The Peacock and the Sparrow

"Nearly all the thriller awards have a category for debut novelists. This year’s clear winner—winning both an Edgar and an ITW award as well as appearing on numerous best-of-the-year lists in the UK—was The Peacock and the Sparrow by former CIA operative I.S. Berry. This is a classic spy novel, set in Bahrain during the Arab Spring. It was Shane Whaley of the Spybrary podcast who first alerted me to the book last year, pointing out that “it’s very reminiscent of Graham Greene’s The Quiet American , which she says is her favourite book. It’s different, but it’s definitely a love letter, an homage to that work.” As I read it, I occasionally had to remind myself that the main character was an American working for the CIA and not a debauched British journalist. What’s so valuable about a thriller like The Peacock and the Sparrow is that not only is it a good read, but it’s also a great way into the politics of the Middle East, including how that intersects with US foreign policy—a subject we probably should all know more about. December 7, 2024. Updated: June 11, 2025 Five Books aims to keep its book recommendations and interviews up to date. If you are the interviewee and would like to update your choice of books (or even just what you say about them) please email us at [email protected] Support Five Books Five Books interviews are expensive to produce. If you've enjoyed this interview, please support us by donating a small amount ."

"Which is a familiar trope! A lot of the spies in the realistic books are washed up, weary spies coming to the end of their tenure. The writing in this book has a lyrical quality. It’s very reminiscent of Graham Greene’s The Quiet American, which she says is her favourite book. It’s different, but it’s definitely a love letter, an homage to that work. IS Berry sets the scene with Shane Collins, who is a CIA operations officer on his final mission. I like the ethical dilemmas. He could just see his last mission out and go home, but things happen and he says, ‘No, I’m actually going to stand for something this time.’ Immediately — even though you might not think a great deal of this womanising, alcoholic spy — he does have these redeeming features that make you want to root for him. One of the reasons I love IS Berry’s work is the way she describes the lives of diplomats and being based overseas. There’s Rod Stewart music being played and karaoke, and it seems that everyone’s getting drunk all the time. It almost seems like a parody. She says, ‘No, that pretty much was my impression of expat diplomat life in some of the stations where I was based.’ As you mentioned, the book is set in Bahrain which is interesting because often spy books are set in places like Berlin or London. It’s a good depiction of Bahrain and its culture. She writes about the dividing line between the ruling class and the poverty that’s in Bahrain, not something we tend to think about a great deal. She is also able to weave in geopolitics, with the threat of Iran supporting a revolution in Bahrain against the ruling family. Who are the Americans backing? What’s actually happening with the terrorist cells? How serious are these terrorists in Bahrain (with her love of Graham Greene and Our Man in Havana , you also can’t help but wonder)? All this is set against the backdrop of the Arab Spring. There are a lot of threads that IS Berry weaves into the book. I think even people who aren’t into spy novels will enjoy this book because of the story. It’s not just about espionage, it’s about the human condition, set against a backdrop of political turmoil, and a journey of personal discovery by a flawed main protagonist. It is. Also — and I’m particularly thinking of Paul Vidich with Beirut Station , and David McCloskey’s Damascus Station — I always get very hungry reading these books. They’ll start describing Lebanese cuisine, and I’ll think, ‘Oh, I can’t get that around here! This sounds like it’d taste amazing.’ I think bringing in the exoticism of the location, rather than rainy Berlin, also adds a lot to these books."