NPR's Book of the Day
Episode: William Boyd’s 'The Predicament' is a spy thriller with a conspiratorial edge
Host: Scott Simon (NPR)
Guest: William Boyd
Date: December 17, 2025
Episode Overview
This episode centers on William Boyd’s new spy thriller, The Predicament, the second novel in his Gabriel Dax trilogy. Set during the Cold War, the book blends espionage with real-world conspiracy, speculating on the JFK assassination. Boyd joins Scott Simon to discuss his reluctant but talented protagonist, the tangled world of 1960s spies, the enduring allure of British espionage stories, and his own experiences and convictions about conspiracy theories.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Meet Gabriel Dax: Spy or Writer?
- Who is Gabriel Dax?
- Cold War-era travel writer who is also a British secret agent, with the added layer of accepting cash from the KGB—approved by his MI6 superiors to deepen his cover. (01:17)
- “He’s discovered he's actually quite good at the job… but he’s constantly moaning about how it’s taking him away from his real life as a writer. But he’s getting in deeper and deeper.”
— William Boyd, 02:16
2. Double-Dealings and Faith Green’s Influence
- Taking KGB Money (With a Wink)
- Gabriel is urged by his handler, Faith Green, to spend his KGB money lavishly to solidify his cover. This leads to amusing questions about the logistics, like tax filings. (02:37)
- Complex Relationship with Handler
- There’s a professional and emotional entanglement between Gabriel and Faith Green. Boyd describes Gabriel as smitten, with Faith using this to her advantage, blurring lines and eroding trust.
- “There is an emotional dimension… she rather exploits that, though I think she also enjoys the dalliance… Gabriel’s life can be described as a persistent erosion of trust.”
— William Boyd, 03:24
- “There is an emotional dimension… she rather exploits that, though I think she also enjoys the dalliance… Gabriel’s life can be described as a persistent erosion of trust.”
- There’s a professional and emotional entanglement between Gabriel and Faith Green. Boyd describes Gabriel as smitten, with Faith using this to her advantage, blurring lines and eroding trust.
3. A Deadly Errand in Guatemala
- A Setup, Not a Simple Meeting
- Gabriel is manipulated into tracking down Padre Thiago, a politically important figure, under the guise of an interview, but is really being used as bait to expose the priest’s location.
- “He thinks he’s going to interview Padre Thiago, but in fact, there’s a far more nefarious objective underway and it has a bad outcome.”
— William Boyd, 04:14
- “He thinks he’s going to interview Padre Thiago, but in fact, there’s a far more nefarious objective underway and it has a bad outcome.”
- Gabriel is manipulated into tracking down Padre Thiago, a politically important figure, under the guise of an interview, but is really being used as bait to expose the priest’s location.
4. Conspiracy, History, and the JFK Assassination
- Boyd’s Chosen Theory
- Boyd openly states he is a conspiracy theorist regarding the JFK assassination, favoring a narrative involving rogue CIA elements and Mafia connections, especially after the Bay of Pigs debacle.
- “My theory… is that there were rogue elements of the CIA, discontented operatives, particularly after the Bay of Pigs fiasco… I take these elements that are there as potential explanations and stitched them together to make, in my opinion, quite a convincing conspiracy.”
— William Boyd, 04:57
- “My theory… is that there were rogue elements of the CIA, discontented operatives, particularly after the Bay of Pigs fiasco… I take these elements that are there as potential explanations and stitched them together to make, in my opinion, quite a convincing conspiracy.”
- Boyd openly states he is a conspiracy theorist regarding the JFK assassination, favoring a narrative involving rogue CIA elements and Mafia connections, especially after the Bay of Pigs debacle.
- Fact Meets Fiction
- Boyd insists his goal is to infuse fiction with so much historical authenticity that readers question what’s real.
- “I want the worlds of my novels, which are fictional, to be as authentic and as plausible as possible… I like that doubt to be implanted in the reader’s mind.”
— William Boyd, 05:59
- “I want the worlds of my novels, which are fictional, to be as authentic and as plausible as possible… I like that doubt to be implanted in the reader’s mind.”
- Boyd insists his goal is to infuse fiction with so much historical authenticity that readers question what’s real.
