2024 yielded yet another bumper crop of spy books and today we share with you what our Spybrary spy podcast listeners reckon are the best spy books they read in 2024. Unlike traditional reviews penned by critics, Spybrary is powered by people like you, spy book enthusiasts who embody Spybrary's spirit of ‘by spy fans, for spy fans.‘
Just like our popular post highlighting the best spy books of 2023, we've invited our dedicated Spybrary Podcast listeners and community members from around the world to share their best spy books published this year. Read on as we unveil the most captivating and thrilling spy novels of 2024, handpicked by the true aficionados of the espionage genre the paying punters.
Never Mind the Critics, here are the Spybrarians!
We asked our spy book readers.
- What is the best spy book you have read that was published in 2024? (N.B. Some of these books were published in the US in 2023 so there may be overlap as many of our agents are based outside the US. Why can't publishers release these books globally?
So if you are looking for spy book recommendations, then read on.
Warning, Spybrary does not accept any liability for bankruptcies or divorces that may occur as a result of you browsing this list of the best spy thrillers and raiding your reptile fund.
If you are looking to chat all things spy books, then do come and join us over at the Spybrary Community.
(Whilst I have added Amazon links below and yes we do earn a small cut from each purchase, we would love it if you could purchase these books from an independent bookstore. I added the Amazon link so you can read the reviews before deciding to buy.)
Shane Whaley's Best Spy Books of 2024 Picks
What an extraordinary year for spy books! I thought 2023 was chock a bloc with quality spy reads but here comes 2024 to show '23 who is boss! Looking at what is coming down the pike for spy books in 2025 then, we are truly being spoiled.
I struggled to keep up with all the spy books that were published in 2024. There's a handful of authors in the quality spy thriller realm whose books I'd usually devour as soon as they're released. But in 2024, even I had to play catch-up. And let me tell you, that's a delightful problem to have! It's far better to be keeping watch over our tottering to-be-read piles than to find our bookshelves lacking.
Here are my picks, not ranked in any order:
Karla's Choice by Nick Harkaway
Gabriel's Moon by William Boyd
Honour Among Spies by Merle Nygate
Midnight in Vienna by Jane Thynne
The Seventh Floor by David McCloskey
Check out my interview in full with our friends at the Spybrary Approved Five Books – The Best Spy Thrillers of 2024, recommended by Spybrary's Shane Whaley
Then check out our interview with Nick Harkaway, son of John le Carré and the author of Karla's Choice.
Tim Shipman's TOP 10 SPY BOOKS OF 2024
Somewhat belatedly, now I’ve read the main contenders, here are my top spy books of 2024
1. KARLA’S CHOICE, by Nick Harkaway
Not close for me, this. A novel of Le Carre quality in the Smiley universe, which perfectly dovetails between Spy Who Came in From the Cold and Tinker Tailor, Karla’s Choice is a remarkable achievement. It’s new characters are great, the old favourites (particularly Toby and Anne) gain extra layers of meaning and even the brief glimpses (Bill Haydon from the female perspective) are wonderful easter eggs. We see Smiley in the field, what really goes on in his marriage and if the book begins with his motives driven by Leamas’s death, the denouement gives motive force to Smiley’s actions in TTSS and, even more so, Smiley’s People.
In truth, there is a tier break here for me. Any one of the next 7 books could have been at No 2 depending on my mood on a certain day.
2. THE ENIGMA GIRL, by Henry Porter
I’ve not seen this one much discussed in the Spybrary community, but Porter, fresh off his Paul Sansom trilogy, is back with a highly involving new lead character, former MI5 officer Alice ‘Slim’ Parsons, a clever, human, singular figure who is really one of the best female characters I’ve read in recent years. Henry cut this long book, which focuses on an operation to penetrate a web news outfit which is getting classified information, back from something even more epic and has a lot more to come from Slim, which is great news. It’s dark and twisty and with some great supporting characters.
3. THE SEVENTH FLOOR, by David McCloskey
The former CIA analyst’s third outing lacks the exotic locales of Damascus, Moscow and Mexico, but his homage to Tinker Tailor, with the wonderful Artemis Procter leading the molehunt among her former compadres (with the help of Sam Joseph from Damascus Station) is still well executed and packed with tradecraft. From the alligator farms of Florida to the denouement in Paris, Procter is never less than compelling. When I redo my list of authors I think it unlikely DM won't have climbed into the top 20.
