The agent, the spy, and the master of lies

“Blunt wasn’t the least of the Cambridge spies - he was the most dangerous of them all.”This week on The Write Club, Mary and Beth go behind the curtain of the ‘Great Game’ with literary agent and author Piers Blofeld.Piers is a staple of the publishing industry and a beloved columnist for Writing Magazine, but his latest venture has taken him into the dark, dusty archives of MI5. His debut book, Master of Lies, shatters the official narrative of Anthony Blunt, revealing a triple-cross reality where intelligence reached the desks of Hitler, Stalin, and Churchill simultaneously.In this episode, we discuss:* How to write rigorous non-fiction that reads like a high-stakes thriller.* The specific files that proved the official history of the Cambridge Spies was a fabrication.* Piers switches hats to tell us exactly what agents are looking for in the 2026 market.* How to approach an agent, what defines a perfect author-client relationship, and the common mistakes to avoid in your query letter.Give the episode a listen, and check out Piers’ new non-fiction book here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit writersonline.substack.com/subscribe