Want to know what it takes to be a master spy? Start with the books that inspired those who have worked for the CIA, FBI, Mossad, GCHQ, and the KGB. Our exclusive reading list, curated by real-life intelligence operatives, will keep you on the edge of your seat.

You won’t find another list like it in the world, so read on. Here are our Top 50 Spy Novels!

50. Holy Spy & John Shakespeare Tudor Spy series by Rory Clements 

The Tudor Spy series is a window into Elizabethan England through the eyes of John Shakespeare, a private investigator who introduces us to a world of murder, conspiracy, royals, criminals, spies, and his young brother Will Shakespeare. Ex-journalist Rory Clements’ sinister twists and incredible research has introduced a new generation to historical espionage - rightly so. 

49. Where Eagles Dare by Alistair MacLean

Scottish novelist Alistair MacLean is known to readers of neck-snapping spy fiction but some may not be as familiar with his gritty page-turners. MacLean’s When Eagles Dare (1976) follows British commandos on a mission to infiltrate a Gestapo HQ. The book - later a Hollywood movie - was a game-changer for True Spy James Stejskal. As a young man, he watched Clint Eastwood onscreen and decided to jump out of airplanes and work behind enemy lines. Stejskal, who later became a CIA operative, never looked back.

48. Red Widow by Alma Katsu

Red Widow is described as a cross between Killing Eve and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy but there’s an authenticity that comes only with experience - in Katsu’s case, her decades spent working as a senior analyst at the CIA and NSA. Red Widow involves two CIA officers drawn into a threat involving the Russia Division that may be coming from within. If you enjoy cerebral spy thrillers, this one should be high on your list.

47. Our Woman in Moscow, Beatriz Williams 

Part mystery, part espionage thriller, Beatriz Williams’ Our Woman in Moscow deserves your full attention. Set In London in 1948, Iris Digby disappears with her husband, an American diplomat working abroad. Fast forward four years and Ruth Macallister is on her way to Moscow, desperate to extract her sister from behind the Iron Curtain. 

46. How To Betray Your Country by James Wolff 

James Wolff’s How To Betray Your Country is the sequel to Beside the Syrian Sea and also a clever standalone spy novel. Wolff examines the cost of a life spent in the shadows and the inner turmoil of August Drummond, a disgraced spy on the edge of a breakdown. An operation involving an Iranian scientist in Istanbul presents an age-old question: is it better to follow orders or your conscience? 
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45. Above Suspicion by Helen MacInnes 

A short time after moving to New York, Scottish-American author Helen MacInnes began writing Above Suspicion (1941), a semi-autobiographical tale of honeymooners in Europe who spied on the Nazis. The book mirrored her own life as MacInnes had lived in Europe with her husband, a British MI6 officer. Most of her writing, fueled by her love of international relations and the world of espionage, reached the bestseller lists including The Salzburg Connection (1968).

44. A Loyal Spy by Simon Conway

California-born Simon Conway is a man on a mission. When he’s not writing bestsellers, the ex-British Army officer works with landmine-clearing charity The Halo Trust. His award-winning A Loyal Spy involves issues close to his heart - war and betrayal. The plot revolves around Jonah, who thought he’d murdered his friend Nor ed-Din in the Khyber Pass. Both were groomed for intelligence work. Neither expected to face what might happen in London.

43. A Treachery of Spies by Manda Scott

WWII spies, double agents, and traitors abound in Manda Scott’s A Treachery of Spies, It begins with the murder of a beautiful elderly woman in France. She’s been killed in a way that indicates the victim may have been a traitor to the French Resistance. The past is buried but it may hold the only clue to solving the mystery.

42. Night Falls On The City: The Lost Masterpiece of Wartime by Sarah Gainham 

It is 1938 in Vienna and a beautiful actress, Julia Homburg, is married to a clever politician named Franz Wedeker who happens to be Jewish. As the Nazi troops enter Austria, citizens begin to disappear. Will Franz be next? Spies mingle in the streets, forcing Franz into hiding. Night Falls on the City is the first of a trilogy written by Rachel Ames, a British novčlist and journalist, who moved to Vienna and wrote under the pen name Sarah Gainham. 

