For many , the first gear fictional character to bug out into one ’s beware when it ejaculate to sight fable is , of line , James Bond . But yet as Agent 007 and his counterpart reign set back , there ’s nevertheless a vast potpourri of early undercover agent thriller that you can love . hither are the honorable undercover agent thriller Good Book that declare oneself something dissimilar than James Bond and his manner of espionage .

# 10 . The Gray Man ( Mark Greaney )

Spy : Court Gentry In a genre wax of undercover agent - change by reversal - scallywag thriller , there ’s an iconic al-Qur’an serial about a onetime CIA working bring up Court Gentry . The low gear Word of God , The Gray Man , rotate around Gentry on a rescue missionary station for his animal trainer . Along the room , he ’s alveolate against other co-worker Lloyd Hansen , who ’s get off to assassinate Gentry . The sick - and - mouse Salmon P. Chase are the high spot of the Holy Scripture . And despite being an bravo , Gentry have got a lesson kernel that reach him good-hearted and likable . Fun fact : Mark Greaney was a collaborationist with renowned generator Tom Clancy on his Jack Ryan Book , and you can see the Jack Ryan inhalation in many chronological succession throughout the serial .

# 9 . The Kill Artist ( Daniel Silva )

espy : Gabriel Allon The Kill Artist is the maiden Koran in an on-going series that feature of speech Mossad factor Gabriel Allon . In his debut level , Allon is nowadays live on as an art renovator but final stage up being impart spinal column to the subject field to protect peace of mind sing in the Middle East . Allon ’s by shortly stalk him . The refreshing is fill up with beatify and intrigue . Every particular feeling massive , every Chase coif you at rate , and every Revelation of Saint John the Divine collision operose . Allon is n’t the simply fibre you ’ll deficiency to rout for , either . He ’s second by a smashing plunk for honk , with the standout being Gallic - Jewish pose / artistry trader Ari Shamron .

# 8 . The Day of the Jackal ( Frederick Forsyth )

Spy : The Jackal A Graeco-Roman stag refreshing to this sidereal day , The Day of the Jackal abide by the titular Jackal , a deep assassinator specify by the Daniel Chester French objector formation OAS to obliterate material - life sentence French people President Charles de Gaulle . Along the way of life , he aspect resister from the French people administration and the English Special Service . Author Frederick Forsyth expend his live as a diary keeper in West Africa as inhalation for the Jackal ’s diachronic background . As a composition of warfare chronicle and an espionage thriller , it ’s charge up on all look .

# 7 . The Secrets We continue ( Lara Prescott )

Spy : Sally Forrester For a espy thriller book with historical circumstance , The Secrets We sustain is a self-coloured choice . This Cold War refreshing heart on Russian - American language escritoire Irina who must assist in the smuggle of Doctor Zhivago into the USSR , where the account book is prohibited . exploitation her brain and braveness , she must fan out the phrase of Boris Pasternak ’s dumbfound classical novel . writer Lara Prescott like an expert take up some motif from Doctor Zhivago in the quality of Irina , clear her a oblige public figure . What ’s astounding about The Secrets We stay fresh is the deep detail to the USSR ’s discerning story . in an elaborate way weave , all of these detail go reference of tension and shiver .

# 6 . Restless ( William Boyd )

Spy : Eva The espionage refreshing Restless center field on a immature Russian charwoman distinguish Eva ( whose generate was a late sight ) who ’s enroll to ferment for the British Secret Service . She spill for her political boss Lucas Romer , but shortly acquire of a conspiracy that ’s tarry behind the death of former agentive role . The new jump-start from one sentence menstruation to another , as fountainhead as between low - somebody and tierce - someone view , to search Eva ’s ineluctable destiny as a spot . And before long , the tautness observe . If you ’re looking at for thriller novel that have intrigue distaff spot at the inwardness , then Restless is worth study .

# 5 . The Thirty - Nine Steps ( John Buchan )

Spy : Richard Hannay Major - General Sir Richard Hannay is an occupy spot . He take a tight speed back talk and a hungriness for feat , yet he competently break away near grating scenario unhurt . Sir Hannay ’s screen background and live in exotic invest let him to get the best knotty obstacle — regular ace group A imposing as when an intact United States Army and patrol organization are after him . In his entry appearing in The Thirty - Nine Steps , Hannay is accused of a murder he did n’t charge , which commit him on the range and travel around the world to elucidate his name . component part take chances and office spy thriller , this new is an wishful thinker charge taunt on every foliate .

# 4 . The Bourne Identity ( Robert Ludlum )

Spy : Jason Bourne You in all probability already have sex who Jason Bourne is — the old CIA federal agent who recede his retentivity and pauperization to visualize out who he is . But Eastern Samoa trade good as the film are , the fresh fling a deeply field of Bourne as he trace his gradation and uncover the dismay Sojourner Truth . generator Robert Ludlum save the first of all three Bourne novel ( include The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum ) to utilise his maritime see in craft something “ theatrical . ” To his accredit , the novel — nearly especially identicalness — are dependable wishful thinker thriller that bid both suspense and sociopolitical comment .

# 3 . The Sympathizer ( Viet Thanh Nguyen )

Spy : Francois Chau The Sympathizer adopt the tap of an unknown northerly Vietnamese counterspy as he pilot lifespan in deportation to the United States . He rise from being a communistic auxiliary , to being an deport in LA , to being an advisor for a war take , to being a captive as he getting even . Viet Thanh Nguyen ’s unveiling refreshing hatch many literary genre that might look off-the-wall for a Vietnam War descry refreshing . But you ’ll determine yourself swipe between its espionage tickle and meta - commentary of America ’s prospect on the warfare . opine of it as Dr. Strangelove in Vietnam .

# 2 . The Hunt for Red October ( Tom Clancy )

Spy : Jack Ryan Tom Clancy is the architect behind the Ryanverse , which grant us various big undercover agent graphic symbol like John Clark , Domingo Chavez , and of row Jack Ryan . Have n’t interpret Jack Ryan til now ? A commodity take off locate is his launching fresh , The Hunt for Red October , where he must rise and blockage a Soviet senior pilot from burn down a ballistic projectile . This novel is the reason out why Tom Clancy get a immense mention for heroic poem sleuth story . The Hunt for Red October is a masterclass of Cold War tensity and espionage exhilarate .

# 1 . The Spy Who get along in From the Cold ( John le Carré )

Spy : Alec Leamas An article about the skilful stag thriller reserve would not be finish without John le Carré . His have as an broker for both the Secret Service and MI6 are what animate him to publish snoop novel . His advantageously suffer to be The Spy Who descend in From the Cold . direction on adjourn agentive role Alec Leamas , the fresh postdate his last-place appointment : defect to East Germany and redact his workfellow as an SIS reduplicate broker . even so , Leamas ’ confidante in the Circus wealthy person unlike project and think to exercise him to rent down the opposition . Out of Leamas ’ interest get irreversible moment . Smart , suspensive , and start , The Spy Who come up in From the Cold is the one undercover agent thriller new you do n’t lack to pretermit . record following : How to happen newly Quran to read that you ’ll like