Top ten spy thrillers
Lazenby880
LondonPosts: 525MI6 Agent
In a spy novel discussion group I frequent I recently posted my top ten spy thrillers. To contrast and compare opinion other spy novel fans might like to post their top ten/top five. (One might notice the absence of le Carré. That is deliberate: I think his work is hogwash!). 
1) Eric Ambler–Uncommon Danger (1937)
The best novel by unquestionably my favourite writer. Gripped with a disturbing sense of paranoia and deep-seated fear, Ambler, unlike most of his predecessors, provides many psychological insights into the men involved in espionage. Here a journalist, Kenton, takes the chance to earn a fee helping a refugee (calling himself a German Jew) smuggle securities across the border. Afterwards he discovers that he has smuggled documents far more valuable than mere securities; documents so vital that people will kill to get them. Ambler's characters are wonderfully drawn, especially the un-heroic Kenton and Zaleshoff. Indeed, as opposed to the courageous defenders of darling Britain who inhabited the genre previously, Ambler's central characters are ordinary men thrust into a world for which they are ill-prepared, men whose exploits are therefore more identifiable and enjoyable. However, perhaps most successful is the novel's mood and atmosphere: deliciously noir with plenty twists that leave the reader gasping.
2) Geoffrey Household–Rogue Male (1939)
The definitive man-on-the-run thriller. The first-person story is pitched perfectly for this sort of confessional novel, and Household fashions a breathless, anxious and alive narrative propelled forward by the thrilling quality of his writing and the sparse feeling of desperation on the part of the narrator. A self-appointed mission to assassinate an enemy country's leader (who remains anonymous, although it is quite obviously Hitler) goes wrong, and the narrator then finds himself pursued across country and then, having escaped by ship, in Britain. Should you read it you will find yourself on the edge of your seat: Rogue Male is an unsettling read which delves into the mind of a man determined to assassinate his country's foe (although a more personal motivation is later revealed) while providing many a thrill along the way. Paced superbly and quintessentially British, in Rogue Male Household created a most exciting thriller.
3) Eric Ambler–Cause for Alarm (1937)
Rather than East Europe, Cause for Alarm sees Ambler's `hero' in Mussolini's Italy. Marlow takes a job in Milan after the previous occupant of the post dies, a death which Marlow later discovers was rather more sinister than one would first imagine. Finding himself courted by two agents with two divergent agendas, Marlow is an ordinary man of no special talent placed in an intensely awkward position, until slowly he is closed in upon and told, in no uncertain terms, that "You have no choice". Again dripping in an aura of suspicion and mistrust, Ambler depicts the world of espionage as a grubby place, in which all sides, in pursuit of their agendas, are equally as bad. There is no good side. Oddly enough for a Conservative (in the British, paternalistic, One Nation sense), I enjoy this refreshing neutralism: Eric Ambler was a remarkably sophisticated writer who thrilled while granting valuable glimpses into the cold atmosphere of pre-World War II Europe.
4) Ian Fleming–You Only Live Twice (1964)
Whether this counts as a 'spy thriller' is debatable as it is essentially an intensely atmospheric novel about birth and rebirth. Without doubt the strongest of the Bond canon, Fleming depicts a broken man in the depths of depression after the murder of his wife. Sent to Japan and partnered by two of Fleming's best supporting characters–Dikko Henderson and Tiger Tanaka–You Only Live Twice drips in a haunting aura as post-war Japan is conveyed in gorgeous detail. Kissy Suzuki may be the best of Bond's girls, the only one to truly *need* Bond and a woman who seeps under the skin of the reader. Moving, tragic, bizarre and poignant: You Only Live Twice is a rich tapestry and the most affecting of Fleming's Bond thrillers.
5) Joseph Hone–The Private Sector (1971)
This criminally forgotten novel is an intelligently crafted spy novel written with such imaginative flourish that the primary setting–post-Colonial Egypt–truly emerges from the page. The writing is alive, Hone delighting in his spirited use of the English language to create a vivid and colourful atmosphere. The characterisation feels incredibly real, each of Hone's cast has a myriad of flaws and is adapting to the cold and callous world of international espionage. The Private Sector is a highly literate read, so much so that one's mind must focus entirely on the story so that one does not get lost in all the twists and turns. With focus, though, comes great enjoyment as this is a particularly believable account of intrigue.
