I love Ben MacIntyre’s books, in particular Double Cross, which told of the spies involved in tricking the Germans into believing that the Allies would attack Calais and Norway, instead of Normandy.
I’m also a big fan of Jack Higgins, especially the early books. He’s a master at making the reader feel sympathetic to his baddies, who aren’t really bad at all, just fighting on ‘the wrong side’ of the war, which makes for a much more interesting read.
16. Do you have any advice for new writers working on novels set in the past?
Do your research. It’s a pet peeve of mine when I pick up a book and read about characters that don’t act believably within the confines of the period, where the story doesn’t align with the history. There will probably be points where you consciously veer from fact, but that shouldn’t detract from the storyline.
17. What’s next on your to-be-read list?
JOSEPHINE: Singer, Dancer, Soldier, Spy by Eilidh McGinness.
It’s a biography of Josephine Baker, a black American-born entertainer, who was recruited by France’s Deuxième Bureau (military intelligence), to collect information on German troop locations from high-ranking officials. She used her work as an entertainer to carry information for transmission to England (written in invisible ink on her sheet music or hidden in her knickers). After the war, she was awarded the Croix de Guerre, the Rosette de la Résistance, and was made a Chevalier of the Légion d’honneur by General Charles de Gaulle.
While still in France in the ’50s, she became a civil rights activist, using her ever-growing platform to speak out against racism. In ’63, she spoke at the March on Washington – the only official female speaker – at the side of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr, and after his assassination was offered unofficial leadership of the movement by his widow. She declined.
Josephine Baker was a real-life action hero, and I’m really looking forward to learning more about her.
18. What’s the best piece of writing advice that you have been given?
The first piece of advice I ever got was ‘write about things you know’. That probably works for a lot of people, but I like to use my writing to tell a story while also learning about a place or a period in history.
The best advice I received, or rather the advice that worked best for me, was to ‘write the book you’d like to read’. The corollary to that is ‘listen to your agent and editor’, because they’ll definitely take your story to the next level!
19. Has there been any part of the publishing process that you found surprising?
I was initially surprised when I realised how long the publishing process takes. I’d signed with Bonnier Zaffre in August 2018, with City of Spies being published in September 2020, although when you break down all the steps along the way, it does make sense. And while patience is not really a Timon trait, the team are great to work with and the time has gone by very quickly!
20. Describe your next book in 15 words, or less!
Three female SOE agents work to destabilise German operations ahead of the Normandy landings.
About the Author
Mara Timon is a native New Yorker and self-proclaimed citizen of the world who began a love affair with London about 20 years ago. She started writing short stories as a teenager, and when a programme on the BBC caught her interest, she followed the “what ifs” until a novel began to appear. Mara lives in London and is working on her next book. She loves reading, writing, running, Pilates, red wine, and spending time with friends and family – not necessarily in that order.
First published in the UK in 2020 by Zaffre
This ebook edition published in 2020 by
ZAFFRE
An imprint of Bonnier Books UK
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Owned by Bonnier Books
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Copyright © Mara Timon, 2020
Cover photographs © Susan Fox/Trevillion Images (figures);
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The moral right of Mara Timon to be identified as Author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act, 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organisations, places and events are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN: 978–1–83877–071–6
Paperback ISBN: 978–1–83877–070–9
This ebook was produced by IDSUK (Data Connection) Ltd
Zaffre is an imprint of Bonnier Books UK
www.bonnierbooks.co.uk