41. The Best of Our Spies by Alex Gerlis

Alex Gerlis, a former BBC journalist and SPYEX consultant, is the author of The Spy Masters espionage books. His first, The Best of Our Spies, is being developed into a television series and involves a Royal Navy Intelligence officer on a mission to discover what his wife was doing during WWII.

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THE TOP 40 COUNTDOWN

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40. Outbreak by Frank Gardner

BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner trained with the British Army biathlon team and was later an officer. That may explain why Gardner’s runaway bestseller Outbreak reads like a bullet-paced thriller with an espionage twist: British Intelligence is convinced Russia is developing a new generation of bio-weapons but are the Brits looking in the wrong place? 

39. Secret Lovers by Charles McCarry

American writer Charles McCarry worked as an undercover CIA officer so keep a careful eye on his tradecraft tips in Secret Lovers. The story begins with a courier who delivers a manuscript written by a Russian dissident to CIA agent Paul Christopher. Meanwhile, Christopher’s wife decides to have an affair with a film director. Are the two events linked? You’ll need to put the pieces together as Christopher races to identify the leak and even more explosive events.

38. Living Lies by James Lawler

James Lawler, author of the fictional Living Lies about Iran’s covert nuclear weapons program knows the terrain well. Lawler is an ex-CIA expert on WMDs and counterintelligence, but it is his insight into human nature that really sets this novel apart. Both former CIA officer Rolf Mowatt-Larssen and ex-State Department psychiatrist Kenneth Dekleva listed James Lawler as a favorite author. (Dekleva and Mowatt-Larssen happen to be published themselves - Dekleva wrote The Negotiator’s Cross and Mowatt-Larssen published A State of Mind. There must be something about spying that burnishes storytelling skills.) 

37. Shadow Dancer by Tom Bradby

British journalist Tom Bradby’s compelling novel Shadow Dancer revolves around Colette, whose Irish husband was killed by the British. Her brothers have dedicated their lives to fighting them and Colette herself is arrested in an aborted bombing raid in London. That’s when she must decide her future: Will Colette inform on the Republicans and see her children again? Or will she remain loyal to her political beliefs and remain in prison? Her MI5 handler isn’t sure of her - or even himself.

36. The Alice Network by Kate Quinn 

Kate Quinn, author of The Alice Network and The Rose Code, sets the bar high for espionage writers. The Alice Network is historical fiction based on the true story of WWI operative Louise de Bettignies who spied on the Germans for the British. The Rose Code is equally compelling, involving a royal wedding in Britain and Bletchley Park codebreakers. We’re hard-pressed to recommend just one of Quinn’s books so we’ll leave the decision in your capable hands.

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35. The Contract Man, part of the Alex King Series by A.P. Bateman

MI6 assassin Alex King is a hard man living in a world of enemies and deadly missions but is the real threat coming from within the heart of the intelligence community? There are enemies on all sides in this gripping series. We suggest starting with the first novel - The Contract Man (2015) - where Alex King sets out to silence the most dangerous man you can imagine (until the next novel, of course). 

34. The Company, A Novel of the CIA by Robert Littell

Robert Littell has amassed an impressive body of work on the US-Soviet conflict. If you don’t know where to start, try The Company, A Novel of the CIA, his nostalgic look at the Agency (known as The Company to insiders), a semi-fictional, historic book about a mole hunt and one of the biggest rabbit holes you’ll ever fall into. You can follow up with The Amateur if you find yourself craving more. 

33. The Walk-In by Gary Berntsen

Former CIA officer Doug Patteson recommends The Walk-In, a novel of spy tradecraft and terror written by a former CIA operative and field commander who cornered Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan. Gary Berntsen’s fictional book involves an Iranian intelligence operative who walks into a US Embassy claiming to possess explosive intelligence but can the man be trusted? 

