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
9,710 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
5,968 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
9,836 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
1,884 members
86 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
12,457 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
10,713 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
4,492 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
2,743 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
9,982 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
5,668 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
7,871 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
1,203 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
919 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
1,147 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
5,985 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
2,877 members
71 reviews
½ 3.6
Score 11.96
Added 2022-09-25, 12:35 PM
37
907 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
310 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
1,065 members
36 reviews
3.9
Score 8.75
Added 2022-09-07, 01:48 PM
- 3 Members
- dewasus1, AbigailAdams26, SueHerbine
46
3,152 members
57 reviews
½ 3.6
Score 8.7
Added 2022-09-20, 03:08 PM
- 3 Members
- lahochstetler, BookWallah, cbl_tn
49
199 members
2 reviews
4
Score 8.3
Added 2022-09-09, 10:12 AM
- 4 Members
- hipdeep, amanda4242, ManWithAnAgenda, AnaraGuard,
50
976 members
21 reviews
3.9
Score 8.21
Added 2022-09-07, 01:49 PM
- 3 Members
- dewasus1, AbigailAdams26, SueHerbine
51
3,811 members
55 reviews
3.8
Score 7.97
Added 2022-09-08, 09:55 AM
53
954 members
26 reviews
3.8
Score 7.81
Added 2022-09-07, 01:50 PM
- 3 Members
- dewasus1, AbigailAdams26, SueHerbine
59
5,076 members
162 reviews
½ 3.6
Score 7.36
Added 2022-09-16, 11:40 PM
- 2 Members
- lahochstetler, Ling.Lass
60
908 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