4. THE COLLABORATORS, by Michael Idov
Idov’s debut spy fiction (he has previously written some non-fiction) is very nicely done, with characters you care about in a propulsive plot which has some excellent tradecraft (blending new tech with old streetcraft) and an intriguing story combining modern action and historic mystery. It takes a little while before it becomes clear how the various strands of plot come together but when the principals are united it really gathers pace in a way which took over my reading. It's also tight, not much more than 250 pages. There are some intriguing, twisty revelations in the last 50 pages and the payoff is nicely done. More, please, Mr Idov.
5. SHANGHAI, by Joseph Kanon
Only spy adjacent, but Kanon’s latest is his usual combination of phenomenal sense of place and time (China between the outbreak of war in Europe and the Pacific), sharp plot-driving dialogue, plus characters you come to care about facing questions of moral suspense.
6. HONOUR AMONG SPIES, by Merle Nygate
Spybrary’s own, Merle Nygate, has a bit of a triumph on her hands here with her second book featuring Mossad man Ari and a colourful group of supporting characters. The embassy infighting is well done and Ari allowing work and home life to overlap also adds some welcome depth. It takes a while for all the plot strands to come together, but I’m hugely looking forward to the third in the trilogy.
7. THE SHAME ARCHIVE, by Oliver Harris
Another author who has been getting very good reviews, but not much attention in Spybrary. This, his third spy thriller, is the story of what happens when someone steal's MI6's archive of all the smut on politicians and the British establishment. It’s very well executed and puts you in mind of his namesake Robert, in that you know from the first page that you are in the hands of a pro. I liked this well enough that on some days I might have put it as high as #2.
8. A RELUCTANT SPY, by David Goodman
Another very promising debut. I rather like the premise, whereby a “Legends” programme uses the lives of real people as cover for spies under non official cover (while the real people take a holiday), but as others have observed this is just an excuse (when it all goes wrong in a Paris airport bathroom) to get the innocent abroad and into action. If the vibe is part Ambler (unskilled operative discovering a taste for spying) and the set-up is reminiscent of Box 88 and A Spy By Nature (spook under cover with a bad Russian and his family in a closed compound) or vintage Deighton (the office infighting undermines those in the field), this is also very modern, with tech, moral and political dilemmas. The execution is tense and I’ll be buying the next Goodman the day it comes out.
9. ILIUM, by Lea Carpenter
Spurred on by Steven Ritterman’s advocacy, I plunged into this short (220 page) “literary spy thriller”. I was sceptical at first. The writing is great, but this sort of thing can be quite slow. Instead, I read it in two sittings and raced to the end. The characterisation is deep and persuasive. The action is a little limited (it's basically another undercover operative in a “bad” Russian's family compound book) but the impression it leaves is powerful.
10. THE TRAP, by Ava Glass
A summit in Scotland, a dodgy Russian in town, a terrorist plot and Alias Emma out to stop them. Tense, fast moving and well executed, with a surprising and rather touching love interest too.
ALSO RECOMMENDED
· EVERY SPY A TRAITOR, by Alex Gerlis – My first Gerlis and there is much to like. Alex draws intriguing characters and puts them in interesting dilemmas. There’s a good sense of time and place and some real tension. He clearly knows his stuff on the activities of the Comintern. My one criticism would be that it’s a tad episodic and we are still meeting a lot of new characters late on in proceedings but I think that is entirely the consequence of this being the first in a new series. Roll on No 2.
· MIDNIGHT IN VIENNA, by Jane Thynne
Philip Kerr’s widow shows that she knows how to capture the sounds, smells and fear of the 1930s with the same aplomb as her late husband. The female lead is admirable and feels real as she works to find out what happened to the star detective writer who hired her the day he died. A trip to Vienna provides the clues and some entertaining supporting characters.
· GABRIEL’S MOON, by William Boyd – For me, not as good as Restless, but Boyd writes like a dream and his lead is a very well-drawn fish out of water in the espionage game, with mummy issues. I didn’t feel the plot quite drove things forward as I would have liked but every page is a good place to spend some time.
STILL TO READ
I’ll also give Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner a go. Ilium has restored my faith in the “literary spy thriller”.
