David Goodman on Solitary Agents, Spy Fiction and Writing Through Rejection

David Goodman, author of the acclaimed spy thriller series starting with *A Reluctant Spy*, reveals how he transformed rejection into resilience, writing his way through years of silence and near-misses to find success. His latest novel, *Solitary Agents*, isn't just a spy story—it’s a meditation on identity, belonging, and the terrifying ambiguity of reality, inspired by real-life events like the 7-7 London bombings and Stanislav Petrov’s near-nuclear decision. What makes Goodman’s work stand out isn’t just the plot, but the emotional truth behind it: he channels his own feelings of being an outsider—whether in elite London circles or at a military selection event—into characters like Jamie Tulloch, a reluctant spy who craves purpose. The book’s core tension—knowing whether a crisis is real or a drill—mirrors the anxiety of modern life, where signals are blurred and trust is fragile. Goodman’s journey from unpublished writer to award-winning author, fueled by a promise to himself to write regardless of acclaim, is as compelling as any of his novels. And with a science fiction novel under his real name, David W. Goodman, on the horizon, he’s proving that persistence isn’t just about finishing one book—it’s about building a career across genres, one disciplined gap at a time.