Publisher's Synopsis
License to Spill: The Chaotic Files of Agent Penny P.
A comedy spy thriller by Geoffrey Zachary
Meet Agent Penny P., MI6's most unintentional weapon.
She wasn't supposed to be recruited. Her clearance was revoked before it was ever granted. She can't fire a gun without apologizing to it. But when a paperwork mix-up accidentally reinstates her, Penny stumbles-heels first-into a world of international espionage, exploding gadgets, rogue corgis, and high society sabotage.
And somehow... she's very, very good at it. Or very, very lucky. Or both.
From gala infiltrations gone wrong to royal conspiracies involving weaponized tea, License to Spill is a riotous, genre-smashing spy thriller that dares to ask: What if Britain's last line of defense was a chaotic do-gooder with a talent for survival and a complete disregard for the manual?
Across six outrageous acts, Penny faces off against Sasha Volkov-an opera-obsessed villain with a dental modeling contract-and a revolving door of double agents, malfunctioning gadgets, seductive interrogations, and MI51/2's dismal coffee machine. She'll dodge bullets, crash weddings, and go undercover as herself (badly), all while unraveling a conspiracy that could turn the United Kingdom into a performance art dictatorship.
And that's before she accidentally becomes Prime Minister.
Written with razor-sharp wit, relentless pace, and an irreverent love for spy tropes, License to Spill is a laugh-out-loud parody with the polish of a thriller. Penny's world is one where villains deliver monologues via karaoke, secret messages are hidden in scones, and corgis are trained for reconnaissance-but the stakes are real, and the satire is sharp.
In this explosive debut novel:
- Chapter 1 opens with Penny being fired. Chapter 2 triggers a diplomatic crisis via filing cabinet.
- She interrogates suspects who give her dating advice, joins a villain's fan club by accident, and defeats enemies using nothing but a tea tray and sarcasm.
- The Queen weighs in. A goat is knighted. MI6 begs her to retire. She writes a memoir instead.
- And through it all, Penny spills everything: secrets, tea, and sometimes herself.
For fans of Killing Eve, The Spy Who Dumped Me, Austin Powers, and Fleabag, this is the spy novel you didn't know you needed: female-led, fearless, fabulously British, and completely off the rails.
Caution: Reading may result in sudden outbursts of laughter, an irrational fear of moles (the animal kind), and a desire to spike the office eggnog.
Unfold a razor-sharp debut that rewires the espionage genre with wit, heart, and the most absurdly competent chaos you'll ever cheer for. Agent Penny P. is not a perfect spy. But she is, without a doubt, the one you'll never forget.
