Favorite spy stories, ghost stories and thrillers?

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Would love to hear what posters here consider their favorites in these genres. I'm in the mood for a good spy or ghost story, something that immerses me in its world and won't let me go until I slowly turn over the end papers and close the book. I read the Bond books years ago and was thinking of dipping into one of them, but I'm looking for something better written. I tried Alan Furst's Kingdom of Shadows a while ago but was underwhelmed and didn't finish it. Are one of his other spy novels considered better than KoS? The obvious choice I guess is Graham Greene, but where should I start with him?

― Gail, Wednesday, 24 March 2004 16:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Read Maugham's Ashenden short stories.

― Michael White (Hereward), Wednesday, 24 March 2004 17:08 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm no expert in spy novels, but I read "The Spy Who Came In From The Cold" by John Le Carre a year or two ago and loved it. It's really well written, a bleak examination of cold war mentality, and you don't know what's going to happen right up until the last page.

I've also been meaning to read "The Secret Agent" by Conrad for a while now, but haven't gotten around to it yet.

― finn (finn), Wednesday, 24 March 2004 18:08 (twenty-two years ago)

When I was reading spy stories ( which seemed much more relevant during the cold war) I enjoyed Ludlum, he writes a great beach blanket read. I would also try Trevanian -- 'Shibumi' is great, and the 'Eiger Sanction' and its sequal are a hoot. His characters are quirky and funny and his plot twists are cool.

― Docpacey (docpacey), Wednesday, 24 March 2004 18:22 (twenty-two years ago)

To support finn, my favourite spy author is John Le Carre. As a stand alone spy story "the spy who came in from the cold" is in a class of its own. If you like the spy who comes in from the cold, try the Smiley trilogy - Tinker Tailor, the Honourable Schoolboy and Smileys People.

Another thought is try some early Frederick Forsyth. I am not a big fan of his later stories but The Jackal and the Dogs of War are both very good.

Bit of wild ball, but you may also want to see if you like an author called Tim Powers. He is normally classified as fantasy, but his standard format is to take an historical setting and then apply gods and magic to the situation - often very traditional gods and magic. Usually ends up feeling like a historical thriller crossed with a element of horror/ supernatural. His latest is Declare and involves the SOE, Kim Philby and Djinns. Also recommend the Anubis Gates (time travel, romantic poets and ancient egyptian magicians), the Last Draw (gambling, tarot cards and the fisher king) and the Stress of Her Regard (romantic poets, vampires and quantum physics).

― oblomov, Thursday, 25 March 2004 11:36 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm on a Le Carre kick at the moment. Both The Spy Who Came In From The Cold and Tinker Tailor are total class. The latter is great for the way it seem to be almost primarily about Smiley's miserable home life and only incidentally about unmasking moles and stuff.

― DV (dirtyvicar), Friday, 26 March 2004 23:27 (twenty-two years ago)

The Borne Identity by Robert Ludlum. Its a great plot even though the characters are pretty standard. The Borne Supremacy and The Borne Ultimatum aren't really worth it though. P.S. DO NOT EVER SEE THE MOVIE. I swear the script writer just read the blurb and decided to go from there.

― Ellen Lane (Ellen Lane), Saturday, 27 March 2004 16:01 (twenty-two years ago)

I'll second the "Spy Who Came In From The Cold" - fabulous book and a pretty good movie too.

Graham Greene's "The Ministry of Fear" is a goodie, one of his best in any genre, and Ian McEwan's "The Innocent" is a pretty good attempt at a Greene-ish seedy spy story. I very highly recommend John Banville's "The Untouchable", it's a fictional account of the life of Cambridge spy Anthony Blunt, it not yer average spy thriller but it's probably one of best books I've read in the last 10 years.

― LondonLee (LondonLee), Saturday, 27 March 2004 23:22 (twenty-two years ago)

I love Graham Greene books! The Man Within and The Human Factor would both fit your description. I enjoy the detail and depth to his writing--one of the few authors I can re-read.

― Kristin, Monday, 29 March 2004 23:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Again, the Spy Who Came in from the Cold. More actiony (kind of like one step up from James Bond) - Alastair Maclean.