32. The Charm School by Nelson DeMille

The Charm School, another of Patteson’s favorites, revolves around US Air Force Colonel Sam Hollis, a former Vietnam fighter pilot and US Air Force Intelligence officer in Moscow. Hollis begins to investigate a Soviet plan to ‘Americanize’ Russia that could lead to his death.

31. Mitch Rapp by Vince Flynn and later Kyle Mills

Mitch Rapp is a ‘badass’, a CIA agent and counterterrorism operative who will go to great lengths to stop Middle Eastern terrorist attacks on the US. There are more than a dozen novels in the series so you may want to begin with the character’s first appearance in Transfer of Power or - if you’d rather get the order of the storyline -  begin with American Assassin (2010). Either way, you’ll be hooked.

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THE TOP 30 COUNTDOWN

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30. Stephanie Barron series of Jane Austen Mysteries

The Jane Austen Mysteries portrays the heroine as more of a sleuth than a spy, focusing on Austen’s critical-thinking side. The series has a place in the heart of one of our True Spies, SPYEX consultant Gina Bennett, an ex-CIA analyst and author of National Security Mom: “My Austen fanaticism was shared by former colleague and friend, Jennifer Matthews, who was killed in the al-Qaeda attack in Khost, Afghanistan, on December 30, 2009.” Their last conversation involved the Austen mysteries and Gina promised to send Jennifer Book 2 in the series. “The Jane Austen Mysteries will always have a special place in my heart because of this bittersweet memory.”

29. Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong

The first of an espionage duology, Foul Lady Fortune is the story of an assassin named Rosalind - code name: Fortune - who must investigate a murder that may be linked to the Japanese Imperial Army. Rosalind’s task is to identify who is behind the terror plot. To do so, she must go undercover as a wife in 1930s Shanghai. Foul Lady Fortune comes highly recommended by the SPYSCAPE HQ team. 

28. Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan

The 1st Baron of Tweedsmuir wrote the pre-WWI thriller The Thirty-Nine Steps introducing the character Richard Hannay - a Canadian caught up in a spy ring and a murder - who reappears in Greenmantle and Mr. Standfast. John Buchan was attached to the British Army's General HQ Intelligence Section before being sent to Canada as Governor-General where he stayed until his death in 1940. His much-loved character, Richard Hannay, outlived Buchan, appearing in Sick Heart River (aka Mountain Meadow), in 1941. 

27. Gorky Park by Martin Cruz Smith

American novelist Martin Cruz Smith is known for his nine-novel series on Russian investigator Arkady Renko introduced in Gorky Park (1981). We first meet Arkady, chief investigator for the Moscow militsiya, on a case involving three corpses found in an amusement park. Arkady's superior soon introduces him to an American millionaire who may be a KGB informant, but things are just starting to heat up.

26. The Chief Gabriel Allon series by Daniel Silva

Gabriel Allon is center stage in Daniel Silva's espionage series involving an Israeli intelligence unit known as 'the Office' (although not specified as Mossad). Allon was plucked from civilian life to join Operation Wrath of God, a mission to kill those responsible for murdering Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics. Gripping and gut-wrench in equal measure.

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25. American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson

Wilkinson’s main character Marie has a lot of baggage and Wilkinson wanted to ensure readers of American Spy knew exactly why Marie made bad choices before setting off for an adventure in Africa. “I also felt that, hey, I'm doing something that hasn't been done a whole lot before. My main character is a black female spy, essentially a black CIA officer,” Wilkinson told The Spying Game. “Why not just go as far as I can with the new stuff because who knows if I'll ever get another shot at writing a book? They might get the giant hook and pull me off the stage.” 

24. MIKE4 series by J.R. Seeger

Author J.R. Seeger, an ex-CIA division chief and paratrooper, writes hard-edged spy novels including the MIKE4 series involving Sue O’Connell. The Special Operations Force surveillance specialist is part of a team that ‘finds and fixes’ terrorists in place so assault teams can ‘finish’ the target. Seeger’s books are highly recommended by SPYEX consultant Kenneth Dekleva for their ‘realism and topicality’. 

