Most Read Spy Books

The war against Hybern has begun, and Feyre — now embedded as a spy in Tamlin's Spring Court — must gather intelligence and undermine its alliances from within before making her escape. Once she returns to the Night Court, the focus shifts to the building coalition: every court in Prythian must be brought to the negotiating table, old grievances set aside, and an army assembled that can face the Cauldron-backed might of the King of Hybern. Nesta and Elain Archeron, transformed into High Fae against their will, process their change in sharply contrasting ways. The book moves across Prythian in a manner more operationally sprawling than its predecessors, converging all seven courts and their politics toward a war that will determine the fate of both the Fae world and the mortal lands below the wall. The climax brings the full inner circle to open battle and delivers the kind of ending the series had been building toward — at considerable cost.

• found family
• court intrigue

In a near-future London, a fledgling government department has learned to pull people out of the past. To test whether time travel is survivable, the Ministry recruits a handful of "expats" — historical figures plucked from moments just before their recorded deaths — and assigns each a "bridge," a civil servant tasked with helping them adjust to the twenty-first century. The novel's narrator, the daughter of a Cambodian refugee, is paired with Commander Graham Gore, a real Victorian naval officer who died on the doomed Franklin Arctic expedition. As the two share a house through a strange, funny, tender year of cigarettes, Spotify, and slow adjustment, wary professionalism gives way to something deeper — even as it becomes clear that the Ministry's motives are not what they seem. Kaliane Bradley's debut is at once a time-travel romance, a workplace comedy, and a spy thriller, and a sharp meditation on empire, complicity, and what we owe the people history leaves behind.

• fish out of water
• forced proximity
• workplace romance
• betrayal

Susan Fletcher, a brilliant cryptographer, is tasked with protecting the NSA's most sensitive secrets within a digital fortress she helped design. But when a rogue agent threatens to unleash a devastating code, she must race against time to stop him. This high-stakes thriller explores the dangerous intersection of digital espionage, personal danger, and the constant battle for privacy.

• betrayal
• quest

Emika Chen is a notorious hacker who makes a living by betting on the Warcross games. When she hacks into the opening tournament, she accidentally glitches herself into the game and becomes an overnight sensation. But her newfound fame comes with a dangerous secret, as she uncovers a conspiracy that could threaten the entire Warcross empire.

• secret identity
• found family
• morally grey
• heist

The first volume of Tatsuya Endo's hit manga. Master spy "Twilight" must fake a family overnight to complete a mission—so he adopts an orphan, Anya, and marries a city clerk, Yor. What he doesn't know: Anya is a secret telepath and Yor is a secret assassin. A whip-smart blend of spy action, comedy, and found-family warmth.

• found family
• marriage of convenience
• secret identity

In 1947, Charlie St. Clair is an unmarried, pregnant American socialite searching for her cousin who went missing in Nazi-occupied France. Her quest leads her to London, where she encounters Eve Gardiner, a former World War I spy whose secret network was destroyed by a devastating betrayal thirty years prior. Together, these two very different women set out on a journey across Europe to find the truth and confront the ghosts of their pasts.

• dual timeline
• multiple povs
• betrayal
• revenge

Master spy Twilight faces his most challenging mission yet: infiltrating the elite Eden Academy. After a chaotic admissions interview, he must ensure his adopted daughter Anya not only excels academically but also befriends the arrogant son of his target. This seemingly impossible task forces Twilight to navigate the complexities of school life while maintaining his cover and advancing his high-stakes espionage goals.

• secret identity
• academy
• rivals

As the Forger family considers adopting a dog, master spy Twilight finds himself in a race against time to prevent an assassination attempt on a foreign minister. The plot involves trained dogs, forcing Twilight to juggle his domestic duties with a high-stakes mission. He receives unexpected assistance in his efforts to stop the terrorists.

