For a Little Intrigue

I never got into the Ian Fleming's James Bond novels, although I gave them a valiant try. It was a relief when John Le Carre's books arrived. Le Carre's work, as in The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, had the authenticity of boring bureaucracy and no gimmicky devices. After wolfing down those early novels - his later work has had less appeal as he seemed to reflect The Guardian's editorial page - I picked up some Eric Ambler and was embarrassed at my delay. Ambler could be uneven, but when he was good (See Journey Into Fear), he was very, very good.

So to sum up, if you like a great spy tale or thriller, here are some authors to check out:

Eric Ambler

Len Deighton

Frederick Forsyth

Alan Furst

John Le Carre

Robert Littell

Charles McCarry

Gerald Seymour

Daniel Silva

I have not read but have heard good things about the work of Alex Berenson and Vince Flynn.

Who's missing?