Jack Carr's Cry Havoc — Did This Le Carré Fan Finish It?
Release Date: 05/05/2026
Jack Carr's Cry Havoc — Did This Le Carré Fan Finish It?
Spybrary Spy Podcast
I'm Shane Whaley — a self-confessed "guile over guns" spy fiction reader who has always preferred le Carré's slow burn spy novels to military firefights. So what happens when a Le Carré fan picks up Jack Carr's Cry Havoc, a 550-page Vietnam War action thriller written by a former Navy SEAL? Welcome to the Spybrary Rodeo — the brand new Spybrary feature where I pick up a book outside my comfort zone, or by a new-to-me author, give it a fair crack, and tell you exactly how many pages I stayed on for. Sometimes I bail early. Sometimes I go all the way to the final page. Today's book is...
info_outline
The Dark Truth About the Cambridge Five | Stalin’s Apostles with Antonia Senior
Spybrary Spy Podcast
If you think you already know the Cambridge Five story, think again. In this episode of Spybrary, Shane Whaley is joined by journalist and author Antonia Senior to discuss her powerful new book, — a major re-examination of Kim Philby, Donald Maclean, Guy Burgess, Anthony Blunt and John Cairncross. But this is not the familiar story of clubland betrayal, old boys’ networks. ping gins and establishment embarrassment. Instead, Antonia asks a darker and more important question: what did Stalin actually want from his greatest spies and what was the human cost? From Poland, the Baltics,...
info_outline
She Judges Crime Fiction’s Biggest Prizes — Here Are Her 5 Favourite Spy Books!
Spybrary Spy Podcast
One of crime fiction's most trusted voices reveals her 5 best spy novels. In our latest Spybrary Dead Drop Five series, crime fiction critic makes a passionate case for each one — and her picks may surprise you. Welcome back to the Dead Drop 5 series! In this episode, Spybrary host Shane Whaley is joined by Ayo Onatade — one of the most respected voices in crime and thriller fiction. Ayo is a critic, commentator, and moderator who has written extensively on crime and thriller fiction, contributed to major reference works on British and American crime writing, and...
info_outline
'He Gave Me Information About Spying That Frightened The Life Out of Me!' (and inspired The New Spy)
Spybrary Spy Podcast
Guest host Matthew Hurst sits down with author to explore his debut spy thriller . Dylan shares his unconventional journey from global advertising creative to full-time novelist, revealing how real-world research, including chilling conversations with a mysterious source known only as “Mr. Pickles” shaped the authenticity of his espionage writing. The conversation dives deep into modern intelligence warfare, particularly the concept of “chaos warfare,” where the goal is not conquest but destabilisation. Dylan explains how this evolving geopolitical reality inspired the novel’s...
info_outline
Remembering Len Deighton: The Outsider Who Revolutionised Spy Fiction
Spybrary Spy Podcast
We share the sad news that renowned spy novelist Len Deighton has passed away at 97. We pay tribute to his incredible work, discussing why he was considered the greatest spy novelist and his impact on cold war espionage. His contributions to the spy thriller genre remembered. Len Deighton didn’t just write spy novels… he changed the genre. In this episode, we take a step back and reflect on the life, legacy, and impact of one of the true giants of espionage fiction. From The IPCRESS File through to the Bernard Samson/Berlin Game series, Deighton gave us something very...
info_outline
He Wrote Spy Game. Now He’s Written an Epic CIA Saga | Michael Frost Beckner
Spybrary Spy Podcast
What happens when a legendary screenwriter turns decades of espionage ideas into an epic literary spy saga? On this episode of the Spybrary podcast, joins to unpack , the Spy Game universe, CIA family legacies, his influences, moral ambiguity, and the hidden machinery of intelligence. A must-listen/watch for serious spy fiction fans. Join the Spybrary Community: If you enjoyed today's episode - please can you give us a rating and review? This helps us spread the word to bring more spy readers in from the cold.
info_outline
Former Spy Turned Novelist: James Wolff on Spies and Other Gods with Tim Shipman
Spybrary Spy Podcast
Tim Shipman sits down with thriller author who worked as a British intelligence officer for over ten years. They unpack his latest spy novel Spies and Other Gods. Wolff shares how a single line in a UK parliamentary oversight report (the Intelligence and Security Committee) sparked the novel’s core idea. An anonymous whistleblower sends British Intelligence into a frenzy, threatening to reveal secrets that could bring the establishment to its knees. Wolff also reveals why it took government censors 16 months to approve his book—and shares some of the truly absurd references they...
