Project: Memoir
Role: Researcher, Writer and friend to Pippa
Client: Allen & Unwin
The book went straight to number 1 in its first week on sale at the start of May 2024 in New Zealand, and was immediately the biggest selling book of the year. It has stayed in the best seller lists constantly ever since and by the end of 2024 was the #2 bestselling New Zealand non-fiction book of the year according to Nielsen BookScan. You’ll find book reviewer Steve Braunias’ thoughts on that achievement here.
It has been popular with readers. In July 2024 it was voted in the top 100 books of all time at book retailer Whitcoulls, one of only 12 NZ titles in the list. It was selected by Auckland City Libraries as one of 16 ‘Besties’ in August 2024 and by year-end was in the top ten of most borrowed books of the year. It also won The People’s Choice award at The Spinoff for Best Books of 2024.
The Last Secret Agent came out in the UK in November 2025 and has done well there. It comes out in the US in May 2025.
I am currently working on the screenplay with the plan of getting Pippa’s remarkable story to the big screen as I hold the rights for film.
Here’s an interview I did with Jim Mora on Radio New Zealand that gives some background. Pippa was quite the woman and I loved spending time with her and feel so very fortunate that I was to be able to take this journey with her and let the world know about her.