an unrivalled reference guide; the essential companion to one of entertainment's most enduring genres. PAUL BURKE was born in London, university educated and has worked in the private, voluntary and academic sector over the years. He has been writing about crime, thriller and mystery fiction since 2016 and podcasting for Crime Time FM since 2021. His first passion as a reader was Cold War spy fiction. Paul is interested in sports, arts, politics and history. He was editor of Aspects of Crime, a new online magazine/website dedicated to crime fact and fiction, presenter of SpyMasters and is now Fiction Editor at Spybrary.com Barry Forshaw is the editor of Crime Time, the Financial Time Crime Fiction Critic and the author of several books on crime fiction and film, including Crime Fiction: A Reader's Guide and American Noir. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

2. 

   17 Sept 2026

   No. 1 St James Court Alan Judd

   Alan Judd talks to SpyMasters about his new spy thriller No. 1 St James Park, John le Carré, W Somerset Maugham, Mansfield Cumming, Christopher Marlowe, Jane Archer and women spies of WWI. No. 1 St James Park: At the height of the First World War, Emily Grey finds herself far away from the action, collating Swiss rubber imports in a hut in the middle of St James’ Park. Summoned to MI6’s Whitehall headquarters, Emily learns that her talent for languages is needed elsewhere and she is despatched to Bern to debrief Fritz the Ritz, an agent reporting on the wartime activities of German industry. However, when she discovers that Fritz the Ritz may not be all he claims to be, she is led to the door of an import-export dealership in Lausanne and the unassuming couple who run it. Could they really be at the heart of a network that threatens the lives of millions of Allied soldiers? And, if they are, can Emily, and her ever-eager partner Nigel Nisbet, stop them before they go too far? With a matchless flair for historical accuracy, psychological acuity and breathtaking adventure, Judd’s latest historical thriller demonstrates once again that he is one of the finest spy novelists writing today and that this series of novels about the origin of MI6 bears comparison with John Le Carre, Patrick O’Brien and Joseph Conrad. Alan Judd is the author of the Charles Thoroughgood series, The Kaiser's Last Kiss, A Fine Madness and his latest series featuring Emily Grey. Recommended Elizabeth Howard The Cazalets, Robert Galbraith, Displacement: Zweig, Roth and Banjamin. Paul Burke is the editor of Aspects of Crime. His first book Spies on Screen will be published on 20 October. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

3. 

   4 Sept 2026

   THE BRITISH AGENT by SIMON CONWAY

   Simon Conway talks to SpyMasters about The British Agent, Afghanistan, conspiracy, Chuff, bomb disposal, US politics... THE BRITISH AGENT: A SPY ALONE. AN ENEMY WITHIN. A veteran American spymaster weaving an elaborate web. A politician who makes a high-stakes promise he can’t keep. A clutch of sophisticated air defence missiles stolen in Ukraine. A terrorist cell with plans to commit an outrage in the US capital. And, at the centre of it all, a British agent, operating alone and undercover, on a desperate, globe-trotting mission to prevent catastrophe. She cannot fail . . . Recommends: EJ SWIFT When There Are Wolves Again Mention Michael Idov Collaborators, James Wolff Spies and Other Gods. Paul Burke is Editor of Aspects of Crime. His first book Spies on Screen will be published later this year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

10 ratings

Spotify

4.3 / 5

7 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 54 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

80

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

68

Contact SpyMasters

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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