From The Wall Street Journal:
We put out the call for subscribers’ favorite spy novels, to provide a bit of international intrigue for any grudgingly homebound readers.
John Wetzler deftly summed up some of the classics of the genre with his recommendations: “Although you could say it is not technically a spy novel (the protagonist is an ordinary man),” Mr. Wetzler writes, “ ‘A Coffin for Dimitrios’ by Eric Ambler has all the elements and is the best of all the hundreds I have read. Ambler and Somerset Maugham were inspirations for Ian Fleming, and Maugham’s ‘Ashenden’ stories are near the top of my list. Fleming’s finest work to me is the short story ‘Quantum of Solace,’ in which he seems to channel Maugham.”
. . . .
While the most frequently mentioned author was John le Carré—especially “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,”“Smiley’s People” and his other George Smiley novels—coming in a close second was Daniel Silva, who began his Gabriel Allon series in 2000 with “The Kill Artist.” Gabriel Diaz calls Mr. Silva’s works “a terrific world to escape into during these times.” His most recent book is “The New Girl,” though Brian Merrick notes that “unlike many series, this one really should be read in order.”
Link to the rest at The Wall Street Journal
A series not marketed as “spy novels” (in fact, not marketed at all, shame on the publisher) that should be considered:
Kristine Smith’s books about Jani Killian, beginning with Code of Conduct
A number of us who were, umm, directly associated with the Community have commented that despite her “lack of background,” Smith gets just about everything about living under deep cover right — more than any of those listed in that WSJ article, in my judgment. But then, in reality, there’s only one way that a spy actually comes in from the cold: In a pine box for the funeral.