23. I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes

“Not just prescient but a stunning debut novel from the man who wrote the screenplay for Mad Max 2. One incredible book and then gone, with a sequel promised and never delivered,” according to the SPYSCAPE team. If you haven’t read Hayes’ novel, where have you been? Pilgrim follows a former US intelligence agent and author known as the ‘Rider of the Blue’. He gets mixed up with a woman who uses his book to commit untraceable murders in the aftermath of 9/11.

22. The Matchmaker by Paul Vidich 

Another of Dekleva’s favorites is American writer Paul Vidich, praised for his Cold War thrillers and ‘noir to the bone’ spy stories. The Matchmaker focuses on an American translator targeted by the East German Stasi who must confront the truth behind her German husband's mysterious disappearance. Follow up with The Honorable Man, a novel that burrows into the heart of a CIA mole hunt.

21. Need to Know by Karen Cleveland

“My favorite spy novel is Need to Know by my former CIA colleague Karen Cleveland,” ex-CIA officer Christina Hillsberg said. “She's my favorite spy author because of the strong female spy characters she creates that remind me of the talented women I worked with at the CIA.”

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THE TOP 20 COUNTDOWN 

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20. The Berlin Exchange by Joseph Kanon

US author Joseph Kanon uses a Cold War spy swap as a vehicle for The Berlin Exchange. A captured American who spied for the KGB is swapped by the British and returns to East Berlin. But who arranged his release - the KGB? - and what do they want in exchange? We rank Kanon in the Top 20 although we wouldn’t argue with some who made a persuasive case to elevate him to the Top 10.

19. The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy 

When the US Naval Institute Press published its first fictional work - The Hunt for Red October (1984) - they struck gold. Tom Clancy’s debut novel about the adventures of Soviet sub-captain Marko Aleksandrovich Ramius and CIA analyst Jack Ryan remains its most successful title. If you’re a fan of the TV series, the Sean Connery movie - and yes, even the video, console, and board games - you’ll want to know where the legacy began. 

18. Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews  

A beautiful Russian agent trained in pleasure targets a vulnerable CIA operative to uncover a mole at the heart of the Russian intelligence service. It’s a honeypot plot dreamed up by Jason Matthews, the CIA operative-turned-novelist behind the Red Sparrow spy trilogy. So, is there a real-life sparrow school? Da & nyet. Matthews told CNBC that Red Sparrow is based on what intelligence operatives believe ‘used to be’ a 'school' run by Soviet Russia. No matter. Ex-CIA officer and SPYEX consultant Doug Patteson ranks it on his list of top books to recommend. 

17. The Journeyman Tailor by Gerald Seymour

The Journeyman Tailor by Gerald Seymour delves into the strange relationship that exists between agent handler and agent. According to ex-CIA division chief of operations J.R. Seeger: “It is a realistic portrayal of the relationship which is sometimes positive for both and sometimes only productive for one of the two.” The novel also delves into the question of whether the end justifies the means.

16. Under the Midnight Sun by Keigo Higashino

One of Anthony Horowitz’s favorite authors, Keigo Higashino spins a dark mystery with a twist of industrial espionage in Under the Midnight Sun. It is 1973 when Yosuke Kirihara, an Osaka pawnbroker, is found stabbed to death in an abandoned building. The police finger a few suspects before the novel takes a dramatic turn. We soon find ourselves in the company of Yakuza figures from Japan’s criminal underworld.

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15. Knight Without Armour by James Hilton

Published in the US as Without Armour, Hilton’s thriller was first sold in 1933 and stands the test of time. The plot centers around a British secret agent in Russia who rescues the daughter of a Tsarist minister from a group of Bolshevik revolutionaries. The book comes recommended by ex-CIA officer Christopher Turner, author of The Cassia Spy Ring in WWII Austria.

14. The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad

Polish-British author Joseph Conrad published his terrorist spy book in 1907 - more than a century later it would become one of the world’s most-cited books in the weeks after 9/11. The Secret Agent deals with anarchism, espionage, terrorism, and exploitation of the vulnerable. The main relationship is between Verloc - a spy for an unnamed foreign country who gets involved in an anarchist plot - and his brother-in-law who has an intellectual disability. 