• secret identity
• found family
• reluctant hero

Master spy Twilight's mission to maintain the perfect fake family is jeopardized when Yor's younger brother, Yuri, arrives for an unexpected visit. Unbeknownst to Yor, Yuri is a member of the Ostanian secret service, putting him on a collision course with Twilight. Can Twilight keep his cover intact while navigating this dangerous family reunion?

• found family
• secret identity
• rivals

Master spy Twilight is tasked with a mission that requires him to create the perfect fake family. He adopts Anya, a young girl with a secret ability, and marries Yor, an unassuming woman who harbors her own hidden talents. As they navigate their new roles as husband, wife, and daughter, they must keep their true identities concealed from each other and the world.

• secret identity
• found family
• fish out of water

Howard W. Campbell Jr., an American spy who became a Nazi propagandist, faces a war crimes trial in Israel. His guilt is ambiguous, and the novel uses dark humor to explore the blurred lines between right and wrong. Prepare to question your understanding of justice.

• morally grey
• anti hero
• secret identity

Anya Forger struggles to befriend Damian Desmond, son of the influential Ostanian political leader Donovan Desmond. Despite repeated rejections, Anya is determined to infiltrate the Desmonds’ inner circle. Her new strategy involves excelling in her midterm exams to earn prestigious stella stars. Can the academically challenged Anya succeed in this crucial mission for global stability?

• secret identity
• academy
• reluctant hero
• fish out of water

On New Year's Day, 1990, Jack Reacher is drawn into a murder investigation that quickly escalates into a dangerous conspiracy. As the Berlin Wall falls, Reacher finds himself in a deadly game of cat and mouse within the U.S. Army. He must race to expose a plot that spans continents before he becomes the next victim.

• betrayal

Esther escapes an unwanted marriage by stowing away with a group of Librarians, who travel the future American Southwest. She's on the run from a society that executed her best friend, whom she loved, for possessing resistance propaganda. Amidst bandits and fascists, Esther discovers these queer librarian spies on horseback are fighting for what's right.

• road trip
• found family
• coming of age
• reluctant hero

The Hunt for Red October is Tom Clancy's blockbuster 1984 debut, the novel that invented the modern techno-thriller and introduced CIA analyst Jack Ryan. When Marko Ramius, the Soviet Union's most brilliant submarine commander, takes the experimental ballistic-missile submarine Red October to sea, he does the unthinkable: he sets course for the United States, intending to defect with his officers and hand over the Soviets' most advanced boat -- one fitted with a near-silent "caterpillar" drive that could tip the nuclear balance. The entire Soviet Atlantic fleet is soon hunting Red October to sink her before she can reach American waters, while the U.S. Navy struggles to work out whether Ramius means war or defection. Caught in the middle is Jack Ryan, an analyst who must convince skeptical admirals and politicians of his read on Ramius's intentions -- and then stake his life on being right. Meticulously researched and paced like a chess match played beneath the ocean, the novel blends submarine warfare, intelligence tradecraft, and Cold War brinkmanship into a taut cat-and-mouse chase. A word-of-mouth sensation praised by President Reagan and later adapted into a hit film, The Hunt for Red October launched one of the best-selling thriller franchises of all time.

• multiple povs
• mentor figure
• betrayal
• secret identity

Emika Chen survived the Warcross Championships, but the truth behind Hideo's NeuroLink algorithm shatters her trust in him. Determined to stop his grim plans, Emika and the Phoenix Riders face a new threat in Tokyo: a bounty on her head. Her only hope lies with Zero and his ruthless Blackcoats, but Zero is not what he seems, and his protection comes at a price. Caught in a web of betrayal, Emika must decide how far she will go to take down the man she loves, with the future of free will hanging in the balance.

• betrayal
• secret identity
• reluctant hero

Sophronia's family hopes a finishing school will teach her proper manners, but she's more interested in tinkering and climbing. To their surprise, Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality teaches more than just etiquette. Sophronia and her friends soon discover that alongside dance and dress, they'll be learning the fine arts of death, diversion, and espionage. Get ready for a thrilling first year as these young ladies navigate a world of polite peril.

