10 Best Spy Mystery Books Featuring Tricky Crime Investigations
Unearthing secrets, maneuvering through a labyrinth of lies, and revealing the nefarious underbelly of societies, who doesn't relish the gorgeous complexity of a riveting spy mystery novel! The allure of spy literature is irresistible, highlighting gutsy heroes and cunning villains wrapped in labyrinthine plots with high stakes. We can't help but leap at the prospect of stepping into the shoes of these intelligence maestros, even if it's just through the printed word. Here, we dive into the world of codes, gadgets, and thrill-a-minute action, where the labyrinth of intrigue can turn a friend into an enemy at the flip of a page. Expect clever sleuths, enigmatic puzzles, and nerve-wracking danger at every corner as we delve into the best spy mystery books featuring some of the most tricky crime investigations you'll ever come across. From traditional espionage novels set against the backdrop of world wars to modern tales of political intrigue, if you have a penchant for ciphered secrets, hair-raising adrenaline, and jaw-dropping plot twists, then this list is tailor-made for you. Buckle up and get ready to explore a world of intriguing subterfuge where nothing is as it seems, and the end is always unexpectedly satisfying. It's time to turn some pages!
『Red Sparrow』
Drafted against her will to serve the regime of Vladimir Putin as an intelligence seductress, Dominika Egorova engages in a charged effort of deception and tradecraft with first-tour CIA officer Nathaniel Nash before a forbidden attraction threatens their careers
Author | Jason Matthews |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Simon and Schuster |
Release Date | Jan 07, 2014 |
Source | Google Books |
『The Spy Who Came in From the Cold』
Secret agent Alec Leamas is on a dangerous mission in East Berlin, but he has doubts about the organization he serves.
Author | John le Carr� |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing USA |
Release Date | Sep 01, 2005 |
Source | Google Books |
『An Officer and a Spy』
NATIONAL BESTSELLER A whistle-blower. A witch hunt. A cover-up. Secret tribunals, out-of-control intelligence agencies, and government corruption. Welcome to 1890s Paris. Alfred Dreyfus has been convicted of treason, sentenced to life imprisonment on a far-off island, and publicly stripped of his rank. Among the witnesses to his humiliation is Georges Picquart, an ambitious military officer who believes in Dreyfus's guilt as staunchly as any member of the public. But when he is promoted to head of the French counter-espionage agency, Picquart finds evidence that a spy still remains at large in the military—indicating that Dreyfus is innocent. As evidence of the most malignant deceit mounts and spirals inexorably toward the uppermost levels of government, Picquart is compelled to question not only the case against Dreyfus but also his most deeply held beliefs about his country, and about himself. Winner of the Walter Scott Prize for historical fiction Winner of the American Library in Paris Book Award
Author | Robert Harris |
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Price | $12.99 |
Publisher | Vintage |
Release Date | Jan 28, 2014 |
Source | Google Books |
『The Thirty-Nine Steps』
Reprint of the 1915 novel with new introduction.
Author | John Buchan |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Polygon |
Release Date | Jan 01, 2011 |
Source | Google Books |
『Code Red』
The #1 New York Times bestselling series continues as Mitch Rapp faces off with Russia in this high-octane installment that is “ripped straight from next week’s headlines” (The Real Book Spy). Mitch Rapp hates owing anyone a favor—especially when it’s the world’s most powerful crime lord. But when Damian Losa calls, Mitch is honor bound to answer. The Syrian government has created a highly addictive new narcotic that it plans to distribute throughout Europe. It’s a major threat to Losa’s business and he’s determined to stop it by any means necessary. Rapp is the perfect choice for the mission. Not only does he have extensive experience operating in the Middle East, but he’s also entirely expendable. As he crosses into war-torn Syria, Rapp quickly discovers a shocking truth. The new drug isn’t being produced by Damascus to prop up the government’s collapsing finances. Instead, it was created by Russia’s asymmetrical warfare unit as a weapon against the West. With far more than Damian Losa’s interests at stake, Rapp devises a desperate plan that forces him and his team onto a battlefield where the United States is virtually powerless, and allegiances shift almost hourly. Further, if Russia uncovers their plot, it will set off a confrontation between the two countries that could change the course of history in this “bullet train to high adventure” (Townhall).
Author | Vince Flynn/Kyle Mills |
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Price | $9.99 |
Publisher | Simon and Schuster |
Release Date | Sep 12, 2023 |
Source | Google Books |
『The Spy Coast』
A retired CIA operative in small-town Maine tackles the ghosts of her past in this fresh take on the spy thriller from New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen. Former spy Maggie Bird came to the seaside village of Purity, Maine, eager to put the past behind her after a mission went tragically wrong. These days, she's living quietly on her chicken farm, still wary of blowback from the events that forced her early retirement. But when a body turns up in Maggie's driveway, she knows it's a message from former foes who haven't forgotten her. Maggie turns to her local circle of old friends--all retirees from the CIA--to help uncover the truth about who is trying to kill her, and why. This "Martini Club" of former spies may be retired, but they still have a few useful skills that they're eager to use again, if only to spice up their rather sedate new lives. Complicating their efforts is Purity's acting police chief, Jo Thibodeau. More accustomed to dealing with rowdy tourists than homicide, Jo is puzzled by Maggie's reluctance to share information--and by her odd circle of friends, who seem to be a step ahead of her at every turn. As Jo's investigation collides with the Martini Club's maneuvers, Maggie's hunt for answers will force her to revisit a clandestine career that spanned the globe, from Bangkok to Istanbul, from London to Malta. The ghosts of her past have returned, but with the help of her friends--and the reluctant Jo Thibodeau--Maggie might just be able to save the life she's built.