13. Damascus Station: A Novel by David McCloskey

Written by former CIA case officer David McCloskey, Damascus Station deals with a fictional case officer - Sam Joseph - who is sent to Paris to recruit a Syrian Palace official and soon falls for her, leading to danger in Damascus. Marc Polymeropoulos, author of Clarity in Crisis and a CIA counterterrorism expert, cites Damascus Station as one of his two favorite books (the other is Agents of Innocence below): “Both books/authors captured the essence of CIA espionage operations in the Middle East, and most importantly, the relationship between a case officer and their agent.”

12. Bamboo and Blood by James Church

James Church, the pen name of an author described as “a former Western intelligence officer with decades of experience in Asia” is known for his ‘Inspector O’ detective novels which detail Korean society. Church is also the author of Bamboo and Blood, a Cold War spy story involving a North Korean diplomat in Pakistan who dies under suspicious circumstances, recommended by author Kenneth Dekleva.

11. Agents of Innocence and other works by David Ignatius

Agents of Innocence revolves around the Beirut CIA station in the Cold War and is a fictional account of the CIA’s recruitment of Jamal Ramlawi, a high-ranking official of Al Fatah. It is also an analysis of Middle Eastern politics by Ignatius, a Washington Post journalist. The novel explores Lebanon's Palestinian, Christian, and Shiite quarters, and Israel's Mossad, through the lens of fiction. In addition to getting Marc Polymeropoulos’ vote, Dekleva also recommended Agents of Innocence.

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THE TOP TEN COUNTDOWN 

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10. Slow Horses and other works by Mick Herron

Some readers will want to see Mick Herron higher on the list - particularly fans of the series Slow Horses - but competition for real estate is fierce in the upper echelon of the SPYSCAPE Top Spy Novels. Slow Horses is set in Slough House, a purgatory for washed-up MI5 officers who bide their time until they quit or prove they can do more than jam the photocopier. When a man is abducted, the slow horses see an opportunity to redeem themselves - even if the ‘victim’ isn’t who he seems.

9. The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen

Don’t read The Sympathizer because it is a Pulitzer-winning book. Read it because Viet Thanh Nguyen’s debut is an elegant and romantic novel about the legacy of the Vietnam War and a man whose political beliefs clash with his loyalties. The setting is Saigon in 1975 and the last flights are about to leave the country. The lucky depart but they are unaware that a spy is in their midst, traveling with them to Los Angeles where their movements will be reported to the Viet Cong. 

8. Box 88 and other works by Charles Cumming

Charles Cumming is not an MI6 officer. Repeat: Not MI6. Even though the Scottish author may tell you how, in 1995, he was approached by the British Secret Intelligence Service, Cumming wasn’t recruited. Or he might tell you he was approached and then targeted in a honey trap. Or that he went through MI6 training but failed at the last hurdle. We’re not sure which version of the ‘not MI6’ story Cumming is telling these days but we do know that Box 88 deserves its spot in eighth place. It’s about a secret agent who comes of age. And he’s not MI6, okay?

7. The Ipcress File by Len Deighton

You can almost hear the theme music and see Harry Palmer (Michael Caine) smirk over his freshly ground morning coffee as you taste The Ipcress File. The book - and later the movie - are modern classics about a kidnapped scientist but they’re much more than spy stories. They’re a comment about Britain’s class system and the self-confidence of a spy from the streets who wants to show his public school bosses how the game is really played. And once you’ve fallen in love with Palmer, author Len Deighton has cooked up the best meal you’ll ever have in your life.

6. Night Soldiers and other novels by Alan Furst

“Alan Furst is the best in the business,” says SPYEX consultant Jeff Miller, ex-US Army Special Forces and co-author of Vagabonds in the Heart of Darkness. “His novels almost exclusively take place in Europe during the period between the two world wars and are all excellent both in plot and in historical accuracy.” One standout is Night Soldiers and another is one of Jeff’s personal favorites, Mission to Paris, which describes how the Nazis in the 1930s used money, soft power, and coercion to ‘soften up’ France and weaken their resolve in the upcoming war. Miller isn’t the only Furst fan. Ex-CIA officer Patteson also recommends Night Soldiers.

