Thriller author Simon Conway blends real-world security fears into new novel
Simon Conway discusses how his latest book, The British Agent, was inspired by witnessing Marine One and a downed Russian helicopter in Ukraine.
During a conversation for Washington Secrets, author Simon Conway explained that a sighting of Marine One from his Georgetown balcony sparked the idea of exploring how exposed a head of state can be while airborne. A subsequent assignment with the Halo Trust in Ukraine exposed him to a downed Russian KA-52 helicopter taken out by a British-made Starstreak missile, raising the question of what would happen if such weapons were stolen.
These incidents inspired The British Agent, in which a female SAS technical expert named Chuff is sent to verify that Starstreak systems remain secure, only to discover three have vanished. The plot follows the missiles across multiple continents before they reach a MAGA militia in Florida seeking revenge over the 2020 election. Conway drew on online forums and consulted a journalist at one outlet to portray the militia authentically. The novel, published by Penguin, uses Washington’s hidden pathways as a backdrop for its climactic third act.
Why it matters
The book highlights genuine worries about advanced weapons falling into extremist hands and the challenges of protecting leaders.
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