SPY FICTION AND OTHER THRILLERS I LIKED A LOT, NOT PUBLISHED IN 2024
· SAFE HOUSES, by Dan Fesperman (2018)
Another writer who is going to zoom up the authors list when I redo it. This is, to quote that man Craggs, “premier cru” spy fiction: classy characters in a well constructed story which brings the tradecraft and plot/character evolution in a well paced and organised way to a satisfying conclusion which also offers a decent twist. Unlike some dual timeline novels, I found myself invested equally in both. If I was doing a best of 2018, this just pips London Rules to go top.
· MUIR’S GAMBIT, by Michael Frost Beckner (2022)
I finally got around to Beckner’s extension of his Spy Game universe and came away hugely impressed by his characterisation, dialogue and visual eye for a story – as you would expect from a highly successful screenwriter. I found myself savouring each scene and the interplay between Muir and Aitken, so this was a feast rather than a meal I was propelled through by the plot. It’s a bit episodic but there are twists aplenty and I’m looking forward to the second course.
· THE NIGHT AGENT, by Matthew Quirk (2019)
I thought I’d give this a go before watching the TV series and I was very pleasantly surprised. Quirk writes much better than most commercial thriller writers and has a fine eye for the tension and pacing of a top notch conspiracy thriller. Gripping stuff.
· KILLER INTENT, by Tony Kent (2018)
This begins with an assassination attempt and comes from a similar universe to the Quirk, with a conspiracy in high places, gradually uncovered by a principled spook, a lawyer with a dark past and an intrepid reporter. Kent is good at the kinetic stuff, but also creates well rounded characters – the scenes when Devlin returns to his native Belfast are particularly affecting. I’ll be reading more of both Quirk and Kent in 2025.
· MOSCOW ROAD, by Simon Harvester (1970)
A classic spy novel featuring Harvester's series spy Dorian Silk, a shrewd cookie who fights the Stasi, the KGB and several femme fatales in Berlin and Moscow. Tight, taut, sexy and well written with a sardonic tone, this is a cut above a lot of the other Fleming/Deighton immitators.
· APPOINTMENT IN TEHRAN, by James Stejskal (2021)
I read my first novel by Spybrary’s own former special forces soldier James Stejskal. I was impressed by the tradecraft. There’s a surveillance training exercise which is absolutely griping. He also constructs a good story around real events. This is a bit more kinetic than my core spy reading but it’s very far from a Kalashnikov Kid shootout with supermen immune to bullets.
· THIRTEEN, by Steve Cavanagh (2018)
I also tried my first by Britain’s king of the high concept legal thriller. The hook for this one is arresting: the serial killer is not in the dock, he’s on the jury. Cavanagh keeps this high wire act on the road and knows how to structure a page turner.
LOOKING FORWARD TO IN 2025
Firstly, I’ve just completed PRESUMED GUILTY, the new legal thriller by Scott Turow, whose debut Presumed Innocent is among my top 10 favourite thrillers of any description. This is the third book to feature the lead from PI, Rusty Sablich. Turow is a proper writer, schooled from his career as a prosecutor and defence lawyer in the human condition. This is a really compelling read, which delves deeply into the impact of a murder trial on the family of the accused and asks serious questions about the state of US justice and the chances of the truth emerging in court. Most of all though, it is a page turner
Straight out of the box, this looks like being another strong year, with many of the leading spy writers close to publishing more. I’m 200 pages into Charles Beaumont’s second book, A SPY AT WAR, and it’s another accomplished book. I’m ready to dive into the proof of Dan Fesperman’s PARIAH (due in July in the UK).
Michael Frost Beckner – Spy Game Screenwriter
Author of the Kaleidoscope Spy Book Series
It's not fair! Two that I am pretty sure will be on the list are among the little pile my good children have followed orders and WRAPPED & PUT UNDER THE TREE! Here are three I am thrilled to have certainty on.
Honour Among Spies by Merle Nygate
The Seventh Floor by David McCloskey
Beirut Station by Paul Vidich
These three I loved! And I would add this: we had an absolute abundance of great novels this year. I'll fill in the blanks with a little bit of the “why” each of them touched me when the list rounds out.
