CrimeReads runs James Wolff on why espionage novels misfire when they mimic tidy cop procedurals - real intelligence work is ambiguous, overclassified, and often ethically ugly.
He ties literary craft to institutional reality: prosecutors, handlers, and political pressure don't line up for a third-act confession. For thriller writers aiming at le Carré weight rather than Bond spectacle, the essay is a craft-and-research checklist in essay clothing.
(Shortened and summarised to avoid devaluing the source)