James Naughtie

James Naughtie on The Spy Across the Water

James Naughtie is one of the most treasured BBC broadcasters. The Spy Across the Water is the third instalment in his brilliant spy series, woven around three brothers bound together forever through espionage.

We live with our history, but it can kill us.

Faces from the past appear from nowhere at a family funeral, and Will Flemyng, spy-turned-ambassador, is drawn into twin mysteries that threaten everything he holds dear. From Washington, he's pitched back into the Troubles in Northern Ireland and an explosive secret hidden deep in the most dangerous but fulfilling friendship he has known. And while he confronts shadowy adversaries in American streets, and looks for solace at home in the Scottish Highlands, he discovers that his government's most precious Cold War agent is in mortal danger and needs his help to survive.

In an electric story of courage and betrayal, Flemyng learns the truth that his life has left him a man with many friends, but still alone.

James Naughtie is a special correspondent for BBC News, for which he has reported from around the world. He presented the Today Programme on BBC Radio 4 for 21 years and is an award-winning journalist. This his third novel; his most recent work of non-fiction is an account of five decades of travel and work in the United States - On the Road: American Adventures from Nixon to Trump.