Best espionage/ cop thriller novel ever?

[mandrill]

Am in the mood for a "good read" and thought I would mine the collective lode of the TERB national consciousness. Can anyone suggest a really good, well researched cop or espionage thriller.

My tastes run to early Frederick Forsythe - i.e Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File - or Martin Cruz Smith's "Gorky Park". And yes, those are my 3 suggestions for best thriller ever.

 

[willie]

"Mystic River"Dennis Lehane

=willie

 

[Shades]

Series of 4 books by Robert Wilson...the Javier Falcon police mysteries set in Barcelona. Excellent read. Too bad he retired Javier at the end of the 4th book.

 

[Danolo]

A series of books by Ted Allbeury.

They were all written just after the second World war, and are very true to life. Albeury was an espionage specialist for the SOE and knows. His writing style is excellent.

He's out of print and you may have to search the used book stores. He wrote about 30 novels.

 

[TDL2003]

Any of W.E.B. Griffin's book series.

http://www.webgriffin.com/home.html

 

[afterhours]

it's hard to beat The Jackal but try John le Carré. He worked for MI5 and MI6 in the 1950s and 1960s, and IMHO he is damn good.

 

[69Shooter]

Along Came a Spider or Kiss the Girls both by James Patterson

 

[slowpoke]

Ed McBain aka Evan Hunter
Michael Connolly
Ian Rankin aka Jack Harvey
Tom Brady
Peter Robinson
John Harvey
Frances Fyfield
Minnette Walters
Reginald Hill
Robert Crais
Lawrence Block

 

[Bopper2]

try "Headhunter" by Michael Slade.
Michael Slade is a pen name for group of BC lawyers.

 

[train]

try "Headhunter" by Michael Slade.
Michael Slade is a pen name for group of BC lawyers.

I believe its one lawyer and his daughter now use that nom de plume.

Classic espionage or WWII espionage

Ken Follet - Eye of the Needle or The Key to Rebecca

Robert Harris - Enigma

Geg Isles - Black Cross

Cold War

Len Deighton - a trilogy including Berlin Game , Mexico Set, and London Match

More recent

Daniel Silva - any are good but try Moscow Rules

 

[Brill]

Robert Ludlum is in the same espionage thriller vein, but I found him a bit repetitious. His Bourne movies are well done.

For crime novels, I really like anything by James Ellroy, George Pelecanos, Elmore Leonard, and Ian Rankin.

 

[benstt]

Am in the mood for a "good read" and thought I would mine the collective lode of the TERB national consciousness. Can anyone suggest a really good, well researched cop or espionage thriller.

My tastes run to early Frederick Forsythe - i.e Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File - or Martin Cruz Smith's "Gorky Park". And yes, those are my 3 suggestions for best thriller ever.

One of my favourites...

Police/Mystery/Thriller:
The Poet - Michael Connelly

I have to ponder the spy novels. Little Drummer Girl by LeCarre was a favourite once.

Fun stuff....

Thriller/PI/Mayhem
The Elvis Cole novels by Robert Crais (LA Requiem, for example)
The Jack Reacher novels by Lee Child

 

[gar]

One of my favourites...

Police/Mystery/Thriller:
The Poet - Michael Connolly

I have to ponder the spy novels. Little Drummer Girl by LeCarre was a favourite once.

Fun stuff....

Thriller/PI/Mayhem
The Elvis Cole novels by Robert Crais (LA Requiem, for example)
The Jack Reacher novels by Lee Child

Agree with you about Connolly's The Poet, it's the best of the Harry Bosch
novels.
I enjoyed the Mallory series by Carol O'Connell.
Silence of the Lambs is much better than the movie.

 

[moresex4me]

No question, the original Bourne novels by Ludlum should be on your list. And I do like the early Forsyth novels, especially Day of the Jackal. Great book.

 

[benstt]

I have to ponder the spy novels. Little Drummer Girl by LeCarre was a favourite once.

Following up... I think the spy novels depend a lot on what you're aiming for. Le Carre has some great novels, with 'The Spy Who Came in from the Cold' being considered one of his best, and one of the best spy novels ever. This is cold war stuff, so you have to like that era as a subject.

As mentioned, 'Little Drummer Girl' kicked ass when I read it, but it is outside of his regular characters. Israeli/Palestinian issues, not Soviet/MI6.

I didn't like later Le Carre books as much, but that could be more about my changing preferences.

Eye of the Needle and Key to Rebecca (Ken Follett) are good WW2-era books, if you prefer that setting.

For newer material, I've read a few Henry Porter and Charles Cummings books, and think highly of them. Typhoon is about ethnic tensions deep inside China, and very bang-on with recent news out of China.

 

[Handyman66]

John LeCarre

Le Carre has some great novels, with 'The Spy Who Came in from the Cold' being considered one of his best, and one of the best spy novels ever. This is cold war stuff, so you have to like that era as a subject.

As mentioned, 'Little Drummer Girl' kicked ass when I read it, but it is outside of his regular characters. Israeli/Palestinian issues, not Soviet/MI6.

Since LeCarre actually worked for the secret service (MI5/6) I'd say his novels rank fairly high...

If you want a gender spin on MI5 style stuff, I haven't read any myself but Dame Stella Rimington's name seems to come up a fair bit.... otherwise Len Deighton is a solid choice

 

[Nickelodeon]

Kurt Wallendar series by Henning Mankell.

Agree with Jack Reacher series by Lee Child.

 

[ig-88]

Robert Ludlum is in the same espionage thriller vein, but I found him a bit repetitious. His Bourne movies are well done.

For crime novels, I really like anything by James Ellroy, George Pelecanos, Elmore Leonard, and Ian Rankin.

I saw Pelecanos at a book signing.

 

[trm]

Funeral In Berlin by Len Deighton

 

[chris123]

Spy Who Came In From The Cold- Le Carre
Fourth Protocol-Frederick Forsyth
Original Ian Fleming Bond books, if you've never read them
The Nick Stone books by Andy NcNab are good page turners and very realistic (McNab is ex SAS)