In “Counterfeit Spies,” Oliver Buckton shows that confusing fact and fiction is the first task of spies and second nature for novelists. Spy novels are procedurals.

Reading Spy Fiction, and About Those Who Wrote It Extracurricular reading this week turned out to be very spy-focused, with appearances by John le Carré and Robert Gottlieb.

Dying to Know 3 Spy Fiction Writers Answer Burning Questions If you buy books linked on our site, The Times may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookstores.

My boyfriend is a huge fan of spy novels, including the many by columnist David Ignatius. So when I left a copy of David’s latest manuscript lying around (bad tradecraft!), he scooped it up and ...

Explore the enduring appeal of spy novels through the unconventional writing style of Frederick Forsyth in Archisman Ghosh's ...

For decades, historical fiction has remained one of the most popular genres in the literary world. But WWII novels are specifically in demand due to their high-stakes drama and action set amid ...

What's real in espionage fiction?But how much—or how little—do these notions correspond to reality? Two recent books shed light on this question. In The Book of Spies, Alan Furst has compiled ...

THE SPY COAST: A Thriller. By Tess Gerritsen. Thomas & Mercer. 364 pages. $28.99. Maggie Bird just wants to relax into a quiet retirement, raising chickens in the cold little town of Purity, Maine ...

The Syndicate Spy: A Juliet Arroway Novel, Brittany Butler. Recently released, this debut spy novel is similar to many other spy novels in that it has lots of action, sexy characters, and plot twists.

Spy fiction is a British invention. So is its less well-traveled sibling, the detective novel. A third entertainment that the British elevated into an artform is the class system.