If you think a thriller book is an ideal choice to experience a bit of tension and pressure, how about a spy thriller book to also challenge your brain a little? Apart from the thrilling part, you also have a bit of mystery and psychology, not to mention jumping to random conclusions after every chapter, only to realize they are wrong. So, what are the best spy thriller books?
The Last Protector (Clayton White Book 1), by Simon Gervais
The Last Protector is the first novel of the Clayton White series. Clayton White is a former air force combat rescue officer now working for the Secret Service performing routine escort missions for politicians. His life takes an unexpected turn when South African mercenaries target Veronica Hammond–an archaeologist who also happens to be the vice president elect’s daughter–at an awards gala celebrating her work. After this attempt on Veronica’s life, Clayton enters a complicated web of lies, betrayal, and dangerous government secrets.
House of Spies (Gabriel Allon Book 17), by Daniel Silva
Gabriel Allon is a legendary art restorer, respected global ambassador, and one of the most skilled operatives in the world. When an old friend asks for help, Gabriel is summoned to London to restore a priceless painting—and winds up confronting a network of terrorists determined to destroy not only his life but everything he stands for.
The real-world backdrop of House of Spies will be familiar to fans of the Gabriel Allon series, while newcomers will find it easy to pick up the thread of the story.
The Rescue (Ryan Decker Book 1), by Steven Konkoly
This book is a Washington Post bestseller and can also be classified as a terrorism thriller. If you like Lee Child or Tom Clancy, this book will rock your mind. You have conspiracies, betrayals and all kinds of theories that will blow you away.
It all starts with Ryan Decker, who is a former CIA agent turned mercenary. His specialty? Rescuing kidnap victims. You can guess what he is about to do next, but the question is – will he succeed?
The Quantum Spy: A Thriller, by David Ignatius
The story follows the race between the USA and China. Whoever manages to get a hyper-fast quantum computer will be able to dominate the world. This computer will feel like the nuclear bomb, so the race is on. But then, this is not a political thriller.
Things go wrong when some American laboratories seem to be compromised by a Chinese mole. The hunt begins and the local agencies must find this person before it is too late. Will they manage to do it?
The Eighth Sister: A Thriller (Charles Jenkins Book 1), by Robert Dugoni
Things seem to settle down for Charles Jenkins. He has retired from the CIA. He is now in his early 60s and has a nice family, including a baby on the way. His company is not doing too good though and sooner or later, he knows his place will go bankrupt.
One day, his former chief pops at his door with a mission – go undercover to Moscow and discover the Russian agent who kills members of an American spy cell. The former agent accepts the job, but once he gets there, he realizes everything is a big joke – no one is who they claim to be.
Recall Zero (An Agent Zero Spy Thriller—Book #6), by Jack Mars
In this sixth book of the collection, the President’s translator could be the key to changing the world. She is the only person who witnessed and help during a private conversation. But then, everyone knows it, so someone decides to hunt her down and kill her. Agent Zero is called back to help.
His life is not the best right now – he tries to get back on track and regain his girls, but without going back to work. He simply cannot say no to this kind of job though. But then, as he meets the translator, he realizes things are not always as they seem to be. He might as well fall for her…
The Spy And The Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story Of The Cold War, by Ben Macintyre
Oleg Gordievsky came from a KGB family – both parents were part of the agency. He went to the best Soviet schools and was polished in the best rated local institutions. With all these, he grew up to see the communism as murder.
In 1968, he took the first mission for Moscow and ended up in London, but he quickly became a secret worker for MI6. He did it for around a decade, during the Cold War. All this time, the CIA was dying to know who London’s source is. This obsession put Gordievsky down though – the CIA officer sent to find the source was Aldrich Ames, who was later identified as working for the Soviets.
The Spies Of Zurich (Alex Kovacs Thriller Series Book 2), by Richard Wake
World War II was already on the verge after Germany invaded Poland. The world is waiting to see Hitler’s next move. Will he move west? Will France be ready to face an attack? Meanwhile, Alex Kovacs goes to Zurich after Czechoslovakia fall.
He has a job and a girl, but he still has connections with his former spy mates. They think they know what will happen next. They know where Hitler will aim next, but is anyone going to listen to them? Alex is determined to make himself heard.
The Red Cobra (James Ryker Book 1), by Rob Sinclair
Carl Logan worked for the JIA for around two decades. He is now retired, has a new name and hopes to never be bothered again. But his scenario is soon to become history when his former boss tracks him down.
A lady was assassinated in Spain. Her fingerprints? She was an infamous assassin only known by the name of Red Cobra. She was in the exact same situation – out of this industry and enjoying a peaceful life. Somehow, her location got compromised and the JIA boss thinks Carl’s location is also revealed.
Sanction: A Spy Thriller, by William Hunter
The thriller starts with Sean Garrett on an assignment in England. He witnesses elite assassin David Laurent execute a Cambridge professor. His cover is now blown, so he has to turn for his life. Not only that, but the authorities believe he is the murderer.
The story goes in a different direction and the Secret Intelligence Service is somehow linked to this murder too. They have a different story and suspects. All in all, everyone chases everyone in this spy thriller and when things are about to blow, a secret from the World War II comes to life.
Conclusion
In the end, these are by far the best spy thriller books. You do have a few good stories to keep you thrilled on a cold Friday night or while enjoying the summertime in your backyard. There are a few other good titles that could have made it on the list, but these are the front runners. If you think we miss any of excellent titles just write us to our social meida.