6) Eric Ambler–The Mask of Dimitrios (1939)
Described commonly as his best work, Ambler's The Mask of Dimitrios is a patiently plotted novel following the travels of Charles Latimer, writer of several roman policiers, as he investigates the career of the notorious Dimitrios, whose corpse has been identified in Istanbul (where Latimer is staying). Looking over the essential flaw in the story that it is rather implausible that someone would go travelling around Europe following the career of a dead criminal, The Mask of Dimitrios has a psychological depth and a fascinating dramatis personae. The last two chapters include some of Ambler's best writing, as Latimer's search reaches its conclusion and he makes a shocking discovery. An enthralling adventure which sees Ambler's writing at a consistent high, with almost every chapter ending on a tantalising cliff-hanger.
7) Ian Fleming–From Russia with Love (1957)
Fleming's cold war thriller. Always more inventive structurally than his critics allow, the first third of From Russia with Love is devoted solely to the build-up of the plot and Bond does not appear until the second act. This is quite Ambleresque in tone, something Fleming acknowledges tacitly in a mention of The Mask of Dimitrios. The Istanbul setting is realised beautifully, the train scenes are tense and exciting and the narrative grips the reader from the start. Crackerjack writing from Fleming with some stunning imagery and a level of romanticism to which we are not used, From Russia with Love is a superb thriller which captures perfectly the paranoia of the time.
8) John Buchan–The Thirty-Nine Steps (1915)
"I returned from the City about three o'clock on that May afternoon pretty well disgusted with life." So opens one of the most influential works in the genre and a highly popular novel of pre-war derring-do. Richard Hannay, our gentleman adventurer, hears of a German plot to kill the Greek prime minister in London from a free-lance spy. Days later, that spy is dead. Hannay continues his work in a breathless tale: the chase across Scotland is a piece of classic thriller writing which his successors in the genre often imitated. The story remains very readable, even though there are some political asides which are off-putting–there can be no justification for talk of "Jew-anarchists". One must try to ignore this sort of thing, common in some other authors of the time, as the story itself is adventurous and energetic and most certainly worth a read.
9) Erskine Childers–The Riddle of the Sands (1903)
Immensely popular and influential in the spy novel genre, The Riddle of the Sands was one of the first spy thrillers and still stands up to scrutiny today. Greatly enjoyable, the plot revolves around the uncovering of German preparations for war against Great Britain. The writing is of a consistently high calibre and the colouring of the local landscapes authentic. Read as a commentary on Britain's lack of preparedness and almost lackadaisical strategy of defence against Germany Childers' novel was a stark warning to the British collective psyche; read as a thriller it is dangerous and exciting and daring with some wonderful writing.
10) Adam Hall–The 9th Directive (1966)
Quiller in Bangkok; this is probably the most divergent novel in the list in tone however it is a frantic, nail-biting tale in which scenes are slowed right down so that the reader sweats when Quiller sweats. With sparse story-telling and a neurotic, hard-bitten central character, Hall crafts an incredibly tense thriller which finds Quiller assigned to protect an unnamed British VIP in the Far East. Adam Hall knows how to create an atmosphere and one of the most disturbing aspects of his novels is the unreliability of Quiller's narration: very often Quiller will reveal suddenly that he is confronting a character of whom we have not heard. It turns out that he has noticed this character following him but he has neglected to inform the reader: this ensures an unnerving read during which Hall maintains a degree of anxiety that enthrals and rivets.
1) Eric Ambler–Uncommon Danger (1937)
The best novel by unquestionably my favourite writer. Gripped with a disturbing sense of paranoia and deep-seated fear, Ambler, unlike most of his predecessors, provides many psychological insights into the men involved in espionage. Here a journalist, Kenton, takes the chance to earn a fee helping a refugee (calling himself a German Jew) smuggle securities across the border. Afterwards he discovers that he has smuggled documents far more valuable than mere securities; documents so vital that people will kill to get them. Ambler's characters are wonderfully drawn, especially the un-heroic Kenton and Zaleshoff. Indeed, as opposed to the courageous defenders of darling Britain who inhabited the genre previously, Ambler's central characters are ordinary men thrust into a world for which they are ill-prepared, men whose exploits are therefore more identifiable and enjoyable. However, perhaps most successful is the novel's mood and atmosphere: deliciously noir with plenty twists that leave the reader gasping.