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THE TOP FIVE COUNTDOWN

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5. A Coffin for Dimitrios by Eric Ambler

Tyler Maroney, an expert on corporate intelligence and author of The Modern Detective, is one of several readers of the genre to select Ambler as a favorite author, in particular he enjoyed A Coffin for Dimitrios. “It has it all and inspired all that came later: international intrigue, plot twists, well-sketched characters, and tradecraft. Graham Greene and John LeCarre stand on Ambler’s shoulders.”

4. Ashenden by Somerset Maugham

“It was not till the beginning of September that Ashenden, a writer by profession, who had been abroad at the outbreak of the war, managed to get back to England. He chanced soon after his arrival to go to a party and was there introduced to a middle-aged Colonel whose name he did not catch. He had some talk with him. As he was about to leave this officer came up to him and asked: "I say, I wonder if you'd mind coming to see me. I'd rather like to have a chat with you." And it is with that most British of introductions, we meet Ashenden, based on Maugham’s experiences in British intelligence in WWI. Many listed Ashenden: Or the British Agent as a favorite.

3. From Russia with Love and Ian Fleming's work

Former Mossad Lt. Col. Avner Avraham lists Ian Fleming, a former British Naval Intelligence Department officer, as his favorite author, “The one who created James Bond - 007 - in his books, the number one spy ever since.” Ex-CIA officer J.R. Seeger concurs: “Fleming’s works reflect an entirely different time in the early Cold War. They are well written and stand the test of time - especially From Russia with Love. As we enter a new Cold War, these books will become even more relevant - certainly with regard to tradecraft but in tone and atmospherics.”

2. The Quiet American and Graham Greene's work

Many regard the writer, journalist, and former MI6 officer Graham Greene as one of the leading English novelists of the 20th century. Ex-GCHQ historian Tony Comer cites The Quiet American as one of Greene’s finest novels, noting it deals with the early days of US involvement in Indochina: “Greene highlights the consequences of Pyle’s failure to understand the cultural context in which he is operating, an important lesson for anybody involved in foreign intelligence gathering.” 

"The Human Factor transports readers to the Cold War murk of 1970s' London and illuminates the motivations of MI6/SIS traitors like Kim Philby. Its scenes are vivified with cold rain, slippery cobblestones, tumblers of whisky, and tense encounters with moody dialogue. Readers are transported from their armchairs to a fascinating world of Greene's making," said Turner, the author of The Cassia Spy Ring in World War II Austria and other books. "Similarly, The Heart of the Matter (1948) sweeps readers to West Africa in the 1940s, and Greene's famous film script (and novella), The Third Man (1949), gives viewers (and readers) a peek at the ruins and lurking dangers of postwar Vienna. Realism is a hallmark of Greene's books. He came by this realism not only through travel and living abroad, but also by his wartime service as an intelligence officer."

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1. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and John le Carré’s work

John le Carré, the enigmatic scribbler of microdots and moles, remains at the top of the spying game even after his 2020 death. “Le Carré captured the dirty soul of espionage - and especially counterespionage - and gave us characters better than any contemporary writer of the genre,” said Barry Broman, an ex-CIA officer who once won a game of darts from le Carré during the war in Cambodia. Broman described David Cornwell (his true name) as witty and urbane. “He told great stories in dialect.” 

While Smiley’s People is Barry’s favorite novel, le Carré’s murky novels and devious spymasters clearly strike a chord with many intelligence operatives. Ulrich Larsen and Christopher Turner both ranked The Spy Who Came in From the Cold. Many others praised Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. “Almost all of le Carre's novels are first-rate,” said James Lawler, an ex-CIA officer and author of In the Twinkling of an Eye. “But TTSS stands out for the slow-burn reveal of who the mole in MI-6 is and the ultimate treachery.”
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HONORABLE MENTION - What We’re Reading at SPYSCAPE: 

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