It’s not always smooth sailing when a book gets adapted for the small or big screen — but when it comes to the political action thriller novel “The Night Agent,” the original author actually approves of the TV adaptation. Writer Matthew Quirk previously revealed to No Apology Book Reviews that he and his wife are big fans of the Netflix series based on his book. “I really loved the series. My wife and I were able to watch all ten episodes,” he told the site in 2023. “I forgot it was my book. We were completely hooked. I am grateful to everyone involved in the production.”
The show, which shares the exact title of the 2019 book, follows an FBI agent (Gabriel Basso) stationed on an overnight telephone line at the White House who ends up part of a major government conspiracy. That said, Netflix’s adaptation doesn’t go entirely by the book, literally. “People are not watching a rendition of the book. The show and the book are on their own terms,” Quirk explained to the outlet. “It is wild to see a scene I have written on screen, but there were also things that happened I did not write.”
The Night Agent author enjoys the show and book differences
Perhaps unconventionally, “The Night Agent” author Matthew Quirk is cool with the idea of some diversion from his original text. He seems to enjoy seeing how other writers, including longtime TV producer and creator Shawn Ryan, play within the sociopolitical world he’s created.
“The fun of it was seeing some of my scenes filmed and bringing in new stuff to give it a second life,” he explained to No Apology Books in 2023. “It was fascinating to see how they did it and bring all the pieces together. Yet, both the book and the series have a man/woman on the run. They have the same spirit.”
Though the novel is a standalone story, the show — in all its faithful plotlines and exciting new ones — was so successful that it spawned three expansive seasons that build upon the narrative of Quirk’s initial novel and expands on the liberties the show took with thes last, was announced in March <a href="https://comicvibe.com/youtube-gaming-statistics-2026/” title=”YouTube Gaming Statistics (2026)”>2026
