Skip to content

A Reluctant Spy - The Paperback

The paperback edition of 'A Reluctant Spy', coming on the 5th of June.

Published by David Goodman in A Reluctant Spy Share

It is 99 days until the paperback edition of A RELUCTANT SPY comes out in the UK, so it's a very good day to show you the new cover that Headline have commissioned for this edition! Here it is full size:

The paperback cover of 'A Reluctant Spy', featuring two figures framed by Tower Bridge in London.

It's a departure from the hardback cover, though it does also feature two shadowy figures, and there's some other subtle callbacks like the stone paving pattern. I also love the super punchy lime green we've chosen - that's going to stick out on the shelf. Thank you to cover designer Phil Beresford for this amazing piece of work.

I'm so delighted that Headline decided to have a new cover made (it's not a given), not least because it allows us to highlight some of the amazing reviews we got for the hardback.

I'm also generally a paperback reader, and always have been. Before I became published (and made lots of author friends), I would buy maybe one or two hardbacks a year. I buy more now (to support my friends) but I still really prefer the size and feel of a paperback book in the hand. I will admit when I got the proof of the full paperback wrap (including the back cover copy and my own face) I did choke up a bit because, to me, that's the thing I think of as a book, out in the world, in a bigger way. I love B-format British paperbacks deeply and I can't wait to have one of my own.

Check out my links page for pre-order links for the paperback, available from all major retailers. It comes out on the 5th of June in the UK.

Become a member for much, much more

  • Access to exclusive short fiction
    Read short SF and espionage fiction only available to members
  • Weekly, fortnightly and monthly posts
    Behind-the-scenes sneak peeks, craft, publishing, events and essays
  • Subscriber benefits, calls and meetups
    Bookplates, signed first editions, quarterly Zooms and more
  • Full archive access with more on the way
    Access everything, with regular new subscriber benefits and content
Personal information