All Episodes

August 28, 2025 39 mins

Shane Whaley and author I.S. Berry (The Peacock and the Sparrow) welcome spy thriller author Dan Fesperman to talk about his latest novel, Pariah.

What happens when a disgraced stand-up comedian becomes a CIA asset in a fictional Eastern European country? Listen/Watch On.

Topics covered include:

  • The real-world politics that inspired Pariah
  • How cancel culture shapes protagonist Hal Knight
  • Building a believable fictional Eastern/Central European setting (Bolrovia!)
  • Why did Dan Fesperman choose to create a fictional country rather than base Pariah in a real country?
  • Humour in serious spy fiction
  • Do spy novels need to have a geopolitical canvas?
  • Food in spy novels. Chimney cake anyone?
  • Why Dan Fesperman’s audiobook producer stopped him from singing one of the songs referenced in Pariah.

Dan Fesperman also reveals that his next novel will feature Winter Work’s Emil Grimm; he also shares his thoughts on what makes a spy novel and the guests give a shoutout to the unsung real-life spies.

Dan Fesperman's Pariah is perfect for fans of le Carré, McCloskey, Paul Vidich and for readers craving spy fiction with depth, nuance and laughs.

Grab your copy of Pariah now and join the conversation in t

Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark

My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark

My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.

24/7 News: The Latest

24/7 News: The Latest

The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.

Dateline NBC

Dateline NBC

Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.