Vaughn Johnson
The Seventh Floor by David McCloskey – a fantastic exploration of the characters from David McCloskey’s first novel as they move forward in time.
A Death in Cornwall – Daniel Silva has turned the pattern into predictable yet entertaining discovery of places and people otherwise unknown.
James Stejskal
Kaleidoscope (A Spy Game Serial) 4th of July by Michael Frost Beckner — A (relatively) short but tantalizing novella that scratches out the history of a spy family as intriguing as Charles McCarry’s Christophers but perhaps more treacherous than the House of Borgia. A twisted journey and ropes of sand, a wilderness of mirrors, the dancing lights, broken mirrors, and twisting figures of a kaleidoscope await the reader in a uniquely written tale that promises redemption, revenge, and betrayal — all spinning around an all-American family unlike any other. Highly recommended like all his others.
The Seventh Floor by David McCloskey — The author's experience as a former CIA officer show in his writing, the tradecraft he infuses into the story is genuinely accurate and the 7th Floor’s bureaucracy maddeningly real. A whirlwind performance by my favorite antagonist Artemis Procter (she succeeds in antagonizing everyone).
Shanghai by Joseph Kanon — not fully “spy” but it's Kanon. Danial Lohr, a Jew in Germany, must escape the Nazis to one of the few places that will accept them, Shanghai. He submerges himself in the lawless nightlife of an alien culture, trying to stay alive in a world of secret police, gangs, and political warlords where the only certain thing is that life is cheap. Tense, historical, entertaining…
Check out James Stejskals‘ spy thriller books!
Bruce Dravis
My best spy books “published in 2024” list is Karla's Choice, Seventh Floor, and the first three installments of Kaleidoscope.
I also read some Slow Horses books, John le Carré's Murder of Quality (pretty bitter reflection on public school experience), and finished Beckner's Aiken Trilogy–very good and a unique twist on how to tell a spy story.
Martin Paul
I'm going to eschew the obvious ones – Karla's Choice and Gabriel's Moon and go for THE RELUCTANT SPY by David Goodman , MIDNIGHT IN VIENNA by Jane Thynne and BERLIN DUET by SW Perry.
A Reluctant Spy by Dave Goodwin, because it mixes old-school espionage with new-school tech, and features my favourite scenario – amateur dragged into the Game, and way out of his depth.
Midnight in Vienna by Jane Thynne, because the prose is spot-on, it's set in my favourite pre-WW2 era, and Vienna just comes alive.
Berlin Duet by SW Perry because it's a spy story set against the rise of Naziism, seen through the eyes of a young girl who tried to capture period through her camera, while joining in the Game.
Read more of Martin's reviews at GoodReads.
Listen to our Spybrary interview with Charlotte Philby.
Stephen England – Thriller Author
Michael Beckner is quite possibly the most unabashedly duplicitous writer of the spy fiction renaissance, and the Kaleidoscope serial novellas showcase his work at its most devious and most literary, with each episode–like, indeed, the turn of a kaleidoscope–serving to alter and reframe the story being told until the reader begins to realize just how trackless a wilderness of mirrors they've wandered into.
The story of an All-American family enmeshed in the world's second oldest profession, Kaleidoscope is a family saga and a spy thriller rolled into one, and though I look forward anxiously to the final episodes, I'm pretty confident that no one–possibly including the reader–is walking away unscathed. The plotting and pacing is brilliant, and Beckner has a talent for prose possessed by few in the business. Fans of the cult classic film “Spy Game” will be delighted to see its creator's genius given free rein.
Check out Stephen England's books
Steve Ritterman
The three best spy books I enjoyed the most that were published in 2024 were….
ILIUM by Lea Carpenter. A slim volume that globetrots throughout Europe with a Highsmith vibe. A 2-day espio-read that thoroughly satisfied…..
KARLA'S CHOICE by Nick Harkaway…..A spectacular achievement that not only surpassed the hopes of JLC fans, but cemented it's place within the ‘Smiley' timeline. Essential reading for all Circus lovers.
PHANTOM ORBIT by David Ignatius. A welcome back to form for this talented writer. While books laden with ‘tech' are not my usual go-to, I found this story fascinating. PS….my only regret is not being able to get my hands on William Boyd's GABRIEL MOON. Something tells me it might have elbowed it's way into the top tier.
