Maggie ‘Magpie’ Flynn is a Watcher. On the lower rungs of the British security services, she dashes around 1960s London completing small acts of surveillance. She’s good at it and loves the creativity, camaraderie and freedom the job brings to her life. Living with her exuberant mother Gilda and Beatles-mad teenage daughter Libby, Maggie still grieves her husband Davy who has died three years ago in what seem to be increasingly suspicious circumstances. ‘Mrs Spy’ is a highly enjoyable read. We see Maggie pursue her quest for the truth of Davy’s death with the support of her friends Frank and Vivien, Yuri a Russian defector and Bea, a fierce MI5 administrator. It’s pacy and warm and would make a fabulous TV series.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy.

Maggie is a spy. Not your glamorous James Bond type of spy, but a Watcher. The lowest of the low in MI5 circles, she stalks the street of London in a series of disguises trailing foreign agents and home-grown suspects. She lives with her mother and teenaged daughter in Highgate and spends her days in and around Soho. Then everything changes. Accidentally (or is it?) she discovers that her late husband had been more of a spy than she had known, and that causes her to go off on a quest to uncover an establishment secret.

I thoroughly enjoyed Maggie's story, although I felt I was holding in tension a glorious spy romp and a serious expose of the murkiness of the secret services. There was never any doubt in my mind that all would end up happily ever after, but I loved the journey there.

I loved everything about this book including the cover! I’m a big fan of spy fiction and M J Robotham’s novel is an excellent example of the genre with a cast of very likeable characters.
Maggie Flynn is a widow who lives with her mother and teenage daughter in 1960s London.Her late husband, Davy, died in mysterious circumstances and only after many enquiries does Maggie discover he was a spy. Keen to have a better career than that of store detective she persuades his former employers to take her on as a watcher, the lowest echelon of spy. She is tasked with tailing various suspect people and occasionally babysitting defectors.
When she inadvertently discovers that Davy was probably murdered by colleagues within the service, Maggie sets out to investigate with the help of Frank, a retired Detective who also works as a watcher.
This is a classic espionage novel set in the perfect Cold War time period. There are lots of twists and turns as Maggie gradually pieces together her husband’s last moments. She is a great hero, brave and fearless but with all the worries of a middle aged single parent including trying to source Beatles tickets for her daughter, Libby.
I raced through the book, thoroughly enjoying every minute and when I got to the end I thought to myself that I’d love to see another outing for Maggie Flynn!
Note to the author- I grew up in the 60s and 70s and also enjoyed the spy programmes on tv mentioned in the end note, even telling one of my teachers I wanted to be a secret agent like “Avenger” Emma Peel when I grew up!! Thanks for writing such a wonderful book taking me back to my childhood.
Definitely a recommended read worth every one of the five stars given.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance copy.

Despite a rather poor title, I enjoyed reading Mrs Spy especially the period in which it was set. The widowed Maggie Flynn now treads in her husband's footsteps but as a lowly Watcher within MI5. One day she hears his words but spoken by a defector and it piques her interest. Upon further investigation she starts to learn of her dead husband's secret life which leads her to Slad and the Woolpack Inn (Laurie Lee territory). This was a welcome excursion as I am a fan of Laurie but sadly at a nearby country house, Maggie stumbles across something which questions her allegiance to her masters. It is at this point in the story I think the author watched too much John Steed and Emma Peel in her youth because it started to slip in to fantasy. However, if one puts that aside, the overall novel is rather fun.

Mrs Spy M J Robotham due for publication 15 May 2025

Set in the 60's when spycraft was an essential in daily life Maggie Flynn a housewife whose husband dies for his country joins the service as a "watcher". There she joins forces with Frank to find out how, why and who killed her husband. With an obsessive Beatle fan daughter and a psychedelic mother Maggie takes us on a hair raising journey to outflank the secret service. London in the 1960's comes to life and Maggie is a likeable relatable heroine bunion and all.

A really enjoyable read, well written with a good nail biting plot,

I do hope Maggie goes on to have further adventures.

Thank you to Netgalley for a preview copy.

Great fun and a cracking tale to boot. Maggie becomes a spy after her husband dies and it becomes apparent that he wasn’t what he said he was. She makes a good spy - observant, resourceful, able to adapt - and when she uncovers some very shady and shocking stuff, her moral compass kicks in. But one thing she never uses -hurrah- is sex. So refreshing. Love the sense of swinging sixties London, Carnaby Street and The Beatles.

