10 best spy thriller books of all time

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (1974) by John Le Carré

Moscow Centre has planted a mole, whose purpose is to infiltrate the upper echelons of the British Intelligence Service. And it’s working. Former spymaster George Smiley must come out of retirement and hunt the traitor down, even though it could be one of his closest and most trusted associates. This is the first part of le Carré’s highly regarded Karla Trilogy, and sees the start of a Cold War cat-and-mouse game of stealth between the dogged Smiley and his astute Soviet counterpart. This is a story that has consistently been recognised as one of the best spy thriller books of all time.

The Day of the Jackal (1971) by Frederick Forsyth

1963. The Operations Chief of a French terrorist organisation hires an anonymous Englishman to murder the French president, General Charles de Gaulle – a target who is nearly impossible to reach, due to a failed attempt on his life the year before. Only one man could complete the mission: a legendary assassin known only as The Jackal. This merciless, lethal killer must be stopped, but he is nameless and without identity. How do you stop an assassin that nobody can identify? The seemingly impossible task falls to France’s premier detective.. and the price of failure is unthinkable.

The Bourne Identity (1980) by Robert Ludlum

A delirious man, his body ridden with bullets, is pulled from the Mediterranean Sea. He is uttering strange words that may be some kind of code, and has a microfilm implanted beneath the skin of his hip. He doesn’t know who he is, or how he got here. The microfilm reveals a number that leads to a bank account in Zurich, from which he has access to a deposit box containing large amounts of cash, passports of assorted nationalities and a handgun. The amnesiac has a name.. Jason Bourne. Bourne knows nothing of his past and realises that his future is also uncertain, as he is being targeted by highly skilled, ruthless assassins. He also discovers that he possesses deadly skills of his own, but is that enough? Can anyone help him unravel the mystery of who he is? A woman.. perhaps?

The Hunt for Red October (1984) by Tom Clancy

Silently, beneath the frigid Atlantic waters, a Soviet sub commander has just made a fateful decision. The Red October is heading west. The Americans want her. The Russians want her back. With all-out war just a heartbeat away, the world’s superpowers race across the ocean on the most desperate mission of a lifetime. The most incredible chase in history is on…

The Spy Who Came In from the Cold (1963) by John Le Carré

It’s 1960’s Berlin, and Alex Leamas has been spying for his British masters for what seems like forever. Now, at last, Control want to bring him in.. but not until he has completed one last assignment. Leamas must travel deep into Communist Germany and betray his homeland, a job that he will do with his usual brand of contemptuous professionalism. But when George Smiley attempts to help a young woman whom Leamas has befriended, Leamas’ mission takes a dramatic turn for the worse, and both men get caught up in a world of politics beyond their wildest imagination.

Eye of the Needle (1978) by Ken Follett

1944. A war in balance. If the Allies can land a decoy ship on mainland Europe they will gain the upper hand against the Nazi menace, in a war that has ravaged the world for years. Hitler’s prize undercover operative, is a cold-blooded and professional killer. His weapon is the stiletto, his code name: The Needle. In England, he uncovers the Allies’ D-Day plans but his cover is blown in the process. What follows is a deadly chase. Leaving a trail of bodies in his wake, The Needle ruthlessly races to a U-boat waiting to transport him and his vital message to Germany. But MI5 are on his tail, and he hasn’t planned for a storm-battered island and the remarkable young woman who lives there..

Smiley’s People (1979) by John Le Carré

When a defector from the Soviet Union is assassinated on English soil, George Smiley is brought back into British Intelligence to clear it up – and cover it up. But what he uncovers sends him delving deep into the past, on a crisscrossing trail through Hamburg and Paris to Cold War Berlin.. and a final showdown with his evasive arch-enemy, Karla. In the final part of le Carré’s highly revered Karla Trilogy, Smiley’s People sees the last confrontation between the unrelenting spymaster and his nemesis, as their rivalry comes to a shattering conclusion.

American Assassin (2010) by Vince Flynn

Middle East tensions are simmering when CIA Director Irene Kennedy pays a visit to Syracuse University, in the hope of recruiting Mitch Rapp, a student who has quickly climbed the academic and athletic ranks. At first glance, he appears like any other smart college kid. But under the surface, a storm rages inside him – and a burning desire for retribution over the Pan Am Lockerbie attack. After months of intensive training, Mitch finds himself on his first assignment in Istanbul, and leaves a trail of bodies from there across Europe to Beirut, where he needs all of his skill and cunning to survive the war-ravaged city and its deadly terrorist factions.

Gorky Park (1981) by Martin Cruz Smith

Three mutilated bodies are found in a Moscow amusement park, frozen in the snow. Their faces and fingers are missing and they are so badly mutilated that their identities can’t be verified. Chief homicide investigator Arkady Renko of the Moscow police takes the case. To identify the victims and expose the truth, he must battle the KGB, FBI, and the New York City police as he hunts down a rich and ruthless American fur dealer. Meanwhile, Renko falls for a beautiful, headstrong dissident.. a woman for whom he may risk everything.

Patriot Games (1987) by Tom Clancy

When Jack Ryan thwarts an Ulster Liberation Army terrorist attack on the Prince of Wales and his family, his courageous actions have two outcomes. Firstly, they win him the admiration of a nation.. but secondly, they arouse the hatred and hostility of the ULA’s most dangerous associates. Now a target himself, Ryan plunges into the shady world of counter-intelligence, where he uncovers a connection between the ULA and an international underground network. This puts him centre-stage in a dangerous battle against international terrorism, and propels him into the most desperate struggle of his life.