Our man in Dubai: a spy novelist on a real life assassination

The assassination of Hamas official Mahmoud al-Mabhouh last month in a Dubai hotel room has been compared to the plot of a cheap spy novel. Bad costumes, security footage, and Interpol all make for a good thread.

As the investigation into al-Mabhouh’s murder continues to unfold, we talk with spy novelist Olen Steinhauer about the literary elements of the case and how he might take elements from this case for his next novel.