Best Spy Fiction
- List of the Month
- September 2022 (see all)
- Description
- Cloak and dagger... secrets and spies... the world of espionage is full of thrilling tales. Our List of the Month this September is devoted to the Best Spy Fiction. Each participant may vote on ten titles. Please only downvote titles if they do not fit the theme.
1
9,725 members
253 reviews
4
Score 106.71
Added 2022-09-07, 02:35 PM
- 29 Members
- aprille, viking2917, janoorani24, Minthe, Euryale, pitjrw, charl08, abbottthomas, VivienneR, jburlinson, ngood77, Opinionated, cwc790411, questbird, paulmdh, JohnChic, petralex, peterveen, gypsysmom, citizencane, MichaelLynnSr, Boand, Deborama, AnaraGuard, cleed, BGNorris, Gena678, sconnelly96, RMSpencer
2
by John Buchan
5,972 members
205 reviews
½ 3.5
Score 70.69
Added 2022-09-07, 02:24 PM
- 23 Members
- janoorani24, cpg, paradoxosalpha, charl08, troutstreamman, Sensory, Cecrow, amanda4242, cbl_tn, questbird, celerydog, paulmdh, perennialreader, JohnChic, petralex, gypsysmom, noveltea, citizencane, DebbiMack, Patricia.Ralston, Deborama, BGNorris, RMSpencer
- Explanations
- paradoxosalpha: Seminal man-on-the-run thriller featuring German spies in England on the eve of the Great War (written as English war propaganda, I think).
3
9,848 members
270 reviews
4
Score 67.98
Added 2022-09-07, 02:34 PM
- 21 Members
- tardis, karenb, Minthe, paradoxosalpha, pitjrw, BookWallah, abbottthomas, jburlinson, Cecrow, Opinionated, cwc790411, paulmdh, JohnChic, peterveen, gypsysmom, MichaelLynnSr, DebbiMack, Boand, cleed, BGNorris, RMSpencer
4
- 17 Members
- Minthe, pitjrw, abbottthomas, jburlinson, Opinionated, cwc790411, paulmdh, JohnChic, petralex, Bookish59, citizencane, MichaelLynnSr, DebbiMack, Boand, AnaraGuard, cleed, BGNorris
5
- 16 Members
- paradoxosalpha, kleo, troutstreamman, Sensory, Cecrow, PitcherBooks, Opinionated, stephenis, sturlington, celerydog, perennialreader, noveltea, mfvetter, DebbiMack, AnaraGuard, RMSpencer
- Explanations
- paradoxosalpha: The quintessential black comedy of Cold War espionage.
6
- 13 Members
- karenb, rosalita, bjappleg8, PitcherBooks, cbl_tn, stephenis, sturlington, celerydog, elkiedee, vwinsloe, barefootsong, dandalf, kwolfson,
7
- 13 Members
- Aquila, gilroy, aprille, erinclark, lahochstetler, bjappleg8, Sensory, Heather39, elkiedee, noveltea, DebbiMack, ManWithAnAgenda, AnaraGuard,BGNorris ,
8
1,890 members
87 reviews
3.9
Score 35.82
Added 2022-09-07, 01:48 PM
- 11 Members
- janoorani24, parlerodermime, dewasus1, PitcherBooks, sturlington, Bookish59, AbigailAdams26, barefootsong, johnsconklin, AnaraGuard, SueHerbine,BGNorris
- Explanations
- SueHerbine: Love this book! Have re read it several times and it is always enjoyable.
9
- 12 Members
- troutstreamman, terran, PitcherBooks, stephenis, questbird, RBeffa, celerydog, petralex, mfvetter, MichaelLynnSr, ManWithAnAgenda, kwolfson
10
- 9 Members
- timspalding, viking2917, janoorani24, amanda4242, paulmdh, perennialreader, daisyfly, Calaf49, kwolfson
11
by Tom Clancy
12,471 members
132 reviews
4
Score 25.41
Added 2022-09-16, 12:19 AM
- 9 Members
- hipdeep, janoorani24, BookWallah, cbl_tn, laplantelibrary, peterveen, MichaelLynnSr, Deborama, cleed,
12
- 8 Members
- adamhindman, pitjrw, troutstreamman, thosgpetri, RBeffa, JohnChic, citizencane, Deborama
13
10,718 members
165 reviews
3.8
Score 24.44
Added 2022-09-07, 02:58 PM
- 7 Members
- hipdeep, erinclark, Sarielle, perennialreader, peterveen, gahoward67, aspirit
14
4,514 members
82 reviews
3.8
Score 24.05
Added 2022-09-07, 02:36 PM
- 9 Members
- Minthe, abbottthomas, cwc790411, questbird, paulmdh, JohnChic, Bookish59, MichaelLynnSr, cleed
- Explanations
- questbird: Espionage in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia
15
2,745 members
30 reviews
4.2
Score 22.32
Added 2022-09-08, 04:12 AM
- 8 Members
- aprille, anglemark, janoorani24, Minthe, JohnChic, MichaelLynnSr, dandalf, machris,
16
9,991 members
211 reviews
4
Score 22.22
Added 2022-09-12, 04:43 PM
- 9 Members
- aprille, hipdeep, charl08, bjappleg8, cbl_tn, sturlington, petralex, Patricia.Ralston, Deborama,
19
- 6 Members
- karenb, viking2917, adamhindman, paradoxosalpha, lottpoet, djriave
- Explanations
- paradoxosalpha: The best espionage-with-supernatural-occultism story I've read, strongly rooted in 20th-century (and earlier) historical events.
