Here are some notable espionage novelists and novels from the past 20 years that have received acclaim in the genre:
Authors and Novels:
1. John le Carré
• A Legacy of Spies (2017): This novel revisits characters from his earlier classic The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, exploring Cold War espionage from a contemporary perspective.
• Agent Running in the Field (2019): One of his final works, this novel deals with Brexit, Russian interference, and the modern intelligence landscape.
2. Charles Cumming
• A Foreign Country (2012): This novel centers around a missing MI6 agent and won the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger award.
• The Trinity Six (2011): A gripping story that revisits the infamous Cambridge Five spy ring with a modern twist.
3. Olen Steinhauer
• The Tourist (2009): The first book in his “Milo Weaver” series, featuring a disillusioned CIA agent navigating a morally ambiguous world.
• All the Old Knives (2015): A novel that blurs the line between spy thriller and psychological drama, exploring the fallout from a botched hostage rescue.
4. Mick Herron
• Slow Horses (2010): The first in the “Slough House” series, which follows a group of disgraced British spies. The series is known for its dark humor and complex characters.
• Spook Street (2017): A continuation of the series that delves deeper into the world of espionage and intrigue.
5. Daniel Silva
• The English Spy (2015): Part of the “Gabriel Allon” series, which features an Israeli intelligence officer and art restorer, blending espionage with action and historical themes.
• The Order (2020): Another entry in the series, dealing with religious and political conspiracies in the heart of Europe.
6. Joseph Kanon
• Leaving Berlin (2014): Set during the post-World War II period, this novel follows a German-American writer who becomes an unwilling spy in Soviet-occupied Berlin.
• The Good German (2001) and Istanbul Passage (2012) are also worth exploring for their historical espionage settings.
7. Ben Macintyre
• A Spy Among Friends: Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal (2014): Although non-fiction, it reads like a novel and offers a gripping account of one of the most famous double agents in history.
• The Spy and the Traitor (2018): A thrilling true story about Oleg Gordievsky, a KGB colonel who became a British spy.
8. Jason Matthews
• Red Sparrow (2013): The first novel in a trilogy featuring a Russian intelligence officer trained in “sexpionage” who ends up working with the CIA. The series is praised for its authenticity, drawing on Matthews’ own experience as a former CIA operative.
• The Kremlin’s Candidate (2018): The conclusion of the “Red Sparrow” trilogy, focusing on Russian and American intelligence conflicts.
9. Alex Berenson
• The Faithful Spy (2006): The first in a series featuring CIA operative John Wells, who infiltrates al-Qaeda and faces the challenges of double agency.
• The Deceivers (2018): Another gripping installment in the John Wells series, dealing with terrorism and political manipulation.
10. Stella Rimington
• At Risk (2004): Written by the former Director-General of MI5, this novel introduces Liz Carlyle, an MI5 intelligence officer dealing with various threats to British national security.
• Rip Tide (2011): Another entry in the Liz Carlyle series, involving a Somali piracy ring and international intelligence networks.
These authors and books provide a mix of traditional espionage, historical settings, and modern-day issues, offering something for every spy fiction enthusiast.
