The 10 top espionage novels reviewed on this site (plus lots of runners-up)

Over the past ten years, I’ve read and reviewed more than 100 espionage novels (not counting a great many more I decided not to read or never finished). My 10 favorites are listed immediately below. Though my preliminary list included multiple titles by several of the authors included here, I’ve arbitrarily limited myself to a single title from every writer. And I gave every one of these 10 titles a score of @@@@@ (5 out of 5) on its review. I’ve listed them in alphabetical order by the authors’ last names.

Below the list of my 10 favorites, you’ll find reviews of the full list of top espionage novels I’ve reviewed with ratings of at least @@@@ (4 out of 5). Those titles, too, are listed in alphabetical order by the authors’ last names. There, you’ll find multiple titles by a number of the authors featured here: Alex Berenson, Charles Cumming, Alan Furst, Mick Herron, Joseph Kanon, John le Carré, Jason Matthews, Stella Rimington, Ross Thomas, and Edward Wilson.

As you’ll see below, a great many of the books listed here are in series. And for the most part you’ll find all the novels in each series listed below. There are some exceptions for titles I read before I began reviewing books, others for those I rated below @@@@, and still others that I simply haven’t read yet.

Updated October 6, 2020.

10 top espionage novels

A Coffin for Dimitrios by Eric Ambler – Still a lively read among classic spy novels

The Trinity Six by Charles Cumming – A stellar new spy story by Charles Cumming

The Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett – The 40th anniversary edition of Ken Follett’s classic WWII spy novel

Kingdom of Shadows (Night Soldiers #6) by Alan Furst – One of the best spy novels of recent years

The Quiet American by Graham Greene—The classic Vietnam novel by Graham Greene

The Eagle Has Landed by Jack Higgins – A classic espionage thriller that’s well worth rereading

Siro by David Ignatius – The most intelligent spy novel I’ve read in many years

Leaving Berlin by Joseph Kanon – One of the best of today’s spy novels

Red Sparrow (Red Sparrow Trilogy #1) by Jason Matthews – Authentic espionage tradecraft in this gripping novel by a CIA veteran

The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen – The Vietnam War through Vietnamese eyes

All the top espionage novels I’ve reviewed

A Coffin for Dimitrios – Still a lively read among classic spy novels

Transcription by Kate Atkinson – A beautifully written spy story

Alex Berenson’s John Wells series

• The Faithful Spy (John Wells #1) – Al Qaeda from the inside out: a thriller filled with suspense
• The Ghost War (John Wells #2) – North Korea, Afghanistan, China, Iran, all in one superb spy novel
• The Silent Man (John Wells #3) – An able spy story about terrorism, nuclear weapons, and Russia
• The Midnight House (John Wells #4) – The Pentagon and the CIA take a lot of punishment for rendition
• The Secret Soldier (John Wells #5) – Jihadis, the Saudi royal family, and an American soldier-spy
• The Shadow Patrol (John Wells #6) – A suspense-filled thriller about the war in Afghanistan
• The Night Ranger (John Wells #7) – An outstanding thriller set amid the refugee crisis in Kenya and Somalia
• The Counterfeit Agent (John Wells #8) – John Wells takes on a rogue ex-CIA agent
• Twelve Days (John Wells #9) – In a nail-biting thriller, John Wells must stop a US war with Iran
• The Prisoner (John Wells #11) – Going undercover for the CIA in ISIS
• The Deceivers (John Wells #12) – Russia takes the next step in the latest John Wells spy novel

The Hot Country (Christopher Marlowe Cobb #1) by Robert Olen Butler—American vs German spies in the Mexican Revolution

The Star of Istanbul (Christopher Marlowe Cobb #2) by Robert Olen Butler—An American spy in World War I takes on the German Empire

A Single Spy by William Christie – A Soviet spy in Nazi Germany

Charles Cumming’s suspenseful spy thrillers

• A Spy by Nature – A worthy spy story that foretells more good reading to come
• The Trinity Six  – A stellar new spy story by Charles Cumming
• Typhoon – A right-wing Washington cabal seeks to destabilize China
• The Hidden Man – A worthy novel of espionage from a latter-day master of the craft
• A Foreign Country (Thomas Kell #1) – Spies in conflict in contemporary Europe
• A Colder War (Thomas Kell #2) – Spycraft takes center stage in this novel of espionage
• A Divided Spy (Thomas Kell #3) – The latest from a latter-day John le Carre
• The Moroccan Girl – A spy novelist turns to espionage in Charles Cumming’s excellent new novel

Berlin Game (Bernard Samson #1) by Len Deighton—A classic novel of Cold War espionage reminiscent of John le Carré

Mexico Set (Bernard Samson #2) by Len Deighton—In Len Deighton’s classic spy series, Bernard Samson goes to Mexico

A Prisoner in Malta (Christopher Marlowe #1) by Phillip DePoy – A delightful historical mystery novel starring Christopher Marlowe

