Загрузка
The best Russian espionage novels
Page-turning novels about Soviet spies set in the Cold War and beyond.
Опубликовано 02 апреля 2024
Red Sparrow: A Novel
Jason MatthewsLike many a great spy novelist before him, Jason Matthew served as a CIA agent for many years before penning this enticing novel about a young woman forced to become a Russian intelligence operative. The movie adaptation stars Jennifer Lawrence and Joel Edgerton.
Red Love: A Novel
David EvanierWritten in a series of biting and satirical vignettes, “Red Love” details the scandalous arrest, trial, and execution of an American couple caught passing nuclear weapon designs to the Soviet Union. Inspired by the true story of the Rosenberg spies, Evanier examines the motivations of the infamous duo, both of whom maintained their innocence until their death.
Red to Black
Alex DrydenKGB colonel Anna is assigned to keep tabs on Finn, an M16 spy entangled in the Russian web of a master plot to take over Europe. As the two fall for each other, they’ll be forced to decide where their loyalties lie. Dryden’s extensive research on post-Cold War Russia shines through in this thrilling tale of espionage and romance. Follow it up with the sequel, “Moscow Sting.”
Gorky Park
Martin Cruz SmithThe first in the “Arkady Renko” series pits a brilliant Moscow homicide detective against the KGB and FBI as he races to solve a triple murder. Named by The Strand Magazine as a top 5 Cold War spy novel, “Gorky Park” was quickly banned by the USSR after its release due to its “alarmingly accurate” portrayal of life in the Soviet Union.
The Manchurian Candidate
Richard CondonDisguised as a political thriller, this sharp, fast-paced satire mixes danger and humor. It follows the high-stakes journey of a Medal of Honor recipient who’s been unwittingly brainwashed by Russia and China to assassinate high-ranking U.S. officials. Published as the Red Scare came to a close, the dystopian landscape of broken institutions and corrupt leaders found in “The Manchurian Candidate” isn’t too far off from the blustering yet dangerous Trumpism of present-day politics.
The Russian Pink: An Alex Turner Thriller
Matthew HartWhen a notorious pink-tinted blood diamond gets mixed up in American politics, government investigator Alex Turner must trace its violent path from the Congo to Washington D.C. This James Bond-esque thriller is complete with Russian spies, political scandal, and violent encounters, and Hart’s storytelling is sharp, memorable, and well-researched. When you’ve devoured this one, read the next Alex Turner novel, “Ice Angel.”
Tsar: A Thriller
Ted BellSure, Putin’s police state in present-day Russia is pretty scary, but what could frighten the American imagination more than the return of a Russian tsar who wants to reclaim all of Russia’s former colonies? Luckily, our spy Alexander Hawke is here to thwart these plans.
The People's House
David PepperWritten before the 2016 presidential election, this novel, authored by the chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party, is chillingly prophetic. It involves the Russian’s interfering with future American elections. This is fiction. Really. At least, we’re pretty sure.
The Twentieth Day of January
Ted AllbeuryOriginally written in 1980, this novel saw a rerelease in 2017 after the election of President Donald Trump, because, again, for many, it seems too eerily relevant. It turns out in Ted Allbeury’s story that the U.S.’s president-elect may be a Soviet puppet.
Moscow Rules
Daniel SilvaThis novel rolls all of America’s international fears into one — Russian operatives are providing weapons to terrorists in the Middle East, and it’s going to take an Israeli counterterrorism crew to stop this plot.