The Repurposed Spy

A humourous and fast-paced novel of adventure and espionage

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Pub Date 23 Mar 2023 | Archive Date 27 Mar 2023

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Description

After a career in teaching, what Ronald Jones wants to do most with his retirement is travel. To get himself away from it all, relieve his chronic anxiety, calm his deep distrust of other people. Relax.

As a young man, with everything still in front of him, he had spent time in Brazil. Now, with it all behind him, he decides to go back. He has money, no ties, and nothing to stay at home for. It seems a simple plan, easily fulfilled. Arrange an itinerary, book a one-way ticket, lock up the house, get to the airport.

Then the enigmatic Mr Smith pays a call.

Catapulted into a new and very different existence, and with no apparent experience of this new world, Jones is way out of his depth, and in mortal danger. Moody men in suits, shape-shifting female agents, spooks and robotic controllers are suddenly his daily companions. Just how far do these people expect him to take things? And if he cooperates, will they ever bring him back from the edge?

Ronald Jones wanted to travel. He got far more than he had bargained for.

After a career in teaching, what Ronald Jones wants to do most with his retirement is travel. To get himself away from it all, relieve his chronic anxiety, calm his deep distrust of other people...


Advance Praise

"You become the mysterious reader of a thrilling narrative from a dazzling character - an allegory about what freedom actually means. You will need to read to the finish line to find out. Do not miss this new Dowson piece" JA

“I loved the book! I genuinely loved it. It's not at all I was expecting it to be - in a good way. It was filled with unpredictable twists, unforgettable characters, and an end that I didn't see coming but was totally satisfied with. Great book!” DR

“There is something Orwellian about this story - the central character, Ronald Jones, kept reminding me of Winston Smith in 1984, always looking over his shoulder. The author keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout, wondering what will next befall this hapless and apparently reluctant spy. It is an intriguing tale, narrated in a light, slightly whimsical style that constantly keeps you off guard. I rattled through Oliver Dowson’s debut novel at breakneck speed, anxious to get to the denouement. I wasn’t disappointed, and neither, I venture, will you." DJ

“The Repurposed Spy is a page turner. The novel grabbed my attention from the outset and retained my interest throughout. That’s the trademark of a good mystery thriller - it keeps you guessing throughout and looking forward to finding out more at the end. The twist at the end was really surprising! I did not see that coming, and I’m usually good at predicting the outcome.” BR

"You become the mysterious reader of a thrilling narrative from a dazzling character - an allegory about what freedom actually means. You will need to read to the finish line to find out. Do not miss...


Available Editions

ISBN 9781739298807
PRICE $4.99 (USD)
PAGES 274

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Average rating from 8 members


Featured Reviews

Somehow the author takes an incredible scenario and makes it credible. The story is written in such a way as to make me believe it was absolutely possible and I anxiously travelled along with the protagonist as he dealt with the unlikely hand dealt him. The author handles some difficult topics with sensitivity and it is nice to see anxiety being addressed openly as part of the protagonist’s life rather than in a tokenistic way,

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“I’d wanted to travel. I hadn’t envisaged doing so locked into a coffin, but variety is the spice of life, and one has to adapt to one’s surroundings”

Ronald Jones has had a long career in teaching, and now he can’t wait to retire, with travel high on his agenda. In particular he’d like to return to Brazil where he’d spent some time as a student many years ago. However, his plans are upended when he’s offered work which makes use of his language skills, but he’s thrown into a world of espionage, and he has no idea who he’s working for or indeed why. All he wanted was a simple holiday in Brazil, but instead he finds himself in serious danger.

What a thoroughly enjoyable read this was. I doubt you’ll have read a spy story quite like this one, and even though the storyline might appear a little bit incredible at times, it pulled me in to the extent that every time I put it down I couldn’t wait to get right back to it. Definitely recommended!

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This is a spy thriller with a difference- I’m a big fan of this genre but I’ve never read anything quite like this. It’s a great story which held my attention from the very first page and kept me guessing right to the very last! Definitely a fun read!
Ronald Jones is a teacher of Modern Languages - Spanish and Portuguese- working in a secondary school in Slough. He lives alone and seems to be completely anti social, avoiding human contact as much as possible- somewhat surprising in a school teacher but maybe he finds children easier to cope with than adults.
Having worked hard all his life he decides to retire, take his pension and travel the world. However he gets more than he bargained for when he is approached by the mysterious Mr Smith who wants him to do a bit of translating whilst visiting South America in exchange for his travel costs. Jones thinks it sounds pretty harmless and accepts the offer.
The book is told in the form of a diary written by Jones and his travels turn into something more than a post retirement adventure when he ends up in some pretty difficult situations and held hostage by some very shady characters. Jones was a very entertaining protagonist who narrated the story in a laconic and humorous manner which had me chuckling out loud in places!
On the more serious side the book portrayed social anxiety in a sympathetic way as Jones navigated his way across South America, forced to communicate with others in order to survive his ordeal.
This is a real ripping yarn with much humour and a fair amount of action. It is a fast paced read which I thoroughly enjoyed and which I highly recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for my advance copy.

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