20
5,678 members
95 reviews
½ 3.6
Score 18.75
Added 2022-09-08, 12:34 PM
21
22
- 6 Members
- paradoxosalpha, Cecrow, petralex, Bookish59, cleed, KitKatOtaku
- Explanations
- paradoxosalpha: The novel's anti-hero is a forger in the regular employ of state intelligence agencies. A story about the 19th-century invention of modern anti-semitism.
24
7,880 members
192 reviews
3.8
Score 16.98
Added 2022-09-08, 07:50 AM
- 6 Members
- adamhindman, hipdeep, Cecrow, petralex, Patricia.Ralston, machris
27
28
1,207 members
44 reviews
3.8
Score 14.96
Added 2022-09-07, 01:48 PM
- 5 Members
- janoorani24, dewasus1, PitcherBooks, AbigailAdams26, SueHerbine
- Explanations
- SueHerbine: Great book of my favorite character.
29
30
921 members
24 reviews
3.9
Score 13.75
Added 2022-09-07, 01:50 PM
- 5 Members
- dewasus1, Bookish59, ahef1963, AbigailAdams26, SueHerbine
- Explanations
- SueHerbine: Dorothy Gillman never dissapoints and Mrs. Pollifax is a perfect spy!
31
1,152 members
39 reviews
½ 3.7
Score 13.71
Added 2022-09-07, 01:59 PM
- 5 Members
- paradoxosalpha, pitjrw, troutstreamman, amanda4242, noveltea
- Explanations
- paradoxosalpha: A brace of short stories that largely invented the genre, with tropes that have survived into today's spy fiction. Vivid with more than a little autobiographical sourcing.
32
6,003 members
108 reviews
4
Score 13.14
Added 2022-09-21, 06:36 PM
- 4 Members
- birder4106, peterveen, tommi180744, MichaelLynnSr
- Explanations
- tommi180744: Riveting central character (the assassin) & storyline reads as if fact not fiction.
33
- 4 Members
- Euryale, paradoxosalpha, abbottthomas, peterveen
- Explanations
- paradoxosalpha: An excellent example of the two features that attract me to this genre: epistemological ambiguity and moral compromise.
36
2,878 members
71 reviews
½ 3.6
Score 11.96
Added 2022-09-25, 12:35 PM
37
909 members
19 reviews
½ 3.7
Score 10.06
Added 2022-09-07, 01:50 PM
- 4 Members
- dewasus1, Bookish59, AbigailAdams26, SueHerbine
39
- 4 Members
- aprille, pitjrw, questbird, sturlington
- Explanations
- questbird: Triple agent in the Vietnam War and beyond.
41
by Len Deighton
311 members
1 review
½ 4.3
Score 9.56
Added 2022-10-02, 12:33 AM
- 3 Members
- viking2917, questbird, tommi180744
43
- 4 Members
- tardis, adamhindman, paradoxosalpha, PitcherBooks,
- Explanations
- paradoxosalpha: The James Bond legend serves as a basis for eldritch thaumaturgy in the context of 21st-century espionage.
45
1,067 members
36 reviews
3.9
Score 8.75
Added 2022-09-07, 01:48 PM
- 3 Members
- dewasus1, AbigailAdams26, SueHerbine
46
3,157 members
57 reviews
½ 3.6
Score 8.7
Added 2022-09-20, 03:08 PM
- 3 Members
- lahochstetler, BookWallah, cbl_tn
49
197 members
2 reviews
4
Score 8.3
Added 2022-09-09, 10:12 AM
- 4 Members
- hipdeep, amanda4242, ManWithAnAgenda, AnaraGuard,
50
981 members
21 reviews
3.9
Score 8.21
Added 2022-09-07, 01:49 PM
- 3 Members
- dewasus1, AbigailAdams26, SueHerbine
51
3,816 members
55 reviews
3.8
Score 7.97
Added 2022-09-08, 09:55 AM
53
958 members
26 reviews
3.8
Score 7.81
Added 2022-09-07, 01:50 PM
- 3 Members
- dewasus1, AbigailAdams26, SueHerbine
59
5,083 members
162 reviews
½ 3.6
Score 7.36
Added 2022-09-16, 11:40 PM
- 2 Members
- lahochstetler, Ling.Lass
60
909 members
20 reviews
½ 3.7
Score 7.14
Added 2022-09-07, 01:50 PM
- 3 Members
- dewasus1, AbigailAdams26, SueHerbine
64
337 members
4 reviews
3.1
Score 6.48
Added 2022-09-08, 11:25 AM
- 3 Members
- hipdeep, Cecrow, ManWithAnAgenda,
- Explanations
- Cecrow: Nice! I forgot about this one. A few others in the series would qualify as well.
66
67
68
69
70
118 members
6 reviews
½ 3.5
Score 5.71
Added 2022-09-08, 12:57 AM
72
73
75
- 2 Members
- Morphidae, PitcherBooks,
- Explanations
- Morphidae: Urban fantasy espionage with a British dry wit. The book description also describes it well, "... for readers who like their espionage with a dollop of purple slime, or their supernatural thrillers with an agenda and a pencil skirt."
81
83
84
97
