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21 Best Spy Books

Goal: Find the best Spy books according to the internet (not just one person's opinion).

Method:

  1. Search for "best spy books" and study the top 5+ pages.
  2. Add only the books mentioned 2+ times.
  3. Rank the results neatly here.

21 Best Spy Books

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1

The Sympathizer

A Novel

by Viet Thanh Nguyen

Also recommended by:

Bill Gates, Max Levchin

2

The Quiet American

by Graham Greene

Also recommended by:

Anthony Bourdain, Richard Branson

3

The Bourne Identity

Jason Bourne Book #1

by Robert Ludlum

Also recommended by:

Shah Rukh Khan

4

The Day of the Jackal

by Frederick Forsyth

Also recommended by:

Ben Shapiro

5

The Secrets We Kept

A Novel

by Lara Prescott

Also recommended by:

Reese Witherspoon

6

Red Sparrow

The Red Sparrow Trilogy, Book 1

by Jason Matthews

7

The Kill Artist

Gabriel Allon, Book 1

by Daniel Silva

8

The Spy Who Came in from the Cold

A George Smiley Novel

by John le Carré

9

The Thirty-Nine Steps

Richard Hannay, Book 1

by John Buchan

10

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

A George Smiley Novel

by John le Carré

11

American Spy

A Novel

by Lauren Wilkinson

Also recommended by:

Barack Obama

12

The Hunt for Red October

A Jack Ryan Novel, Book 1

by Tom Clancy

Also recommended by:

Charles Koch

13

At Risk

Liz Carlyle, Book 1

by Stella Rimington

14

Casino Royale

James Bond, Book 1

by Ian Fleming

15

Diary of a Dead Man on Leave

by David Downing

16

Need to Know

A Novel

by Karen Cleveland

17

Night Soldiers

A Novel

by Alan Furst

18

Restless

A Novel

by William Boyd

19

The Alice Network

A Novel

by Kate Quinn

20

The Eye of the Needle

A Novel

by Ken Follett

21

The Gray Man

Gray Man, Book 1

by Mark Greaney

Sources

Edited by

Richard Reis

Software engineer whose passion for tracking book recommendations from podcasts inspired the creation of MRB.

Anurag Ramdasan

Lead investor at 3one4 Capital whose startup expertise and love for books helped shaped MRB and its growth.

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21 Best Spy Books (2025)