James Burnett

A person in a business suit sitting at an outdoor cafe table, reading a newspaper, with a glass of water and a pen on the table. The cafe has other patrons and warm lighting inside.

Burnett writes espionage fiction where character-driven narratives are defined by control and quiet tension. Directive Press is where those stories are built.

His upcoming trilogy, The Knox Files, follows Finlay Knox, a linguistics academic drawn into MI6 and trained for fieldwork. Moving between academia and espionage, Knox must construct and maintain identities in environments where observation is everything.

Across the series, Burnett explores themes of identity, control, and the cost of self-mastery. The stories unfold across global settings, where personal decisions carry operational consequences.

The Controlled Identity launches in October 2026.

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“Lean prose, sharp tradecraft, and zero hand-holding. Burnett trusts the reader.”

Early reader, Boston, USA.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"Couldn’t put it down. Smart, fast, and fresh.”

Early reader, Edinburgh, UK.

Goodreads Profile

I’ve reviewed 20+ espionage novels that influenced The Knox Files. You can find them on Goodreads.