Karl Gunnar Oen (Oslo Station)
2024 is a great year for Spy Novels, but the different UK/Europe vs US publishing dates play havoc on my list.
Karla’s Choice by Nick Harkaway and Honour Among Spies by Merle Nygate are no-brainers.
I’ve only read the first installment of Michael Beckner’s Kaleidoscope, but it absolutely deserves a mention. Charles Beaumont’s A Spy Alone was published too late to make the shops in 2023, and I read it as soon as I could get hold of it – in 2024.
I also like to put in a kind word for Moscow X, which was published over here in 2024.
‘These are my choices, if you don’t like them, I’ve got others.’
Ted Smith (Utah Station)
My top spy books for 2024:
Karla’s Choice (Nick Harkaway). Wonderful homage to Nick’s father, John le Carré. Fits beautifully into the George Smiley world. The highlight for me was the opportunity to see Smiley in action as an agent (the scene at the Czecho border is stunning). Yes, George can drive a car (even a Trabant) very fast.
The Siege (Ben MacIntyre). I have a vague recollection of the SAS rescue of the hostages, but was unaware of the underlying story. As only he can do, and even though I knew how it would end, Ben’s recounting of the events and personalities was thrilling.
Shane – The Siege is non fiction rather than a spy fiction thriller but it reads like one and its Spybrary Approved so we will keep the inclusion.
Shanghai (Joseph Kanon). Excellent love story and highly atmospheric re-creation of Shanghai (in Japanese hands), one of the few places that would issue visas to Jews fleeing Hitler.
Honorable Mentions.
The Seventh Floor (David McCloskey). The further adventures of Artemis Procter in tracking a mole inside the CIA. It’s excellent.
Kaleidoscope (Michael Frost Beckner). Technically not a 2024 book because we’ve only received three of the five planned installments (you can bet that the completed project will be top of my list for 2025). If you think you have family issues, meet the Kingstons.
Yogi Huh (Our Man in South Korea)
The Peacock and the Sparrow by I.S.Berry
Moscow X by David McCloskey
Muir's Gambit by Michael Frost Beckner
A Spy Alone by Charles Beaumont
Michael Martz
The Seventh Floor by David McCloskey
“The Seventh Floor” is a crackerjack follow-up to David McCloskey's “Moscow X”, featuring main characters from his fine first two novels. It's McCloskey's spin on the ubiquitous (at least in spy fiction) ‘there's a mole in a key position in our agency!' story, but he's self-aware enough to throw a couple references to le Carre's great TTSS.
Karla's Choice by Nick Harkaway
Nick Harkaway, son of John Le Carre' (David Cornwell) has pulled off the near impossible with “Karla's Choice”, creating a piece of spy literature that reverberates almost seamlessly with the look and feel of his old man's work. As far as I'm concerned, it's a triumph and should be welcomed by any and all fans of his late father.
Phantom Orbit by David Ignatius.
In ‘Phantom Orbit', David Ignatius does what he does best (other than writing great columns for the Washington Post): he pens great spy novels with great plots, characters you can care about, and timely topics. Unlike his lackluster “Quantum Spy”, Ignatius doesn't get too far down into the weeds in Phantom Orbit on technical issues.
Read more of Michael's spy thriller reviews over on GoodReads.
Graham Roberts
Kennedy 35, Karla’s Choice and Gabriel’s Moon.
All beautifully written and subtle use of spycraft with an honourable mention for the peacock and the sparrow which should be on anyone’s list but 4 into 3 places is tough.
John McAtamney
My top three for 2024 are The Peacock and the Sparrow by I.S. Berry – loved the atmosphere, tradecraft and the writing style just clicked with me, The Enigma Girl by Henry Porter – great characters and his passion for journalism shines through and Honour Among Spies by Merle Nygate – great characters, tradecraft and great storytelling. Other favourites read in 2024 but published in 2023 are A Spy Alone by Charles Beaumont and Kennedy 35 by Charles Cumming.
James McShane – Dublin Station
Beirut Station – Paul Vidich
Honour Among Spies – Merle Nygate
A Reluctant Spy – David Goodman
Karla’s Choice – Nick Harkaway
What were the best spy books you read in 2024?
What spy books are you excited to read in 2025?
Let us know over in our Spybrary community
