Published 9th July 2026 by Aria.
From the cover of the book:
One mission. One fake husband. One very real problem.
Maggie Flynn has finally earned her place at of MI5-but with promotion comes paperwork. No more disguises, no more danger, just meetings, memos, and the quiet realisation that life feels a little too safe.
With her daughter away at university and her spirited mother pursuing her own adventures, Maggie's days in London are starting to feel decidedly ordinary. So when the chance arises to return to the field, she doesn't hesitate.
The assignment: fly to Budapest and pose as the wife of a notorious British defector in order to smuggle him back to the UK. It should be a straightforward operation. But Maggie Flynn has never done straightforward-and what's waiting in Budapest is anything but routine.
As Cold War tensions simmer and shadows linger on every corner, Maggie finds herself navigating a city steeped in secrets-and drawn to a mysterious stranger who may endanger the mission… or steal her heart.
***********
Three years after Maggie and her fellow band of Watchers foiled a conspiracy at the heart of MI5, she has earned herself a place at Headquarters, something very rare for a woman. Her new role means lots of boring desk work, although the odd escapade minding intoxicated defectors still keeps things uncomfortably interesting. Now Maggie's daughter Libby is leaving for college, and with her mother Gilda off enjoying retirement in sunny climes in the company of Frank, she is feeling a bit rudderless.
Then, Maggie is offered her first mission in the field. The job involves flying behind the Iron Curtain to Budapest, where she must extract a former double agent who wants to return to the MI5 fold. It seems a straightforward operation, but once Maggie is on the ground, she realises this will be anything but simple...
Maggie Flynn is back in her second glorious adventure (I highly recommend reading the excellent first book, Mrs Spy, before embarking on this one)! Three years after her promotion, Maggie is stuck in a rut, feeling a bit lonely, and ready for something new. The chance to flex her spy credentials catches her off-guard, but reassured she can do this by the sage words of Queen Bea Baglan, the formidable guardian of MI5's repository of files (hello again, Bea!), she accepts.
Of course, there is a reason why this mission is off the books, and when Maggie realises getting the alcoholic Fitzroy Carver back to the West is going to be very problematic indeed, she is forced to think on her now thankfully bunion-free feet - with occasional input in her head from former fellow Watcher Frank, and her late husband, secret spy Davy, who provide professional advice in absentia - all while avoiding the attentions of the KGB and AVH.
Along the way, Maggie makes new friends amongst the locals chaffing under Soviet control after the brutal Hungarian Revolution - enter stage right the ebullient Zoltan and his brother Janos, and long-suffering Lida who looks after Fitz. She is also manoeuvred into asking for help from handsome rival Tom Bredon, who makes her feel things she has not felt in years, even if she cannot really trust him.
The Mrs Spy books are one of the best things to happen to the espionage genre for a very long time, bursting with character-led lusciousness. Robotham's writing sparkles with wit, humour, and all the spy shenanigans you could possibly desire. The atmosphere thrums with authentic Cold War vibes, and the carefully-crafted tension keeps you teetering on a knife-edge. I also love that this is set in beautiful Budapest, the city of spies.
Picking up the delicious themes about social change, the role of women in the secret services, and finger-pointing in the wake of double agent scandals that work so well in the first book, Robotham develops them nicely to further explore betrayal, intrigue and sexism, while also getting into the nitty-gritty of the rivalry between MI5 and MI6. And looking at everything through the eyes of, the so relatable and eminently resourceful, forty-eight year old Maggie makes this an absolute joy to consume.
I adored it from start to finish, and cannot wait for Mrs Spy book three!
The Spy and the Snake is available to buy now in hardcover, ebook and audio formats.
Thank you to Aria for sending me a proof of this book.
About the author:
M.J. Robotham saw herself as an aspiring author from childhood, but was waylaid by journalism, birth, children and life. After twenty years as a midwife and a Creative Writing MA, she is a full-time author, writing historical fiction as Mandy Robotham. She lives in Gloucestershire with her partner.
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