B.W. Leavitt’s How to Train a Spy, published by Callaghan Publications on May 14, 2025, throws readers straight into the heart of modern espionage and doesn’t let go. This isn’t the world of suave tuxedos and shaken martinis. It’s a gritty, down-to-earth take on how an ordinary man can be broken down and rebuilt into something far more dangerous.
At its core, the story follows Brian Lewis, a retired Army Sergeant who’s trying to settle into a quiet life as a Corrections Officer. But everything changes one night when two government agents show up at his workplace with an offer he can’t refuse, and probably wouldn’t survive refusing. Brian is swept into a covert program that requires him to completely vanish from his old life, leaving his wife and children behind.
The book doesn’t just provide readers with action sequences; it pulls them into Brian’s head as he grapples with the enormity of what he’s signed up for. The transformation isn’t instant or romanticized Leavitt takes his time showing how Brian is stripped of his civilian identity and painstakingly molded into an undercover operative. It’s raw. At times, it’s even uncomfortable. But that’s what makes it hard to put down.
From grueling physical conditioning to next-level VR combat simulations, Brian’s journey feels both intense and oddly believable. The settings range from quiet American campgrounds (hiding more than meets the eye) to decommissioned submarines and black sites halfway across the globe. There is an increasing degree of mystery and peril at each site. Released this spring, How to Train a Spy is available in Kindle (185 pages) and paperback formats. Enhanced typesetting, Word Wise, and Page Flip features make the Kindle edition especially accessible for digital readers.
This is the kind of thriller for fans who crave substance over flash. It doesn’t rely on gadgets or clichés. Instead, it explores what happens when an ordinary man is pushed beyond his limits in service of something bigger than himself.
How to Train a Spy is available word wide on Amazon.