Moscow Sting (Anna Resnikov #2) by Alex Dryden—A former British intelligence officer imagines a female Russian superspy

Exposure by Helen Dunmore – Gay life in Britain in a suspenseful thriller

Espionage thrillers from Joseph Finder

• High Crimes – A taut thriller about Special Forces running amok in El Salvador in 1983
• Extraordinary Powers – A standout among espionage thrillers
• Paranoia – A devilishly clever tale

The Eye of the Needle – The 40th anniversary edition of Ken Follett’s classic WWII spy novel

The Fox by Frederick Forsyth – A great new spy novel from the author of “The Day of the Jackal”

The historical Night Soldiers series by Alan Furst

• Red Gold (Night Soldiers #5) – A brilliant novel of the French Resistance
• Kingdom of Shadows (Night Soldiers #6) – One of the best spy novels of recent years
• Blood of Victory (Night Soldiers #7) – Spies at work in WWII Istanbul and Rumania
• Dark Voyage (Night Soldiers #8) — A gripping spy story set on a ocean freighter in World War II
• The Foreign Correspondent (Night Soldiers #9) – A superb historical espionage novel
• Spies of the Balkans (Night Soldiers #11) – Alan Furst’s superb novel, “Spies of the Balkans”
• Mission to Paris (Night Soldiers #12) – At the dawn of World War II, a Hollywood film star in an espionage novel
• Midnight in Europe (Night Soldiers #13) – Arms merchants and spies in a thriller set during the Spanish Civil War
• A Hero of France (Night Soldiers #14) – Vive la Resistance!
• Under Occupation (Night Soldiers #15) – Alan Furst on the French Resistance

Alex Gerlis’s outstanding wartime spy novels

• The Best of Our Spies (Spies #1) – An extraordinary World War II spy story grounded in historical fact
• The Swiss Spy (Spies #2) – World War II spies in Switzerland
• Vienna Spies (Spies #3) – A stirring tale of spies in wartime Vienna
• The Berlin Spies (Spies #4) – The best spy novelist you’ve never read
• Prince of Spies (Richard Prince #1)—British spies and the Nazi V-2 rocket

The Ways of the World (James Maxted #1) by Robert Goddard – A superb novel of espionage set in 1919 Paris

The Quiet American by Graham Greene—The classic Vietnam novel by Graham Greene

An Officer and a Spy by Robert Harris – The Dreyfus Affair, reenacted in a suspenseful spy novel

Intelligence: A Tale of Terror and Uncivil Service by Susan Hasler – A satirical take on the dysfunctional CIA under George W Bush

Mick Herron’s clever Slough House novels

• Slow Horses (Slough House #1) – British satire about misfit spies in MI5
• Dead Lions (Slough House #2) – Russian sleeper agents and the misfits of MI5
• The List (Slough House #3) – Bumbling spies again in Mick Herron’s Slough House series
• Real Tigers (Slough House #4) – Slough House spooks are on the loose again
• Spook Street (Slough House #5) – MI5’s Slough House spies uncover a decades-old conspiracy
• London Rules (Slough House #6) – MI5’s misfit spies outdo themselves in this very funny novel
• The Marylebone Drop (Slough House #7) – Mick Herron scores with another entry in the Slough House series
• The Catch (Slough House #9) by Mick Herron—About that billionaire who committed suicide in prison

Classic espionage novels by Jack Higgins

• The Eagle Has Landed – A classic espionage thriller that’s well worth rereading
• Eye of the Storm (Sean Dillon #1) – Reimagining Saddam Hussein’s role in history
• Thunder Point (Sean Dillon #2) – One of Jack Higgins’ best thrillers
• Touch the Devil (Liam Devlin #2) – The IRA, the KGB, MI5, and the Corsican mob all conflict

Clean Hands by Patrick Hoffman—A diabolically clever thriller about corporate espionage

Spy stories by David Ignatius

• The Increment – A gripping novel about Iran and the CIA
• The Bank of Fear – Saddam Hussein, secret offshore banks, and a dissolute Saudi prince
• Siro – The most intelligent spy novel I’ve read in many years
• A Firing Offense – A suspenseful espionage story about journalists and spies
• Agents of Innocence — The CIA and the PLO in Cold War Beirut
• The Paladin—The latest from David Ignatius is a little hard to believe

A Map of Betrayal by Ha Jin – Betrayal is in the eye of the beholder

Joseph Kanon’s superb spy stories

• Leaving Berlin – One of the best of today’s spy novels
• The Prodigal Spy – An espionage novelist to rival John Le Carre
• Defectors – A superb new novel about defectors in Moscow

Who Is Vera Kelly? by Rosalie Knecht – A puzzling spy story set in Argentina in the time of the generals

John le Carré’s classic novels of espionage

• A Legacy of Spies – The Cold War reexamined in John le Carré’s terrific new novel