2) Geoffrey Household–Rogue Male (1939)
The definitive man-on-the-run thriller. The first-person story is pitched perfectly for this sort of confessional novel, and Household fashions a breathless, anxious and alive narrative propelled forward by the thrilling quality of his writing and the sparse feeling of desperation on the part of the narrator. A self-appointed mission to assassinate an enemy country's leader (who remains anonymous, although it is quite obviously Hitler) goes wrong, and the narrator then finds himself pursued across country and then, having escaped by ship, in Britain. Should you read it you will find yourself on the edge of your seat: Rogue Male is an unsettling read which delves into the mind of a man determined to assassinate his country's foe (although a more personal motivation is later revealed) while providing many a thrill along the way. Paced superbly and quintessentially British, in Rogue Male Household created a most exciting thriller.
3) Eric Ambler–Cause for Alarm (1937)
Rather than East Europe, Cause for Alarm sees Ambler's `hero' in Mussolini's Italy. Marlow takes a job in Milan after the previous occupant of the post dies, a death which Marlow later discovers was rather more sinister than one would first imagine. Finding himself courted by two agents with two divergent agendas, Marlow is an ordinary man of no special talent placed in an intensely awkward position, until slowly he is closed in upon and told, in no uncertain terms, that "You have no choice". Again dripping in an aura of suspicion and mistrust, Ambler depicts the world of espionage as a grubby place, in which all sides, in pursuit of their agendas, are equally as bad. There is no good side. Oddly enough for a Conservative (in the British, paternalistic, One Nation sense), I enjoy this refreshing neutralism: Eric Ambler was a remarkably sophisticated writer who thrilled while granting valuable glimpses into the cold atmosphere of pre-World War II Europe.
4) Ian Fleming–You Only Live Twice (1964)
Whether this counts as a 'spy thriller' is debatable as it is essentially an intensely atmospheric novel about birth and rebirth. Without doubt the strongest of the Bond canon, Fleming depicts a broken man in the depths of depression after the murder of his wife. Sent to Japan and partnered by two of Fleming's best supporting characters–Dikko Henderson and Tiger Tanaka–You Only Live Twice drips in a haunting aura as post-war Japan is conveyed in gorgeous detail. Kissy Suzuki may be the best of Bond's girls, the only one to truly *need* Bond and a woman who seeps under the skin of the reader. Moving, tragic, bizarre and poignant: You Only Live Twice is a rich tapestry and the most affecting of Fleming's Bond thrillers.
5) Joseph Hone–The Private Sector (1971)
This criminally forgotten novel is an intelligently crafted spy novel written with such imaginative flourish that the primary setting–post-Colonial Egypt–truly emerges from the page. The writing is alive, Hone delighting in his spirited use of the English language to create a vivid and colourful atmosphere. The characterisation feels incredibly real, each of Hone's cast has a myriad of flaws and is adapting to the cold and callous world of international espionage. The Private Sector is a highly literate read, so much so that one's mind must focus entirely on the story so that one does not get lost in all the twists and turns. With focus, though, comes great enjoyment as this is a particularly believable account of intrigue.
6) Eric Ambler–The Mask of Dimitrios (1939)
Described commonly as his best work, Ambler's The Mask of Dimitrios is a patiently plotted novel following the travels of Charles Latimer, writer of several roman policiers, as he investigates the career of the notorious Dimitrios, whose corpse has been identified in Istanbul (where Latimer is staying). Looking over the essential flaw in the story that it is rather implausible that someone would go travelling around Europe following the career of a dead criminal, The Mask of Dimitrios has a psychological depth and a fascinating dramatis personae. The last two chapters include some of Ambler's best writing, as Latimer's search reaches its conclusion and he makes a shocking discovery. An enthralling adventure which sees Ambler's writing at a consistent high, with almost every chapter ending on a tantalising cliff-hanger.
7) Ian Fleming–From Russia with Love (1957)
Fleming's cold war thriller. Always more inventive structurally than his critics allow, the first third of From Russia with Love is devoted solely to the build-up of the plot and Bond does not appear until the second act. This is quite Ambleresque in tone, something Fleming acknowledges tacitly in a mention of The Mask of Dimitrios. The Istanbul setting is realised beautifully, the train scenes are tense and exciting and the narrative grips the reader from the start. Crackerjack writing from Fleming with some stunning imagery and a level of romanticism to which we are not used, From Russia with Love is a superb thriller which captures perfectly the paranoia of the time.
