Thriller/Spy novel writers - essential reading http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918 Lady_L For a bit of fun I thought we could share what we think are THE books to read in our genre. My ultimate favourite, of all time, absolutely, no returns is The Fist of God by Frederick Forsyth. It is amazing. So well researched, well written, exciting and with a sting in the tail you never see coming. There are others that are good but TFoG is truly what I aspire to write. Others I think are good, though obviously no match for TFoG, are: The Darkling Spy - Edward Wilson The Innocent - Ian McEwan Rainbow Six - Tom Clancy Daniel Silva's series about Gabriel Restless - William Boyd LL Wed, 19 Oct 2011 23:27:40 -0700 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=1#forum_thread_comment_137927 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=1#forum_thread_comment_137927 Shiiuga The Hunt For Red October also by Clancy is very good. Thu, 20 Oct 2011 03:19:08 -0700 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=1#forum_thread_comment_139007 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=1#forum_thread_comment_139007 Teri-K I would add Ken Follett's Eye of the Needle. And John LeCarre's early books, like Tinker, Tailor... Thu, 20 Oct 2011 20:06:56 -0700 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=1#forum_thread_comment_151158 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=1#forum_thread_comment_151158 Heiditwit Thanks for these reads. I like Lee Childs books for plotting. Thu, 20 Oct 2011 22:15:58 -0700 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=1#forum_thread_comment_152662 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=1#forum_thread_comment_152662 Howrein Actually, I think the best type of book to read are books like "The Puzzle Palace" and "The Spymasters of Israel". Though not novels, the background info is great for making it seem like you are someone who has been in the game. Fri, 21 Oct 2011 14:18:56 -0700 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=1#forum_thread_comment_160673 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=1#forum_thread_comment_160673 bethverde The last few years I've been hooked on the Kellermans--both Johnathan and Faye--and Elizabeth George. I love the way they're able to carry the characters through so many books and come up with such great plots and subplots. Tue, 25 Oct 2011 09:05:40 -0700 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=1#forum_thread_comment_215953 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=1#forum_thread_comment_215953 quillandink John Verdon's "Think of A Number" and "Shut Your Eyes Tight". Tue, 25 Oct 2011 09:19:17 -0700 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=1#forum_thread_comment_216119 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=1#forum_thread_comment_216119 whiteskwirl Ian Fleming's James Bond novels, especially Casino Royale. Jeremy Duns' Free Agent is also a good read. Tue, 25 Oct 2011 17:31:24 -0700 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=1#forum_thread_comment_223251 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=1#forum_thread_comment_223251 go-mom I highly recommend VInce Flynn whose m/c Mitch Rapp is a CIA agent a la Jack Bauer. Flynn's research is so good he's been made essential reading for people in the US gov't. Plus it's fun. For a different take, sort of anti-Bauer, try Alex Berenson. He's a seasoned journalist with a great style and good solid detail. Fri, 28 Oct 2011 20:30:48 -0700 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=1#forum_thread_comment_274553 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=1#forum_thread_comment_274553 kingofthezempk I suggest Brad Thor's novels. They are very good when dealing with foreign terrorists, usually Muslim extrememists. Sat, 29 Oct 2011 20:26:53 -0700 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=1#forum_thread_comment_290122 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=1#forum_thread_comment_290122 the.black.prince The Bourne trilogy (esp. the first one) by Robert Ludlum, are solid titles in the genre. Sun, 30 Oct 2011 00:36:55 -0700 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=1#forum_thread_comment_293136 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=1#forum_thread_comment_293136 Armas_Termin I'm on with Heiditwit for Lee Child. One Shot was the first I read by him and remains to be one of my favorites. Also Hugh Laurie's The Gun Seller. It's primarily a spoof on spy novels and is quite funny, but the plot is still smart and the characters are well-developed. Sun, 30 Oct 2011 00:51:20 -0700 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=1#forum_thread_comment_293255 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=1#forum_thread_comment_293255 essay I agree that reading some nonfiction will be more helpful with getting it right, but I also think that the way a spy actually thinks may come across better in really good spy fiction. Someone who's studied the type. I haven't read much spy fiction, but I've been taking notes on titles lately. I like Barry Eisler's John Rain series, which are probably pretty accurate in regard to what's possible, although most people are not as sociopathic as John Rain is. I hope! I'v also been getting a lot out of watching Burn Notice. And I'm currently reading John Perkins' Confessions of an Economic Hitman, although his mission wasn't quite so covert as some--more creating propaganda, I'd say. Sun, 30 Oct 2011 16:17:14 -0700 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=1#forum_thread_comment_306469 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=1#forum_thread_comment_306469 dcumbernauld Andy mcnabs Nick Stone books good examples of trade craft and the human cost. Mon, 31 Oct 2011 12:05:50 -0700 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=1#forum_thread_comment_328132 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=1#forum_thread_comment_328132 essay As a great kickoff for spy writers, Rachel Maddow had a funny piece on some actual Russian spies doing handoffs, which the FBI caught on film, tonight (10/31). I don't know if it's okay to do links here, but you can find the show on line quite easily, and the segments are marked. Let's just say that real life spies are not necessarily always all that slick. Mon, 31 Oct 2011 20:34:43 -0700 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=1#forum_thread_comment_340642 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=1#forum_thread_comment_340642 Couriernew I just finished reading Minette Walters' "The Ice House", which was great fun-- and it's the main reason I chose to write a mystery this year. I listened to the audiobook version and now that I know the ending I'm listening to it again but paying more attention to how the story was crafted and the clues laid out. Mon, 14 Nov 2011 07:00:15 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=1#forum_thread_comment_691267 