His first novel, Citizen Orlov, was named a Book of the Month by Apple Books. It won the 2024 IBPA Silver Medal for Mystery/Thriller
and the 2024 IPPY Bronze Medal for Suspense/Thriller.
Payne previously worked in national security for the British government.
He holds a Master of Arts degree in Novel Writing from Middlesex University, London.
Payne's new novel is Hotel Melikov.
[Q&A with Jonathan Payne]
At CrimeReads the author tagged six favorite espionage novels with charmingly clueless protagonists, including:
Chris Pavone, The TravelersRead about another title on the list.
Will Rhodes is a travel writer and a recently-married New Yorker with financial troubles who jets around the world writing articles about hotels and wine for ‘Travelers’ magazine. After a tryst with an Australian woman in Argentina, he is surprised to be propositioned by the CIA. Like James Wormold and Harry Pendel, Rhodes needs the money, so agrees to provide information about the rich and powerful folks he meets on his travels.
But soon Rhodes begins to suspect that the CIA is actually interested in information about something else. If so, what? And then he begins to suspect that the CIA officers who recruited him might be imposters. If so, who are they? This one has more twists than a plate of rotini.
The Page 69 Test: The Travelers.
--Marshal Zeringue
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