8) John Buchan–The Thirty-Nine Steps (1915)
"I returned from the City about three o'clock on that May afternoon pretty well disgusted with life." So opens one of the most influential works in the genre and a highly popular novel of pre-war derring-do. Richard Hannay, our gentleman adventurer, hears of a German plot to kill the Greek prime minister in London from a free-lance spy. Days later, that spy is dead. Hannay continues his work in a breathless tale: the chase across Scotland is a piece of classic thriller writing which his successors in the genre often imitated. The story remains very readable, even though there are some political asides which are off-putting–there can be no justification for talk of "Jew-anarchists". One must try to ignore this sort of thing, common in some other authors of the time, as the story itself is adventurous and energetic and most certainly worth a read.
9) Erskine Childers–The Riddle of the Sands (1903)
Immensely popular and influential in the spy novel genre, The Riddle of the Sands was one of the first spy thrillers and still stands up to scrutiny today. Greatly enjoyable, the plot revolves around the uncovering of German preparations for war against Great Britain. The writing is of a consistently high calibre and the colouring of the local landscapes authentic. Read as a commentary on Britain's lack of preparedness and almost lackadaisical strategy of defence against Germany Childers' novel was a stark warning to the British collective psyche; read as a thriller it is dangerous and exciting and daring with some wonderful writing.
10) Adam Hall–The 9th Directive (1966)
Quiller in Bangkok; this is probably the most divergent novel in the list in tone however it is a frantic, nail-biting tale in which scenes are slowed right down so that the reader sweats when Quiller sweats. With sparse story-telling and a neurotic, hard-bitten central character, Hall crafts an incredibly tense thriller which finds Quiller assigned to protect an unnamed British VIP in the Far East. Adam Hall knows how to create an atmosphere and one of the most disturbing aspects of his novels is the unreliability of Quiller's narration: very often Quiller will reveal suddenly that he is confronting a character of whom we have not heard. It turns out that he has noticed this character following him but he has neglected to inform the reader: this ensures an unnerving read during which Hall maintains a degree of anxiety that enthrals and rivets.
Comments
I haven't read a lot of spy fiction, other than Fleming's, but I did enjoy Ashenden or: The British Agent by Somerset Maugham. It's very different from the Bond books in that the main character is not a man of action and rarely even knows the results of his work. He is a writer who has been recruited to be a secret agent and his work revolves around his ability to understand and influence people. He is not infallible: he makes mistakes, has doubts, has regrets. The book is very readable due to both the quality of writing and the fact that although it's organized like a novel, each of its chapters can be read as a short story. Fleming fans will also note that the secret agent takes his orders from a contact named "R." and that the chapter His Excellency is similar to Fleming's Quantum of Solace in that both have to do with a dinner party host who tells a story with a twist at the end.
I am afraid that I cannot stand le Carré's work; I find it unnecessarily monotonous and I loathe his incredibly sparse style. I remember reading The Spy Who Came In From The Cold and thinking: 'Is this it?'. I soldiered on and read some of his other stuff, most recently his latest Absolute Friends, and I still do not understand what all the fuss is about. His novels are uninvolving, his story-telling on the mean side of economical and the political points are made with stupefying obviousness. I also do not think he is anywhere near as insightful psychologically as others claim. On that point, Hilly, if you are a fan of le Carré you might like to try Joseph Hone's The Private Sector as Hone satisfies all the attributes most link (mistakenly, in my opinion) with le Carré's name.
Still, as you say, we do still have OHMSS in common.
This is an incredible conicidence as I have that novel on my reading list: it is actually mentioned at the back of my copy of The Private Sector and thought it looked worth a try. Littel is a writer I have not yet sought out (I think he is entirely out of print in the UK, although I understand he is still in print over in the States). Do you have any more thoughts on The Defection of AJ Lewinter 00-agent?
Id be interested in seeing other folks recomendations too
Ive recently picked up both Ashenden and The 39 Steps but havent got round to reading them yet
but I am persuaded Ill need to be reading some Eric Ambler now too
how about Joseph Conrads The Secret Agent? I know Heart of Darkness is one of my favourite books ever, and it seems he also wrote an early spy novel
also most of Hitchcocks 1930s movies were spy stories, so I guess there must be literary sources for those as well
Ive read a few epiodes of Will Eisners pre-Spirit comic strip Espionage With Black X, which were actionpacked protoBond type adventures told in a half dozen pages or less. This series ran in Smash Comics in the late 30s/early 40s, and ACs Men Of Mystery comics has reprinted some of those