David McCloskey's latest novel, "London Station," delves into a speculative future where a "Trump-like" U.S. president seeks to redefine the special relationship between the United States and Britain, using a fictionalized version of the Daily Mail newspaper to drive much of the plot.
The novel, published on Thursday, centers on President John Wood, who views British intelligence services as "pickpockets" trading on past glory. In an effort to rebalance the power dynamic, Wood replaces the experienced CIA chief with Bobby Jerome, the founder of a large home-building company, who lacks any prior intelligence or national security experience. Jerome, in turn, appoints his son-in-law, Harry Kellman, as director of operations with a mandate to ensure the agency is getting value for its international partnerships.
Transatlantic Tensions
Kellman's tenure begins with a sharp cutback in support to Britain's Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), a decision that has dire consequences during a critical operation to extract an asset from Tehran. This immediate friction sets the stage for a conflict between the two allied spy agencies.
The fallout from this rift is amplified when the Daily Mail publishes a headline: "CIA leaves MI6 agent to die in Iran." This leak, originating from a source close to the head of MI6 or a senior Whitehall figure, significantly impacts CIA Chief of Station Artemis Procter, who has recently returned to duty after a period of leave. Procter, described as a "vodka-swilling hard-ass" in previous novels but abstaining from alcohol in this installment, is now addicted to energy drinks and candy, and keeps a shotgun in her office.
McCloskey, a former CIA analyst, stated that the Daily Mail plays a significant role in "London Station," serving as the outlet for information that fuels a major subplot. "The fallout from this Daily Mail piece really drives almost the entirety of the action," he explained, noting that it prompts the CIA director to take "wild and kinetic" retaliatory actions.
Blurring Fiction and Reality
The novel's premise draws parallels to contemporary political discourse. McCloskey highlighted that shortly after completing the manuscript, Donald Trump appointed Bill Pulte, an heir to a home-building fortune, as acting director of National Intelligence, a move that echoed the fictional appointment of Bobby Jerome.
McCloskey, who spent years as a CIA analyst in the Middle East, infuses his fiction with authentic details of espionage craft, contrasting with common portrayals of the spy world. He suggests that the reality of espionage, with its day-to-day operations, bears little resemblance to the popularized image of the "superhero spy."
Procter, a compact CIA station chief, has appeared in three of McCloskey's four previous novels, becoming a distinctive character in spy fiction. Her fluency in Russian and profane English, combined with her no-nonsense demeanor, forms the core of McCloskey's appeal, blending his firsthand experience with a novelist's narrative skill.