• Our Game – John le Carré on British espionage at the end of the Cold War
• Our Kind of Traitor – The spy who never left the cold

• Agent Running in the Field by John le Carré – John le Carré doesn’t like Donald Trump

The Salzburg Connection by Helen MacInnes — Nazis, Communists, and Western spies clash in this classic spy novel

Too Bad to Die by Francine Mathews – Ian Fleming stars in this delightful spy story worthy of James Bond

The brilliant Red Sparrow Trilogy by Jason Matthews

• Red Sparrow (Red Sparrow Trilogy #1) – Authentic espionage tradecraft in this gripping novel by a CIA veteran
• Palace of Treason (Red Sparrow Trilogy #2) – Nonstop action in the sequel to the bestseller Red Sparrow
• The Kremlin’s Candidate (Red Sparrow Trilogy #3) – The gripping conclusion to the Red Sparrow Trilogy

Prague Spring by Simon Mawer – A tale of love and espionage during Prague Spring

An Expensive Education by Nick McDonell—Special Forces are up to no good in Somalia

The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen – The Vietnam War through Vietnamese eyes

The Strivers’ Row Spy (Renaissance #1) by Jason Overstreet—African-American history comes to life in this engaging spy novel

Heresy (Giordano Bruno #1) by S. J. Parris—An historical spy thriller in the Elizabethan Age

Chris Pavone’s engaging espionage novels

• The Expats – A truly suspenseful novel about cyber theft
• The Accident – Rogue spies on the loose
• The Travelers – A clever spy story that will keep you guessing
• The Paris Diversion  – The CIA, a crumbling marriage, and terrorist threats in Paris

The Secrets We Kept by Lara Prescott—Doctor Zhivago and the women in the CIA typing pool

East of Hounslow (Jay Qasim #1) by Khurrum Rahman—Undercover, a small-time drug dealer becomes an accidental jihadist for MI5

The well-crafted Liz Carlyle novels by Stella Rimington

• At Risk (Liz Carlyle #1) – High stakes in an excellent espionage thriller
• Secret Asset (Liz Carlyle #2) – An engrossing novel about British counter-espionage
• Illegal Action (Liz Carlyle #3) – An engaging spy novel from former MI5 director Stella Rimington
• Dead Line (Liz Carlyle #4) – Liz Carlyle stars in an outstanding British espionage novel
• Present Danger (Liz Carlyle #5)– Do all the best spy novels come from Britain?
• Rip Tide (Liz Carlyle #6) – Somali pirates, Al Qaeda, and home-grown terrorists in England
• The Geneva Trap (Liz Carlyle #7) – Former MI5 Director spins a fascinating tale of espionage
• Close Call (Liz Carlyle #8) – The former MI5 director spins another great tale of espionage
• Breaking Cover (Liz Carlyle #9) – Russian agents under cover in the UK
• The Moscow Sleepers (Liz Carlyle #10) — An interesting new twist on Russian sleeper agents

Provisionally Yours by Antanas Sileika—A fascinating spy story set in Lithuania following World War I

The Cairo Affair by Olen Steinhauer – A complex spy novel worthy of John Le Carre

All the Old Knives by Olen Steinhauer – A terrorist hijacking, the CIA, and two former lovers at dinner

Ross Thomas’s witty spy stories

• The Cold War Swap – Making the Cold War seem like fun
• Cast a Yellow Shadow – A novel about assassination that’s lots of fun
• The Singapore Wink – An engaging novel of crime and espionage set in 1960s Singapore
• Missionary Stew – Cocaine, the CIA, and a Central American revolution
• Out on the Rim – Con men, a $5 million bribe, and a Philippine rebellion

Spymaster (Scot Horvath #18) by Brad Thor—Brad Thor showcases his anti-Russian perspective in this novel

Paul Vidich’s historical spy novels

• An Honorable Man – The Cold War, the early CIA, and the McCarthy Era
• The Good Assassin – A compelling spy novel set during the Cuban Revolution
• The Coldest Warrior – Project MK-Ultra and the scientist who fell to his death

American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson – An African-American spy in the maelstrom of Cold War rivalry in Africa

The William Catesby novels by Edward Wilson

• The Envoy (William Catesby #1) – The CIA, the KGB, British intelligence and the H-bomb
• The Whitehall Mandarin (William Catesby #4) – In the early days of the Cold War, nuclear espionage in search of the H-bomb
• A Very British Ending (William Catesby #5) – A harsh look at post-war British intelligence

For additional reading

You might also enjoy my posts:

• 20 good nonfiction books about espionage;
• Top 10 historical mysteries and thrillers reviewed here; and
• Top 10 mystery and thriller series.

To check out all 100 of the reading lists posted here, go to Your handy guide to the grouped reviews on this site. And you can always find all the latest books I’ve read and reviewed, as well as my most popular posts, on the Home Page.