My Life In Words

Esher author Merle Nygate writes espionage thrillers that will keep you in suspense.

Spy thrillers are a far cry from the Narnia books Merle enjoyed at a young age and a world away from the time travel novel she penned as a teenager. However, her love of writing led to a successful and varied career as a screenwriter and script editor before she took a sidestep and returned to her first love of writing fiction.

It wasn’t until an incident involving the arrest of a local drug dealer emerged that she was inspired to write crime fiction and her Darkbridge series. With the backdrop of leafy Surrey, the characters in these psychological suspense stories seem ordinary on the surface but they all have a dark side, which was a concept Merle decided to explore.

‘The idea that you see one thing when something more sinister is going on fascinates me’

As an avid fan of Len Deighton and John Le Carré novels, the stories focusing on the relationships of spies and the human cost of spying, with all the geo-political intrigue, were an area that also interested Merle. So, she jumped at the opportunity to take an MA degree course in crime fiction at the University of East Anglia.

While immersed in the course and doing a deep dive into the various sub-genres of crime writing, the idea for Merle’s first spy novel, The Righteous Spy, was conceived. It’s a gripping story that introduces her character Eli Amiram who is Mossad’s star spy. The plot required extensive research including a trip to Israel although Merle admits that initially she knew little about her chosen subject. However, delving into the CIA website revealed a host of intelligence resources and reference books for inspiration.

‘The third book was the most difficult’

‘I’m always fearful before I begin my books’ says Merle ‘but as the story takes shape it’s thrilling.’ Published in 2018 this first espionage book won her an award. Reviews were full of praise which happily led to Merle being commissioned to write her follow up books, Honour Among Spies and The Protocols of Spying.

‘The third book was the most difficult’ says Merle, as it deals with the aftermath of the Hamas atrocities of October 7th 2023 ‘but it would have been cowardly to leave my characters in fictive limbo‘, she says. In fact, she has become quite fond of her protagonist Eli Amiram. Initially he’s a bit of a stuffed shirt but by the end of the trilogy he has changed and become more spontaneous.

‘I really like him; he’s a great guy and a good spy – tough and endearing describes him perfectly.’

Merle ventures to her office quite early in the day. It’s a well organised space with her curved screen computer taking centre stage, and on the back of the door is her detailed plot planner which she constantly updates. Aiming to write around 1,000 words a day Merle is currently writing her next novel which promises to be equally thrilling, but when the flow of words becomes a trickle, she calls for her rescue dog Rufus and sets out for her own adventure in peaceful Surrey.

Janet Donin