― isadora (isadora), Tuesday, 30 March 2004 22:34 (twenty-two years ago)

If you're looking for really really good detective thriller (not exactly spy books) books then I would suggest any by Donna Leon, Jon Cleary, Peter Robinson, , Harlan Coben, Ian Rankin, some James Patterson, Judith Cutler, Val McDermid, some Quentin Jardine, Faye Kellerman, Jonathan Kellerman. They're some of my top favourites. If anyone knows any others who are of this ilk, I'd love to know

― vic, Tuesday, 30 March 2004 23:54 (twenty-two years ago)

One of my favourite spy novelists has to be Len Deighton. His Bernard Sampson books (Stat with Game,Set and Match) are truly outstanding. Bernard and Fiona, a marriage from Hell.

Another fine author of this genre is Craig Thomas. His chase / escape scenes often leave me breathless with their pace. Hyde and Aubrey are well crafted characters.

Like others here, I am a great fan of John Le Carre. I always feel, while reading his books that I am an invisible viewer upon the conversations and interactions taking place. I feel I know Smiley personally.

Alistair MacLeans early books (Up to Puppet on a Chain) are very good, pacey adventures. The ones after that? Just don't go there.

On the American techno thriller scale, I would recommend Tom Clancy and Stephen Coonts (The Minotaur is superb). If I have one criticism of the Amercan school, it is that they are far more upbeat that their British counterparts who are far more cynical.

Hope this helps.

Geoff

― Geoff Robbins, Wednesday, 31 March 2004 16:24 (twenty-two years ago)

the Amercan school, it is that they are far more upbeat that their British counterparts who are far more cynical.

Art imitates life.

― LondonLee (LondonLee), Wednesday, 31 March 2004 18:31 (twenty-two years ago)

I loved Jeffrey Deaver's A Maiden's Grave: a busload of deaf schoolchildren kidnapped by maniacs. It's really scary, and so much better than his steadily deteriorating Lincoln Rhymes series... Anyone else read it?

― Donald, Thursday, 1 April 2004 23:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Anyone read/can recommend Alan Furst?

― Chuck Tatum (Chuck Tatum), Friday, 2 April 2004 17:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Frederick Forsyte "The Devil's alternative".
Le Carre' and his Smiley's Trilogy is a must.

― Roberto, Friday, 9 April 2004 10:33 (twenty-one years ago)

I really love the Rebus series from Ian Rankin. There's suspense and humour and the eternal city of Edinburgh.

― Rolf Königshof, Sunday, 11 April 2004 18:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Add Eric Ambler to the good suggestions above. (I also tried Alan Furst and didn't find him particularly compelling, but I might try another.) I also love Manning Coles' WWII-era novels about Tommy Hambledon, a cool British spy; I credit him with one of the most useful suggestions I've ever come across. When a fellow spy was about to be tortured, Tommy told him, "Think of cold pickled pork--it takes the mind off." I have found that indeed, when I'm hit with some horrendous news that makes me want to weep or throw up, a mental image of frosty pickled pigs' feet diverts the mind just long enough for me to pull myself together. (Don't laugh--it got me through 9/11.)

― Carol Robinson (carrobin), Monday, 12 April 2004 21:06 (twenty-one years ago)

And how about Alistair MacLean? It's been a long time since I read him--he was popular back in the sixties--but those were some of the most exciting books I ever read. (And he had a sense of humor--I recall one protagonist whose flashlight batteries failed at a vital moment and he muttered that Errol Flynn could have carried a flaming torch in a hurricane and it wouldn't have gone out.)

― Carol Robinson (carrobin), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 14:10 (twenty-one years ago)

Agree with Geoff Robbins about Len Deighton. I have the entire Bernie Sampson oeuvre (did I ever think I would use that word?) on my bookshelf and sometimes pick one up. It's the only reason I am sorry that the USSR collapsed.

LeCarre OF COURSE. Nothing like a really convoluted plot, that's what I look for most of all. I adore George Smiley.

For current thrillers, not spies mind you, Michael Connelly is the best.

― Becky Willis, Monday, 19 April 2004 22:37 (twenty-one years ago)

A while ago I read - and loved - The Oxford Book of Twentieth Century Ghost Stories (OUP 1996; Michael Cox ed), which was full of deliciously unsettling & scary stuff. Far & away the best story in the collection was Marghanita Laski's 'The Tower'. Really really creepy.

― Josephine Quealy (hazelblackberry), Friday, 23 April 2004 06:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Another addition to this list is Martin Cruz Smiths Arkady Renko series starting with Gorky Park and ending with Havana Bay a well written crime/spy series.

― oblomov, Friday, 23 April 2004 12:56 (twenty-one years ago)

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