Thriller author Oliver Dowson joins me today to chat about his novel of espionage, The Repurposed Spy.
Bio:
Oliver Dowson was born in Lowestoft, England. After studying mathematics, statistics and computer science at university, he spent a long career building a multi-national business from scratch, exploiting his love of foreign travel, cultures, languages and food. He has visited more than 140 countries for business and pleasure – and tries to add at least another new one every year!
Oliver is no stranger to writing, having been editor of both Imperial College and University of London Union newspapers in his youth, and writing many articles throughout his business career. Trapped by the pandemic, he wrote his first book, a travelogue “There’s No Business Like International Business”, published in 2022 to critical acclaim. Now, Oliver has now turned to fiction. “The Repurposed Spy” was published in March 2023, and the sequel, intended to be the second in the series, “Spies on Safari”, is expected in October. Oliver is also a podcast host and mentors and supports several new young ambitious entrepreneurs. When he’s not away adding new experiences further afield, he lives in North London and Oviedo Spain.
Welcome, Oliver. Please tell us about your current release.
Spy thrillers may not be your usual choice for a book – but Ronald Jones, the anti-hero in Oliver Dowson’s book The Repurposed Spy, is not your usual spy. He doesn’t work for MI5, SIS or the KGB. He’s not quite sure who he is working for. Indeed, he never wanted to be a spy – or did he? But a spy he becomes, sent by a shady organisation on a madcap trip around South America to elicit trade and government secrets. Set just before the pandemic, in 2019, this thriller with its gripping plot and double-twisted climax will satisfy not only fans of Mick Herron, Oliver Harris and John Le Carré, but any reader who enjoys an intelligently-written and entertaining adventure story.
Full of tension, dark humour, and an intelligent and twisty plot, this is modern spy fiction at its most entertaining.
The Repurposed Spy is the first of a series. The sequel, Spies on Safari, will be published later in 2023.
What inspired you to write this book?
I wrote my first book, a travelogue (“There’s No Business Like International Business”) during the lockdown period of the pandemic, really just to entertain myself. Friends encouraged me to publish it, which I did, and I was very pleasantly surprised by the reaction and sales. Several people asked “when are you going to write a novel, then?” – so I did. When I started, I had no preconceived plan. The plot only came to me after writing the third chapter!
The espionage element of the book is different to most spy thrillers, which relate to the CIA, KGB, SIS or other government agencies. My book (and the future series) are about industrial espionage, arguably a far bigger current danger – and something that I know something about. I like to locate the action in places that I know (a benefit of all my international travel over the years), so The Repurposed Spy’s mission revolves around several cities and countries in Latin America. My next, “Spies on Safari”, is largely based in Africa. I like to weave in my love of good food too!
What exciting project are you working on next?
I’ve almost finished the first draft of “Spies on Safari”, and if there are no major delays in editing, hope to publish it in October 2023. Some reviewers have said that the ending of The Repurposed Spy means there can be no sequel – but they’re wrong! The cast of characters is expanded, and set off in search of illicit and competitive (and unlikely!) business operations in the wilds of Botswana and Namibia. An interwoven plot brings an alternative conclusion to The Repurposed Spy, and the stories join together.
I’ve also started plotting book three. No working title as yet, but this one will be set primarily in Myanmar (Burma).
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
Arguably I could claim “when I was a teenager” as I edited the school magazine and then went on to become the editor and principal contributor of London University’s Imperial College and central Union newspapers for a year. I continued to write articles after that, but mostly related to my business life. My first book was written in 2020-2021, and published early in 2022.
Do you write full-time? If so, what’s your workday like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I’m not a full time writer – for me, it’s a pleasurable hobby. But my computer is always switched on, and I carry my laptop when I travel, and when inspiration strikes I race to the keyboard to get it written down. Some days I’ll write for four or five hours, other days nothing – I’m not someone who can sit idly staring at a screen and hoping for inspiration.
I love to travel, and now I no longer have business as an excuse just do it for pleasure. In the last year I’ve been to Botswana, Kenya, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Dominican Republic, Senegal and Ireland as well as my “home” destinations of London and Oviedo in Northern Spain. I do a lot of cooking – not good enough for Masterchef, but I think it’s imaginative.
I also still find time to provide some pro-bono mentoring to young minority-owned entrepreneurial businesses that I admire.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
Oooh, my American customers used to call me the “quirky Brit”. I’m not sure what writing quirks are, but something I do that other indie authors seem to find odd is that I write bits of action as bullet points, then go back and fill in the gaps. So, if you like, I start with the synopsis, perhaps 2000 words, then expand it to 90,000.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A world traveller. Always a traveller. My sisters remember me playing at “Olly’s Tours” when I was just 5.
Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
All my international travel taught me that almost everyone in the world is good and we can all learn from each other. So I love to share in others’ joys and tribulations, even just as an observer, so I encourage anyone to join my mailing list and follow me on social media. I love getting emails and DMs, and always reply personally.