In this episode of Spybrary, host Matthew Hurst talks with former lawyer turned author Robert B McCaw about his novel Traitors published by W. W. Norton.
What makes Traitors feel so convincingly real?
David McCloskey, former CIA analyst and author of The Persian
A propulsive, high-stakes thriller—Robert McCaw delivers a gripping tale of espionage, betrayal, and deception amid the race to expose Russian moles at the highest levels of the US government. Tense, timely, and full of international intrigue, Traitors will keep you on the edge of your seat. Highly recommended.
Author Robert B McCaw joins us to discuss Traitors, a geopolitical thriller shaped by his background in law, Washington and international affairs. He reveals how real-world stories involving Russia, Ukraine, Finland, nuclear weapons and ballistic submarines helped inspire the novel—and how his legal experience taught him to think about lies, interrogation and the search for truth.
McCaw also explains why he believes a thriller writer has to “play fair” with the reader: the clues should be there, the twists should feel earned, and even the most dramatic developments need to feel possible.
Along the way, we explore his unusual path to publication—from spending nearly 20 years on his first novel and self-publishing it, to a chance encounter on a Mediterranean cruise that led to a literary agent and, eventually, Traitors being published by W. W. Norton.
00:00 – Law, lies and interrogation
How Bob’s legal career shaped the way he writes investigators and suspects.
05:54 – How to build a satisfying thriller
Planting clues, creating twists and playing fair with the reader.
08:06 – The real-world inspiration behind Traitors
Russia, Ukraine, nuclear weapons and the geopolitical stories that fed the novel.
10:15 – Research, fact-checking and AI
How Bob finds the details that make fiction believable.
14:37 – From self-publishing to W. W. Norton
The unlikely journey that changed his writing career.
18:13 – Luck, persistence and publishing
Why chance encounters can sometimes change everything.
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Author Robert B McCaw
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