SpyMasters

What happens when a secret police force writes its own novels?

In this episode of Spymasters, Antonia Senior is joined by academic and KGB expert Filip Kovacevic to explore the hidden world of Soviet spy fiction—and the extraordinary role it played inside the KGB itself. Drawing on his book KGB Literati, Kovacevic reveals how intelligence officers, counter-spies, and veterans of state security became novelists, producing stories designed to shape public opinion, recruit future officers, and redefine the image of the KGB within Soviet society.

From the early post-war novels of Roman Kim to the officially sanctioned Chekist Stories series produced by the KGB Press Bureau, the conversation uncovers how fiction became a tool of counterintelligence, psychological influence, and regime legitimacy. We also examine why Western intelligence analysts paid close attention to these books, how they influenced a young Vladimir Putin, and why the tradition continues today under the FSB and SVR.

A deep dive into propaganda, imagination, and power—and a reminder that in espionage, stories can be as important as secrets.

Find the book: https://amzn.eu/d/fRVZgoI

Find Filip on X: @chekistmonitor

on the web: thechekistmonitor.blogspot.com

on substack: https://kgbstack.substack.com/
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This special crossover episode brings together espionage and crime fans for a fast-paced round-table on our Books of the Year 2025.

Antonia Senior (Spymasters) is joined by:


Paul Burke – host of Aspects of Crime


Mark Ellis – bestselling author of the Frank Merlin series


Thomas Waugh – author of Endgame

Together we unpack the best in spy fiction, crime writing, historical thrillers and intelligence non-fiction—from World War II espionage and Cold War intrigue to the new era of China-focused spy thrillers.

Books discussed include:


The Darkest Winter by Carlo Lucarelli


Appointment in Paris by Jane Thynne


The Second Traitor by Alex Gerlis


The Peak by Sam Guthrie


Shadow of a Queen by Peter Tonkin


The Predicament by William Boyd


Smoke and Embers by John Lawton


The Poet’s Game by Paul Vidich


Clown Town by Mick Herron


The Revolutionists by Jason Burke


Man of Bones by Ben Creed


The Spy in the Archives by Gordon Corera

Expect passionate debate, insider recommendations, Cold War gossip, a very loud puppy, and a surprising amount of Noel Coward.

Perfect listening for fans of John le Carré, Mick Herron, Len Deighton, Helen Fry, and anyone hunting for genuinely brilliant new espionage reads.

🎙️ Spymasters x Aspects of Crime – Books of the Year 2025
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Former diplomat and political insider Sam Guthrie joins Antonia Senior to talk about Chinese espionage, industrial spying and his debut Hong Kong–set thriller, The Peak. Blending politics, business and spycraft, the novel follows an unreliable narrator, a dangerous love triangle and a single act of compromise that changes everything.

Sam and Antonia dig into how modern China, ASIO-style counterintelligence, and the clash between national security and trade shaped the book. They explore honey traps, business delegations gone wrong, and why ordinary executives—not just spooks—are now targets for Chinese intelligence and industrial espionage.

The conversation ranges from Australia–China relations and foreign interference laws to AI, quantum computing and the future of great-power competition. Along the way, they discuss the human side of spying: flawed characters, loyalty, guilt, and how a 1990s mixtape becomes both a love letter and a vehicle for secret messages.

In this episode:


Chinese espionage, industrial spying and national security


Hong Kong, Australia and the new front line of geopolitics


Compromise, honey traps and how people get turned


Writing flawed, unlikeable but compelling characters


China’s rise, Western naivety and what might come next

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In this lively literary conversation, Antonia Senior and Paul Burke explore the fascinating world of spy and crime fiction — from the golden age of classic espionage novels to the digital dilemmas of modern spy thrillers. As Paul launches Aspects of Crime, a new magazine, and a platform for authors and readers, they discuss how technology reshapes the genre, why characters like Charlie Muffin and Frederick Forsythe still resonate, and how emerging writers are redefining the moral and political edges of spy literature today.

Expect deep dives into literary influences, lesser-known espionage gems, and the enduring tension between secrecy, betrayal, and morality that defines the best spy stories. Whether you love Le Carré, Deighton, Fleming, or new voices in espionage fiction, this episode offers both nostalgia and discovery for fans of intelligent thrillers.

🎙️ Key themes: spy fiction, crime fiction, book recommendations, espionage, modern literature, classic novels, emerging writers, book reviews, literary discussion

spy fiction podcast, crime fiction podcast, espionage literature, classic spy novels, modern spy thrillers, book review podcast, literary podcast, authors interview, Aspects of Crime, Charlie Muffin, Philip Marlowe, spy books, thriller writers, book discussion

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In this episode, Antonia Senior speaks with journalist and author Jason Burke about The Revolutionists, and the extraordinary true story of Gunnar Ekberg — the Swedish spy who infiltrated radical left-wing movements in Europe during the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Ekberg witnessed first-hand a moment of enormous ideological energy: when secular, nationalist and progressive revolutionary groups believed they were the vanguard of global change. Embedded inside these movements, he saw their organising, their fervour, their drift toward violence — and ultimately, their decline.

But Ekberg’s story also marks the hinge-point in modern terrorism. As the decade unfolded, the revolutionary energy that once drove secular movements shifted dramatically. Islamism emerged as the dominant revolutionary force in the Middle East, while Western Europe’s security focus transformed as left-wing groups faded and jihadist networks rose.

Through Ekberg’s eyes — and Burke’s deep analysis — this conversation explores how ideology, violence and global power structures evolved, and why that shift still shapes the world we live in today. terror history, Gunnar Ekberg, Jason Burke, The Revolutionists, 1970s radicalism, secular nationalism, Islamism, hijackings, European terrorism, Middle East extremism, podcast interview, history of terrorism.If you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe, rate us, and check the links below for Jason Burke’s book.


UK: https://amzn.eu/d/4R5tIYd


UK Independent Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-revolutionists-the-story-of-the-extremists-who-hijacked-the-1970s-jason-burke/1c42ef7f8d866dbe?ean=9781847926067&next=t

https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-revolutionists-the-story-of-the-extremists-who-hijacked-the-1970s-jason-burke/1c42ef7f8d866dbe?ean=9781847926067&next=t
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