A very different spy thriller
I've read books about spies Al my life. The first with a female lead was Modesty Blaise back in the 1960s. Maggie Flynn is very different to her, even though this book is set in the samedecade.
Middle-aged widow Maggie lives with her teenage daughter and her mother, who is somewhat eccentric. She works as a Watcher for the security service. She stumbles across a Russian defector who knew her husband, and that prompts her to investigate what really led up to his death. The plot moves on quickly from there through several tri ky situations to a tense conclusion.
I loved the character of Maggie, her family, and the colleagues who help in her quest, all at no small risk to themselves. The book is anice easy read, yet highlights the ills of the British Establishment of the day.
This book worked very well for me and at two levels.Mandy Robotham has come up with a cast of believable people in a sharply written story. In addition, it was great to remember going to a Beatles concert and visiting Carnaby Street, the King's Road, and even Biba in the 60s.
Thank you, Mandy, for a book I enjoyed and can thoroughly recommend.

What an interesting book! I was rooting for Maggie and her bunion to outwit the bad guys and more importantly, would she procure the Beatles tickets?
I enjoyed reading about spies in the mid 1960’s and I feel that a good amount of research was done to make sure that this story is authentic.

When your husband is killed in a car accident your grief is enormous but things don't add up. Discounting the possibility that he was having an affair leads to the truth about his job.
Refusing to bow down to Whitehall and MI5, nets Maggie a job. A change from store detective to watcher. The lowest level spy but still interesting and full of characters.
Uncovering more information about her husband's death leads Maggie and her co workers to unearth unpleasant plans.
A tale of betrayal and arrogance at the top levels. A classic spy novel. Will good triumph over evil?

Highly entertaining, funny and charming but while not a typical spy story the references to how the world was in the 1960s kept the story not too far away from reality. A great read.
My thanks to NetGalley and Aria & Aries for this arc in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Just loved this book. Easily read it during a quiet Sunday as it had me amused, involved and thoroughly transported back to the London of 1965.

Character driven, it is ultimately about the role of women in this MI5 and one person in particular, Maggie Flynn.

Forced to work to support her daughter her background leads her into the bottom echelons of the secret service. It seems she and her colleagues work on the bottom rung within MI5, as “watchers” but although they must display spy-craft they should never think they are spies.

Maggie’s husband was a spy but he concealed his involvement and role from his family throughout his life and elements only came to light when he sadly lost his life during an assignment.

The crux of the book is a desire to learn more about his role as an intelligence officer that leads Maggie to be suspicious about his work in his final weeks. This uncovers a conspiracy that may have ultimately cost him his life.

Brilliant locations and name dropping from the time; with a soundtrack of 60’s music and a catwalk of London fashion. The novel oozes style and conveys the changing atmosphere of the time. The story builds well, through the repetitive work of a dedicated watcher, where we see traits within Maggie that will enable her to confront the establishment.

I loved the many references to Maggie’s people skills, honed as a store detective; the ability to read people and judge criminal intent against social necessity. I really felt invested in her character, her integrity and desire to do right by others. With self-deprecating wit, a troublesome bunion and middle aged athleticism she retains the heart of a lion, Bond’s guile and the ingenuity of a Bourne.

An unusual but compelling spy thriller; with a convincing mystery that conveys intrigue and action to the end.

Mrs Spy was something of a slow starter for me, and I wasn’t sure where it was going. From the blurb I’d imagined Swinging Sixties, glamorous and frothy – it was actually much deeper and darker than that, and the story soon pulled me in.
I don’t think I’ve read anything quite like it, which is a good thing! It had flawed, believable characters – I loved sidekick Frank, and the heroine Maggie Flynn, on a mission to uncover the truth about her dead husband and the secret he’d stumbled upon.
There was a mystery and tension at the heart of Mrs Spy, and the threads all came together beautifully at the end. This was proper storytelling, unfurling and unhurried.
Thank you to Aria and NetGalley for the review copy.

Mrs Spy by Mandy Robotham is a spy/espionage novel but different in so many ways. It is set in the 1960 in a women’s eyes of Maggie Flynn.
Maggie Flynn is not a typical mum in the 1960’s. When her husband died, and she finds out that he was an MI5 agent in the time of the cold war. She decides to become a MI5 watcher herself with her partner Frank. A watcher is an agent who watchers and observes Russian agents and gathers the information back to MI5. But at the same time, she wants to find out what her husband was killed.
She is also a mother who has a daughter that is obsessed with The Beatles, who wants her mother’s influences to find tickets to the upcoming Beatles concert.
Mrs Spy a great read with a different aspect of a spy/ espionage thriller. This is full of action, and I love the character of Maggie Fllyn and her exploits. It is not a serious as others. The story has some humour in it too. This would make a great series and I hope to there is more of Maggie Flynn to come.

