Mark Greaney gets gritty about what it takes to pen the perfect spy thriller
Fri Feb 06 2026
It's a rough business, from traveling the world scouting exotic locations to knowing the correct position of your trigger finger on your pistol to understanding how to clear a room in a hostage situation. And all of that comes before your fingers even hit the keyboard. Join State Secrets Podcast host Suzanne Kelly as she welcomes spy writer extraordinaire Mark Greaney to talk about his latest book, The Hard Line, what he learned from writing with Tom Clancy and what actually goes into writing a best-selling spy novel.
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It's a rough business, from traveling the world scouting exotic locations to knowing the correct position of your trigger finger on your pistol to understanding how to clear a room in a hostage situation. And all of that comes before your fingers even hit the keyboard. Join State Secrets Podcast host Suzanne Kelly as she welcomes spy writer extraordinaire Mark Greaney to talk about his latest book, The Hard Line, what he learned from writing with Tom Clancy and what actually goes into writing a best-selling spy novel.