002: Talking Spy Fiction with Spy Author Jeffrey Westhoff : Spybrary

Spybrary – Spy Podcast

Episode 002 – Spybrary Spy Podcast host Shane Whaley talks to author Jeffrey Westhoff about his teenage spy novel The Boy Who Knew Too Much.

If you are not into teenage spy books this podcast episode is worth a listen as Jeffrey is a spy geek and shares with us the authors and works that influence him.

Jeffrey who has worked as a film critic and journalist also shares with us his experience of meeting and/or interviewing 5 actors who played James Bond 007!

Raymond Benson who was the official author of James Bond books from 1997 -2003 wrote this review of Westhoff's The Boy Who Knew Too Much:

This fabulous Young Adult novel mixes a Hitchcockian “man on the run across country” plot with Bond-like spy stuff, and it brilliantly succeeds. I'm convinced that Jeffrey Westhoff should perhaps write the “Young Bond” novels! For a debut novel, “The Boy Who Knew Too Much” is extraordinary. It moves at a brisk pace, it's got a great teenage character at its helm (and great female foil), and a twisty plot. The bad guys are all adults, of course, which sometimes makes for uncomfortable moments when they've got our hero in their clutches, but I guess that's par for the course with Young Bond, too. That aside, the book is suspenseful and a lot of fun, and perfectly fine reading for adults as well as “young” adults.

Spybrary Spy Podcast Host Shane also shares some exciting recent news for fans of John Le Carre.

The master of spy fiction will be making a rare appearance in London this autumn to talk about his new book Legacy of Spies and the life and times of George Smiley.

Shane is hoping to fly over to London for the event if he can get a ticket and who knows maybe organise a Spybrary meetup beforehand.

John Le Carre to make rare public appearance to discuss new novel

Jeffrey talks about the authors that inspired him to write, one of them is Adam Hall who wrote the Quiller series. (If you are a Quiller fan – get in touch as we would love to talk more about these books on Spybrary Spy Podcast.)