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=1#forum_thread_comment_691267 mrclarinet Seconded everybody who boosted John Le Carre. Martin Cruz Smith has also been a big inspiration for me, and I have a particular fondness for an 80s British spy author called Craig Thomas (his main claim to fame is that Clint Eastwood made one of his books into a thoroughly mediocre film) Tue, 15 Nov 2011 06:29:38 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=1#forum_thread_comment_707717 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=1#forum_thread_comment_707717 BlackLizard Eric Ambler Alan Furst Both very atmospheric spy thrillers, lots of atmosphere, in Fursts case slightly less plot. Also the arch father of all spy heroes: John Buchan. The most famous of these is the 39 Steps, you might know it as the Hitchcock movie Tue, 15 Nov 2011 08:00:03 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=1#forum_thread_comment_708675 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=1#forum_thread_comment_708675 BlackLizard Martin Cruz Smith's Renko series is one of the best ever, as is Philip Kerr's Bernie Günther's series. Both live in a very well researched environment, it's dark, cynical, and tremendously well written. Not spy novels though, Renko is a Russian police officer (Gorki Park!), where as Günther is a private eye in pre and post was Berlin. Tue, 15 Nov 2011 08:03:20 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=1#forum_thread_comment_708726 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=1#forum_thread_comment_708726 liamarehorselover Jeffery Deaver, of course, and Harlan Coben's Myron Bolitar series. Tue, 15 Nov 2011 22:29:27 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=1#forum_thread_comment_720950 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=1#forum_thread_comment_720950 essay I just spent a fair amount of time yesterday watching a bunch of short videos of Lindsay Moran, former CIA agent. Pretty good just to get the feel of the thing. Her book, though I haven't read it yet, is Blowing My Cover. Mon, 21 Nov 2011 23:05:39 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=2#forum_thread_comment_801745 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=2#forum_thread_comment_801745 Leonardo Wild The Company: a novel about the CIA, by Robert Littell, is one of the best I have read. Brings settings, characters and events into a whole new dimension, looks like very well researched and a lot probably not invented, but "put on the scene" of historical events. Mon, 28 Nov 2011 18:28:28 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=2#forum_thread_comment_881587 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=2#forum_thread_comment_881587 Carlos Estevez Dark Matter by Julia Zeh is the most interesting detective novel I've seen in years. Other personal favourites on the detective/thriller front are: Raymond Chandler (BIg Sleep, Farewell my Lovely and all the other Marlowe books) Georges Simenon any of the Maigret books, but also his psychological thrillers such as A Stain in the Snow The Name of the Rose By Umberto Eco &amp; My Name is Red by Orhan Pahmuk, two brilliant highly literary detective novels. Fri, 02 Dec 2011 02:31:48 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=2#forum_thread_comment_921673 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=2#forum_thread_comment_921673 FranOnTheEdge The Golden Spiders: Rex Stout Before I Die: Rex Stout The Insoluble Problem: G. K. Chesterton Mon, 19 Dec 2011 21:54:42 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=2#forum_thread_comment_986737 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=2#forum_thread_comment_986737 FranOnTheEdge The Door Bell Rang: Rex Stout The Silent Speaker: Rex Stout Mon, 19 Dec 2011 22:06:45 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=2#forum_thread_comment_986759 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=2#forum_thread_comment_986759 the.black.prince Just read <em>Child 44</em> by tom Rob Smith. Brilliant, brilliant book. Wed, 28 Dec 2011 13:17:28 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1006955 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1006955 reachforthesky What about the Sue Grafton series? Is it any good? Wed, 28 Dec 2011 22:49:42 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1008367 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1008367 BWKeller [quote=whiteskwirl] Ian Fleming's James Bond novels, especially Casino Royale. Jeremy Duns' Free Agent is also a good read. [/quote] I just reread Casino Royale last month and had forgotten how good that book is. As an introduction to a MC it is amazing. The way Fleming feeds you bits and pieces of Bond's character but never quite puts it all together till that last sentence. Sun, 30 Oct 2011 18:46:40 -0700 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=1#forum_thread_comment_309841 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=1#forum_thread_comment_309841 Walt3rd I think for a thriller type Fleming's "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" in maybe his best. What the villian is planning to do could happen even today. Check it out. [quote=BWKeller] [quote=whiteskwirl] Ian Fleming's James Bond novels, especially Casino Royale. Jeremy Duns' Free Agent is also a good read. [/quote] I just reread Casino Royale last month and had forgotten how good that book is. As an introduction to a MC it is amazing. The way Fleming feeds you bits and pieces of Bond's character but never quite puts it all together till that last sentence. [/quote] Mon, 14 Nov 2011 00:23:22 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=1#forum_thread_comment_688845 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=1#forum_thread_comment_688845 liamarehorselover [quote=Walt3rd] I think for a thriller type Fleming's "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" in maybe his best. What the villian is planning to do could happen even today. Check it out. [quote=BWKeller] [quote=whiteskwirl] Ian Fleming's James Bond novels, especially Casino Royale. Jeremy Duns' Free Agent is also a good read. [/quote] I just reread Casino Royale last month and had forgotten how good that book is. As an introduction to a MC it is amazing. The way Fleming feeds you bits and pieces of Bond's character but never quite puts it all together till that last sentence. [/quote] [/quote] Hate Fleming's writing, but ay yi yi, what a story. The movie with Daniel Craig was (i thought) even better Tue, 15 Nov 2011 22:28:55 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=1#forum_thread_comment_720946 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=1#forum_thread_comment_720946 mrclarinet Was that the same John Buchan who later became Governor General of Canada? Tue, 15 Nov 2011 17:55:11 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=1#forum_thread_comment_717595 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/7918?page=1#forum_thread_comment_717595