88° North (Nadia Laksheva Spy Thriller Series, Book 3) by J F Kirwan | Blog Tour Guest Post (@kirwanjf @rararesources) #88DegreesNorth #SpyThriller

Published by HQ Digital

Available in ebook (14 December 2017)

384 pages

|   About the Book  |

The deadliest kind of assassin is one who is already dying…

As the radiation poisoning that Nadia Laksheva was exposed to in Chernobyl takes hold of her body, she knows she has mere weeks to live. But Salamander, the terrorist who murdered her father and sister has a deadly new plan to ‘make the sky bleed’. Nadia is determined to stop him again, even if it is the last thing she ever does.

The only clue she has are the coordinates 88˚ North, a ridge in the Arctic right above one of the largest oil fields in the world, three thousand metres below the ice. If Salamander takes hold of the oil field, he could change the climate of the whole planet for generations to come…

But can Nadia stop him before her own time runs out?

The gripping third and final novel in J.F. Kirwan’s brilliant spy thriller series. Perfect for fans of Charles Cumming, Mark Dawson and Adam Brookes.

Welcome to my turn on the final day of the blog tour for 88 Degrees North with a guest post. My thanks to J F Kirwan and Rachel’s Random Resources.

Researching a hidden world

by JF Kirwan

By definition, it’s not always easy to find out how the world of espionage works, so how does a writer create it? At least one reviewer of my Nadia Laksheva spy series believes I may actually be a spy (former, she hopes). So, here are some tricks of the trade (writing, not espionage).

Before getting started, it has to be said that most people are not spies either, so won’t know if what I write is realistic or not. However, those people do have an idea, whether from the papers, movies, or documentaries. Usually the world of espionage stays where it belongs –out of sight and below our radar. But sometimes it peaks above, such as the current affair of the poisoning of an ex-Russian agent, which almost feels too James Bond to be reality. Most of the time, a reader’s judgement works, so they can tell when spy fiction doesn’t ring true.

So, first thing I focus on is the trappings – cloth maketh the man (or woman), you might say. In 88 North, Nadia is working sometimes against, and sometimes with, Russian spy-masters in the military. So I had to research everything from military uniforms and insignia of various ranks from General downwards, depending on which service (army, navy, air force, special forces like Spetsnaz) they belonged to. In37 Hours there is a dashing submarine captain complete with polar neck sweater, long leather coat and ushanka hat – all black of course –but his insignia is not standard, marking him out as a maverick even inside the Russian military machine. Nadia’s own father was in Spetsnaz, so she knows these things.

Next is hardware. You only need to mention Smith & Wesson to identify a Bond book or movie. Russian hardware is more complex, because you have to get the era right, as some is out of date, some old but still in use, due to many political upheavals. Nadia’s occasional sparring partner through much of 37 Hours and 88 North is called the Colonel, and he carries an old-style pistol that used to only belong to high ranking generals, as was his father.

Hardware extends to larger items such as submarines helicopters and fighter jets, and in the case of 88 North, knowing their range and plotting how far they could intercept another aircraft they were chasing outside Russian airspace. In 37 Hours I had to do a lot of research on the Russian sub in question, and ended up contacting a friend who used to work in the defense sector to try to get some inside information.

Then there is the spy playbook. This is key. What tactics do spies use? Because there is a code. Killing someone may be an objective, but the how and the where matter. Gunning someone down in broad daylight may work in some countries, but not on the streets of Moscow, for example. And these days there is an increasing need for deniability, so contractors are used more and more, people who can be cut loose at any time. Having spies go ‘off-book’ is also a well-used play, and happens in 88 North when one of Nadia’s few remaining allies, Greaves, goes off-book for her, knowing that if he is caught, the British government will deny he was working for them, and hang him out to dry.

So, where do we research the spy playbook? To be honest, most of it comes from other fiction and historical accounts. As a writer, It is necessary to soak up the genre. But history can lead to useful details. Towards the end of 88 North, Nadia goes to meet with one of the ‘Marshalls’, the few key men, usually retired generals, who pull the strings of the official Russian machinery.

Last there is the culture. I only decided to write the series after I was in close contact with some Russians whilst on holiday. Overall I find Russian culture, and their people fascinating, and there is a moving scene in 88 North where Nadia is driven through the streets of Moscow, and she knows she will never see them again, and is so proud of her people (though not its political leaders). Now, I don’t know how much I should say, but I began to realise that at least two of the people I met were, let me say, connected. This type of research is the hardest, to meet the real people and look them in the eye. They are usually not larger than life, and look ordinary, and yet are not.

Last there is the tech, the gadgets we sometimes like to see in spy books and movies. I’ve worked in very technological domains such as nuclear and aviation, and so am aware of the latest tech from drones and remote aircraft, to advanced lie detection using psycho-physiological measures. Actually, I’ve used such measures, but that’s another story. Maybe that reviewer was right after all…

|   Author Bio   |

J. F. Kirwan is the author of the Nadia Laksheva thriller series for HarperCollins. Having worked in accident investigation and prevention in nuclear, offshore oil and gas and aviation sectors, he uses his experience of how accidents initially build slowly, then race towards a climax, to plot his novels. An instructor in both scuba diving and martial arts, he travels extensively all over the world, and loves to set his novels in exotic locations. He is also an insomniac who writes in the dead of night. His favourite authors include Lee Child, David Baldacci and Andy McNab.

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