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
9,696 members
250 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
5,995 members
203 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
9,880 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
1,901 members
88 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
12,530 members
133 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
10,750 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
81 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
2,760 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
10,051 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
5,692 members
96 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
7,887 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
1,210 members
45 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
920 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
1,158 members
40 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
6,022 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
2,886 members
73 reviews
½ 3.6
Score 11.96
Added 2022-09-25, 12:35 PM
37
911 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
313 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
1,068 members
36 reviews
3.9
Score 8.75
Added 2022-09-07, 01:48 PM
- 3 Members
- dewasus1, AbigailAdams26, SueHerbine
46
3,174 members
59 reviews
½ 3.6
Score 8.7
Added 2022-09-20, 03:08 PM
- 3 Members
- lahochstetler, BookWallah, cbl_tn
49
198 members
2 reviews
4
Score 8.3
Added 2022-09-09, 10:12 AM
- 4 Members
- hipdeep, amanda4242, ManWithAnAgenda, AnaraGuard,
50
984 members
22 reviews
3.9
Score 8.21
Added 2022-09-07, 01:49 PM
- 3 Members
- dewasus1, AbigailAdams26, SueHerbine
51
3,827 members
55 reviews
3.8
Score 7.97
Added 2022-09-08, 09:55 AM
53
957 members
26 reviews
3.8
Score 7.81
Added 2022-09-07, 01:50 PM
- 3 Members
- dewasus1, AbigailAdams26, SueHerbine
59
5,084 members
164 reviews
½ 3.6
Score 7.36
Added 2022-09-16, 11:40 PM
- 2 Members
- lahochstetler, Ling.Lass
60
912 members
21 reviews
½ 3.7
Score 7.14
Added 2022-09-07, 01:50 PM
- 3 Members
- dewasus1, AbigailAdams26, SueHerbine
64
341 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
116 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