info_outline
Fleming’s Final Bond Stories: Octopussy, Living Daylights & The Spy Boom Of 1966
Spybrary Spy Podcast
Spybrary’s James Bond Book Club jumps back to 1966 to discuss Ian Fleming’s final book of 007 short stories—Octopussy and The Living Daylights. The episode closes with a forward-looking discussion: spy fiction is exploding, and Fleming’s legacy may be less about continuation novels and more about how he opened the floodgates for Len Deighton, John le Carré, Modesty Blaise, Quiller, and the entire “spy mania” era—on page and screen.
info_outline
Everybody Wants to Rule the World: 1980s Nostalgia & Cold War Espionage with Ace Atkins
Spybrary Spy Podcast
In this thriller author interview, Spywrite's sits down with Ace Atkins to dive deep into his nostalgic Cold War spy novel — a thrilling, 80s-set espionage adventure that blends suburban coming-of-age storytelling with high-stakes KGB intrigue. Support Spybrary on Patreon - Atkins shares how discovering Ian Fleming as a teenager transformed him into a lifelong spy fiction obsessive, eventually shaping his career as a bestselling author. The conversation explores the real-life espionage inspirations behind the novel, including infamous traitors Aldrich Ames, as well as the bizarre and...
info_outline
Inside The Cormorant Hunt with Michael Idov (Spoiler Free)
Spybrary Spy Podcast
Bryan Boling sits down for a spoiler-free chat with novelist , diving into , the standalone sequel to his acclaimed spy thriller . Idov discusses the challenge of writing a compelling antagonist in Felix Burnham—a fusion of Jordan Peterson and Andrew Tate who pushes protagonist Ari Falk to his limits. They explore how real-world extremism, post-COVID paranoia, and disinformation influence modern spy fiction, and why setting stories in overlooked global locales adds authenticity. From the Reichsbürger to action-packed drone chases in Georgia (the country), Idov breaks down how topical...
info_outline I'm Shane Whaley — a self-confessed "guile over guns" spy fiction reader who has always preferred le Carré's slow burn spy novels to military firefights.
So what happens when a Le Carré fan picks up Jack Carr's Cry Havoc, a 550-page Vietnam War action thriller written by a former Navy SEAL?
Welcome to the Spybrary Rodeo — the brand new Spybrary feature where I pick up a book outside my comfort zone, or by a new-to-me author, give it a fair crack, and tell you exactly how many pages I stayed on for.
Sometimes I bail early.
Sometimes I go all the way to the final page.
Today's book is Cry Havoc by Jack Carr. 550 pages. Lots of guns. Not my usual territory. Did I finish it? Keep listening to find out.
In this episode:
What the Spybrary Rodeo is and how it works
The secret MACV-SOG unit running deniable missions in Vietnam in 1968
Why Cry Havoc is NOT your typical action thriller
The speech that stopped me cold
The spy fiction ingredients hidden inside this action thriller — GRU, moles, honey traps and the USS Pueblo The brilliant le Carré and Fleming passage that tells you everything about Jack Carr as a writer
The literary rabbit hole that sent me straight to Jean Lartéguy's The Centurions
My honest verdict
Books mentioned: Cry Havoc — Jack Carr https://geni.us/UMYz The Quiet American — Graham Greene The Tears of Autumn — Charles McCarry The Honourable Schoolboy — John le Carré The Centurions — Jean Lartéguy - https://geni.us/pzrFcJ
Suggest my next Rodeo read: 👉 Join the Spybrary community: https://www.spybrary.com/community 👉 Find me on X: @Spybrary - https://x.com/spybrary 👉 Full show notes: https://www.spybrary.com/298
If you're a spy fiction fan who has been avoiding Jack Carr because you thought he was too kinetic — start here. This is the episode that might just change your mind. Don't forget to subscribe for more Spybrary Rodeo episodes, Dead Drop Five conversations, and the best spy fiction and espionage history content on the internet.