Need Recommendations: Spy Thriller Novels

[Knightfall]

First, I must say that I know almost nothing when it comes to the thriller genre. What I know comes from the reinterpretation of famous novels into movies, for good or bad.

I've seen all the Bourne movies, including the latest one, and I am aware that the movies are nothing like the novels.

I love the movie version of The Hunt for Red October, and I do have the novel; I just haven't found the time to read it yet. I'm not as keen on the the other Jack Ryan movies based Tom Clancy's novels.

Regardless, the type of spy stories I like are more like Bourne or superspy (spy-fi*) thrillers like James Bond. I'm curious to find out what people think of the Bond novels written after Fleming's death.

I'm especially interested in the Raymond Benson novels, as well as Devil May Care (2008) by Sebastian Faulks and Carte Blanche (2011) by Jeffery Deaver.

I'm also looking for recommendations regarding authors who write thrillers base off the idea of the "treasure hunt." I'm thinking more along the line of National Treasure and Lara Croft than Indiana Jones, although if there are good Indy novels I'd be interested in knowing about them.

Also, can anyone tell me about Steve Berry's writing style? I was pointed towards his Cotton Malone series, which has piqued my interest.

Other authors I'm curious about: Ted Bell, Dean Koontz, John le Carré, Daniel Silva, Michael Slade, Brad Thor.

Cheers!

Knightfall

*I just discovered this term, tonight.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Of Dean Koontz, I can say I enjoyed his book Phantoms- and the movie adaptation- but my faves are his Odd Thomas books...and apparently the first one has been made into a movie for release in the relatively near future.

 

[theT0rmented]

I really enjoyed Edge by Jeffrey Deaver.

The first Bourne novel is pretty good; I enjoyed it a lot. It was a bit funny, reading about computers with black screens and green letters (it was written in the early '80s, IIRC). The second novel (Bourne Supremacy) was ok, and the third I didn't like.

I've only read one Ted Bell novel, and didn't like it. Can't remember the title, though. IIRC, it was mostly set in northern Europe, maybe Sweden...

 

[Knightfall]

Of Dean Koontz, I can say I enjoyed his book Phantoms- and the movie adaptation- but my faves are his Odd Thomas books...and apparently the first one has been made into a movie for release in the relatively near future.

Hmm, after checking out Koontz's web site, I have to say that the Odd Thomas character is interesting. Thanks for your input.

I really enjoyed Edge by Jeffrey Deaver.

The first Bourne novel is pretty good; I enjoyed it a lot. It was a bit funny, reading about computers with black screens and green letters (it was written in the early '80s, IIRC). The second novel (Bourne Supremacy) was ok, and the third I didn't like.

I've only read one Ted Bell novel, and didn't like it. Can't remember the title, though. IIRC, it was mostly set in northern Europe, maybe Sweden...

Reading the official blurb for Edge didn't thrill me. It doesn't seem like my kind of book. His Bond book sounds fascinating, however, after reading about it.

Carte Blanche (2011)
"The face of war is changing. The other side doesn't play by the rules much anymore. There's thinking, in some circles, that we need to play by a different set of rules too..."

James Bond, in his early thirties and already a veteran of the Afghan War, has been recruited to a new organization. Conceived in the post-9/11 world, it operates independent of MI5, MI6 and the Ministry of Defense, its very existence deniable. Its aim: To protect the Realm, by any means necessary.

A Night Action alert calls James Bond away from dinner with a beautiful woman. Headquarters has decrypted an electronic whisper about an attack scheduled for later in the week: Casualties estimated in the thousands, British interests adversely affected.

And Agent 007 has been given carte blanche.​

And I just discovered that a new author has been chosen to write the next Bond novel -- William Boyd. I read that it will be set in the late 1960s.

 

[Dr. Harry]

Karla

I'm especially interested in the Raymond Benson novels, as well as Devil May Care (2008) by Sebastian Faulks and Carte Blanche (2011) by Jeffery Deaver.

I recommend the Karla Trilogy (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy; The Honourable Schoolboy; Smiley's People) by John Le Carre. Le Carre's work is focused on a far more "real" level than many of the other authors, so it often not the most cheerful read, but the writing is absolutely first rate, and the "Karla" books make a good self-contained story.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

My Dad loved those!

 

[Dr. Harry]

My Dad loved those!

I don't know if my Dad ever read those ... he must have, as big as those were. I do know that my Dad read all of the Mack Bolan, Executioner, etc., books, which would lend themselves well to RPG scenarios.

If you watch Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, (and Smiley's People), I much recommend the miniseries with Alec Guiness of the late seventies. The dirty, grimy, seventies feel of a dirty, grimy, seventies story came across perfectly.

 

[Hand of Evil]

For spy stuff I say go old school, like Ken Follett Eye Of The Needle or Frederick Forsyth Day of the Jackal or John Le Carré Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy or Daniel Silva The Unlikely Spy

 

[Knightfall]

I recommend the Karla Trilogy (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy; The Honourable Schoolboy; Smiley's People) by John Le Carre. Le Carre's work is focused on a far more "real" level than many of the other authors, so it often not the most cheerful read, but the writing is absolutely first rate, and the "Karla" books make a good self-contained story.

An interesting story...

My request here on EN World came out of trying to find out more about spy thrillers at several bookstores. In one store, an employee told me he thought the Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy movie was better than the book. I found that surprising. He did recommend the book, however.

 

[Dr. Harry]

Media v. Media

An interesting story...

My request here on EN World came out of trying to find out more about spy thrillers at several bookstores. In one store, an employee told me he thought the Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy movie was better than the book. I found that surprising. He did recommend the book, however.

Well, I stand by my sig file, but for me the movie is best suited for people who have already read the book, as the substantial amount of information and build up has to be sacrificed for time. This is not to say that I thought that the movie was bad, or that the actors were bad; there is a scene in the movie narrated as a flashback by Smiley (Oldman) that was phneomenally good. I much prefered the miniseries because with several hours there is time for suspense to build, and I felt that the enivornment in the movie was too clean, too antiseptic, when the grimy, gritty, dirty feel of the 70's in the miniseries reflected the moral grimy, gritty, dirty imperfection of any side perfectly.

When I read the book now, Smiley is Alec Guinness, although Peter Guillem looks like Benedict Cumberbatch.

I wonder what the eprson recommending the movie was seeing.