5. 1960s Setting: Personal and Literary Resonance
- Revisiting His Own Youth
- The novel draws on Boyd’s own teenage memories of the 1960s, from geopolitical events to cultural details, enhancing the realism of the era.
- “When I talk about the clothes people wore, the drinks they drank, the meals they ate, I’m tapping into my own memories of that period… it’s a perfect time to set a spy novel, because the Cold War was at its height.”
— William Boyd, 06:32
- “When I talk about the clothes people wore, the drinks they drank, the meals they ate, I’m tapping into my own memories of that period… it’s a perfect time to set a spy novel, because the Cold War was at its height.”
- The novel draws on Boyd’s own teenage memories of the 1960s, from geopolitical events to cultural details, enhancing the realism of the era.
6. Why Are British Spies So Alluring?
- Beyond Bond: The Fascination with Betrayal
- Addressing British spy stereotypes, Boyd distinguishes playful 007 escapism from the deeper, darker reality: Britain’s infamous history of high-level traitors.
- “My theory is that one of the few things we British are good at is betraying our country… the obsession with spying and spy novels is to do with this notion… we had so many traitors at the heart of our establishment, and they were well-educated, middle class, privileged people.”
— William Boyd, 07:48
- “My theory is that one of the few things we British are good at is betraying our country… the obsession with spying and spy novels is to do with this notion… we had so many traitors at the heart of our establishment, and they were well-educated, middle class, privileged people.”
- Highlights real-life parallels: e.g., the Cambridge Five and Kim Philby.
- “I think that’s where, if you like, the suavity comes in… privileged people who intellectually decide to work for the Russians, and that’s an abiding fascination. I don’t think anybody has fully explained why these men… were traitors.”
— William Boyd, 08:04
- “I think that’s where, if you like, the suavity comes in… privileged people who intellectually decide to work for the Russians, and that’s an abiding fascination. I don’t think anybody has fully explained why these men… were traitors.”
- Addressing British spy stereotypes, Boyd distinguishes playful 007 escapism from the deeper, darker reality: Britain’s infamous history of high-level traitors.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
“He’s discovered he's actually quite good at the job… but he’s constantly moaning about how it’s taking him away from his real life as a writer.”
— William Boyd, 02:16 -
“There is an emotional dimension [with his handler]… she rather exploits that, though I think she also enjoys the dalliance… Gabriel’s life can be described as a persistent erosion of trust.”
— William Boyd, 03:24 -
“He thinks he’s going to interview Padre Thiago, but in fact, there’s a far more nefarious objective underway and it has a bad outcome.”
— William Boyd, 04:14 -
“My theory… is that there were rogue elements of the CIA, discontented operatives, particularly after the Bay of Pigs fiasco… And stitched them together to make… quite a convincing conspiracy about how JFK was assassinated.”
— William Boyd, 04:57 -
“I want the worlds of my novels, which are fictional, to be as authentic and as plausible as possible… I like that doubt to be implanted in the reader’s mind.”
— William Boyd, 05:59 -
“One of the few things we British are good at is betraying our country… the fact that we had so many traitors at the heart of our establishment, and they were well-educated, middle class, privileged people…”
— William Boyd, 07:48
Timeline of Important Segments
- 00:02 — Episode and guest introduction
- 01:17 — Scott Simon summarizes The Predicament and introduces Gabriel Dax
- 02:10 — Gabriel’s new identity as a spy
- 02:37 — Discussion of the KGB payments and handler Faith Green
- 03:12 — The nature of Gabriel and Faith’s ambiguous relationship
- 03:57 — The Guatemala mission and its real purpose
- 04:46 — Espionage, JFK assassination theories, Boyd’s narrative
- 05:59 — Mixing historical fact with fiction
- 06:32 — Personal ties to the 1960s era
- 07:19 — The myth and psychology of the British spy
- 08:02 — British history of high-level traitors
- 09:00 — Episode wrap-up
Tone and Style
The conversation is thoughtful, witty, and tinged with British irony. Both host and guest bring a sense of literary playfulness, with Boyd embracing historical ambiguity and relishing the “conspiratorial edge” that pulses at the heart of spy fiction.
Summary:
The Predicament offers not only a classic spy tale but also a meditation on trust, historical memory, and the slipperiness of truth. William Boyd uses both personal recollection and public intrigue to craft a thriller that asks the reader: What lies beneath the stories nations tell themselves and one another?