Author | Tess Gerritsen |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Thomas & Mercer |
Release Date | Oct 17, 2023 |
Source | Google Books |
『The Winter Agent』
February, 1944. A bitter winter grips occupied France, where Marc Frost leads an SOE circuit facing deadly risks, operating in secret to sabotage the German war effort. But Marc has a second mission, secret from even his fellow agents - including Charlotte, the woman with whom he has ill-advisedly fallen in love. Everyone knows that D-Day is coming, and that the hours following the Allied landings will decide the war - and every last scrap of information he can provide might make all the difference to the fate of the Western world. But when the circuit is ambushed - with deadly consequences - Marc realizes there may be a spy in their ranks, putting at risk everything they've been fighting for. Then Charlotte goes missing. Marc faces an awful question - is she in peril, or has he been betrayed by the only woman he was sure he could trust? And if he risks everything in order to find her, what will become of his mission and of the lives that depend on it? Gripping and atmospheric, this is the story of a man operating in the darkest of circumstances, and the unimaginable sacrifices war demands of those who fight it.
Author | Gareth Rubin |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Michael Joseph |
Release Date | Oct 15, 2020 |
Source | Google Books |
『Kennedy 35』
The third book in Charles Cumming's gripping new thriller series surrounding BOX 88 - a covert intelligence organization that operates below the radar. 1995: In the wake of the Rwandan genocide, 24-year-old spy Lachlan Kite and his girlfriend, Martha Raine, are sent to Senegal on the trail of a hunted war criminal. The mission threatens to spiral out of control, forcing Kite to make choices which will have devastating consequences not only for his career at top-secret intelligence agency BOX 88, but also for his relationship with Martha. 2023: Eric Appiah, an old friend from Kite's days at school and an off-the-record BOX 88 asset, makes contact with explosive information about what happened all those years ago in West Africa. When tragedy strikes, Kite must use all his resources to bring down a criminal network with links to international terror ... and protect Martha from possible assassination.
Author | Charles Cumming |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | HarperCollins |
Release Date | Oct 12, 2023 |
Source | Google Books |
『Eye of the Needle』
The worldwide phenomenon from the bestselling author of The Pillars of the Earth, World Without End, A Column of Fire, and The Evening and the Morning His code name was “The Needle.” He was a German aristocrat of extraordinary intelligence—a master spy with a legacy of violence in his blood, and the object of the most desperate manhunt in history. . . . But his fate lay in the hands of a young and vulnerable English woman, whose loyalty, if swayed, would assure his freedom—and win the war for the Nazis. . . .
Author | Ken Follett |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Penguin |
Release Date | Oct 17, 2017 |
Source | Google Books |
『I Am Pilgrim』
Can you commit the perfect crime? Pilgrim is the codename for a man who doesn�e(tm)t exist. The adopted son of a wealthy American family, he once headed up a secret espionage unit for US intelligence. Before he disappeared into anonymous retirement, he wrote the definitive book on forensic criminal investigation. But that book will come back to haunt him. It will help NYPD detective Ben Bradley track him down. And it will take him to a rundown New York hotel room where the body of a woman is found facedown in a bath of acid, her features erased, her teeth missing, her fingerprints gone. It is a textbook murder �e" and Pilgrim wrote the book. What begins as an unusual and challenging investigation will become a terrifying race-against-time to save America from oblivion. Pilgrim will have to make a journey from a public beheading in Mecca to a deserted ruins on the Turkish coast via a Nazi death camp in Alsace and the barren wilderness of the Hindu Kush in search of the faceless man who would commit an appalling act of mass murder in the name of his God.
Author | Terry Hayes |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Random House |
Release Date | Jan 01, 2014 |
Source | Google Books |
In conclusion, the fascinating world of espionage contained within these books beckons you to step in and join the thrilling adventure. These spellbinding spy mystery novels promised a captivating mixture of tense intrigue, clever crime-solving, and unexpected turn of events. While they feature characters that may present as traditional detectives or secret agents, the depth of their narrative arcs and development is anything but ordinary. Their tantalizingly enigmatic, twisted plots and impeccably crafted crime scenes are sure to keep you on your toes, your mind racing with theories and anticipations. So, whether you're a seasoned aficionado of the spy mystery genre or a curious newcomer, this selection of top-tier publications will not disappoint. Prepare to stay up late, turning page after page, as engrossed in the complex webs of mystery as the characters themselves. After all, a good spy tale is never just about finding out who did it—it’s the suspenseful journey getting there that really counts. So sit back, get comfortable, and begin your thrilling expedition into these world-class puzzling cases. Happy reading!
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