Mrs Spy is a gripping and atmospheric espionage thriller set in 1960s London, bringing a refreshing twist to the genre with its unforgettable protagonist, Maggie Flynn. Widowed and raising a Beatles-mad teenage daughter, Maggie is not your typical spy, but her work for MI5 gives her both purpose and a link to her late husband, whose own covert past was only revealed after his death.

When a chance encounter with a Russian agent suggests that her husband is not who she believed him to be, Maggie is thrown into a world of secrets, betrayals and deadly consequences. As she searches for the truth, she must rely on her intelligence, instinct and sheer determination to survive in a game where trust is a dangerous illusion.

M J Robotham masterfully captures the intrigue and tension of Cold War espionage, weaving a story that is both thrilling and emotionally compelling. Maggie is a fantastic lead—sharp, resourceful and defying expectations at every turn. It is refreshing to see a middle-aged woman at the heart of a spy thriller, proving that courage and wit are just as important as brute force.

With its richly drawn setting, complex twists and a heroine you cannot help but root for, Mrs Spy is a must-read for fans of historical thrillers. I would happily read more books featuring Maggie Flynn and hope this is just the beginning of her adventures.

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A new take on the spy story - the first I’ve read that I could describe as Cosy Espionage. An entertaining group of characters and a lovely thread of humour running through.

A spy thriller set in 1960s London and follows Mags, a watcher for MI5 and widow of one of its operatives. The novel captures the atmosphere of the not so swinging Sixties and the gloom of the Cold War. I liked the characters and the fast paced narrative.

Loved Maggie. Tenacious, loyal, resourceful. Everything you would expect from a MI5 operative. Parts reminded me of Slow Horses, the department and jobs she was assigned to. I found it a really great read.

Let me start by confessing I got this book thinking it was a Michael Robotham novel only to discover it was actually a Mandy Robotham thriller. Thankfully the book turned out to be a very enjoyable read. This is a gripping historical fiction thriller that has an unconventional take of an espionage novel. Set in 1960’s London and features Maggie Flynn a covert operative for MI5 who multitasks between the demands of her spy career as well as raising a rebellious teenage daughter. .

Maggie’s life takes a disturbing turn when a Russian agent reveals he knew her late husband. Maggie had always believed her husband was a journalist so the insinuation at a betrayal from within sends shock waves. As Maggie investigates she realises that the enemies she faces may be a lot closer than she thought.

This is a fast paced novel that is well written and has some excellent characters. A book I never planned to read but would really enjoy it if there was a follow up story.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Aria and Aries for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Spy stories aren't usually my thing, but a middle-aged, single-mum spy? In 1960s London? With humour and sass and secrets? Yes, I'm sold!

Thanks to Aria and NetGalley for my review copy. Opinions are entirely my own.

Maggie Flynn isn't your regular spy - she's a 45-year old mum to a sassy teenage daughter (so far, so relatable!). She's also taken on a role with MI5 as one of their Watchers, the lowest rung of espionage, as she is tasked with following suspicious characters as she sports a range of disguises (although being a middle-aged/older woman renders her practically invisible....of course). She's working to support her mother and daughter, the latter of whom has expensive requirements for concert tickets (the Beatles in Maggie's case, Sabrina Carpenter in mine...still pretty relatable). When Maggie meets a captive Russian agent, she starts to uncover the secrets of her dead husband's spying career - and even bigger secrets that put her in extreme danger.

I really enjoyed this peek into 1960s London - there's lots of historical and cultural references, even though Maggie sometimes has curiously modern sensibilities. I also loved that the pace was fast - the later stages of the novel in particular are exciting as Maggie races through London to do what's right. And Maggie herself is a joy - she's tough, brave and wonderfully funny.

Overall, this is a fun and lively novel and one I'd recommend - you'll love Maggie, be caught up in her chaotic life and absolutely root for her to triumph. The only thing I don't love is the title of the book - it sounds far too cutesy and cosy for such a strong character!

Maggie Flynn is 45 and working as a 'Watcher' for MI5, who were her late husband's employer, she is fairly happy with life until the day she is sent to babysit a Russian defector. A chance conversation makes her think that he knew her late husband, was his death really an accident or was he killed deliberately?

Aided by Frank, a colleague and former police officer, she hunts for the truth. A thrilling read.