• academy
• fish out of water
• coming of age

Courtland Gentry is a good man. But he’s a great assassin. \ \ To those who lurk in the shadows, he’s known as the Gray Man. He is a legend in the covert realm, moving silently from job to job, accomplishing the impossible and then fading away. And he always hits his target. Always.\ \ But there are forces more lethal than Gentry in the world. Forces like money. And power. And there are men who hold these as the only currency worth fighting for. And in their eyes, Gentry has just outlived his usefulness.\ \ But Court Gentry is going to prove that, for him, there’s no gray area between killing for a living and killing to stay alive…

Master spy Twilight teams up with rival agent Nightfall for a high-stakes mission: infiltrating an underground tennis tournament to secure a vital intelligence document. With the world on the brink of war, their operation faces an unexpected complication as Nightfall's secret feelings for Twilight threaten to unravel their carefully laid plans.

• secret identity
• rivals
• heist
• workplace romance

Alex Rider is back, and this time he's on his own. A seemingly benevolent pop star is secretly plotting global destruction, and Alex is the only one who can stop him. Alex must race against time to expose the truth before the world is fooled by the villain's charm and it's too late.

• chosen one
• reluctant hero
• secret identity
• quest

Jack Reacher is pulled into a dangerous mission, not to stop a crime, but to prevent one. A Secret Service agent needs his unique skills to identify security weaknesses before a determined group can strike. They've planned everything, but they didn't count on Reacher's sharp eye for overlooked details.

• reluctant hero

Fresh off a dangerous mission and still recovering, teen spy Alex Rider is pulled back into the world of espionage. This time, he must protect the son of a billionaire from eco-terrorists threatening a revolutionary space hotel. Alex faces a ticking clock to stop a disaster that could have global consequences.

• reluctant hero
• quest
• secret identity

Alex Rider is thrust into his most perilous mission yet, heading to Russia to thwart a global plot. With assassins closing in and time running out, Alex must use all his skills to stay alive and complete his assignment.

• quest
• survival

Alex Rider is back for his most dangerous mission yet in the ninth installment of the series. The young spy must confront the remnants of the SCORPIA organization as the fate of the world hangs in the balance. This climactic adventure brings high stakes and a thrilling conclusion.

• chosen one
• quest

In Alera, magic is everything, but Tavi has none. As his world faces invasion and political turmoil, his perceived weakness might be the key to survival. He must venture beyond his sheltered life to discover a hidden destiny that could save the empire.

• chosen one
• reluctant hero
• fish out of water

Before he was 007, James Bond was a thirteen-year-old boy facing the harsh social hierarchies of Eton. During a holiday in the Scottish Highlands, he stumbles upon a sinister experiment involving a local loch and a madman's obsession with genetic engineering. James must find his courage to stop a threat that is far more dangerous than any schoolyard bully.

• coming of age
• academy
• rivals
• survival

Yor, a secret assassin, is tasked with protecting a mafia family aboard a luxury cruise ship. Complications arise when her fake husband, Loid, and adopted daughter, Anya, unexpectedly join the same voyage. As their paths intertwine, Yor begins to question her double life and the true meaning of family.

• secret identity
• found family
• reluctant hero

Alex Rider's ordinary life shatters when he learns his uncle's death wasn't an accident, but a murder. Recruited by MI6, Alex must step into his uncle's shoes to complete a dangerous mission. He's plunged into a world of spies and assassins, and must race against time to find his uncle's killers before he becomes their next victim.

• chosen one
• fish out of water
• reluctant hero
• mentor figure

Alex Rider thought his days of espionage were over, but his next mission is his most dangerous yet. A ruthless adversary plans to unleash a nuclear weapon, forcing Alex to team up with the CIA. He must race against time, traveling from Miami to Russia to prevent global domination.

• quest

Alex Rider is dealing with the fallout of a shocking revelation about his father's past. His search for answers takes him to Italy, where he becomes entangled with the shadowy criminal organization known as Scorpia. Alex faces a critical decision that will shape his future and his path toward retribution.

• revenge
• quest