Simon Conway has written more than half a dozen books including A Loyal Spy, which won the Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award in 2010 for Best Thriller of the Year.
11. Leonard’s cautious nature clashes with the volatile atmosphere of espionage.
He soon finds himself caught not only in the dangerous intrigues of spying but also in an intense personal relationship that complicates his life further.
His book A Foreign Country features Thomas Kell, a disgraced MI6 officer who is brought back into the fold when Britain’s chief spy disappears unexpectedly.
Kell has to quietly track down the missing agent without alerting foreign powers or leaking this sensitive news back home.
With precise storytelling, believable characters, and the shadowy feel of real-world espionage, Cumming delivers a classic spy thriller reminiscent of le Carré's style.
Stella Rimington
Readers who enjoy John le Carré's spy novels could find Stella Rimington’s books intriguing.
Simon Conway
Fun Fact: He wrote his first book at age 10 on 200 pages of foolscap and admired Ernest Hemingway, Robert Stone, and George Orwell - all of whom served in the military or in overseas work - so he decided to join up.
Bona Fides: The former British Army officer and international aid worker lives in Scotland but clears landmines and the other war debris around the world and successfully campaigned to achieve an international ban on cluster bombs.
The Brooklyn-born author has focused on Russia since his first novel The Defection of A.J. Lewinter. Among his critically acclaimed works are the New York Times bestselling The Company, adapted for a mini-series, and Legends which won the Los Angeles Times Best Thriller of 2005.
10.
During Lebanon’s long civil war he was always terrified his father would be kidnapped, which came to be the subject of James Wolff’s first novel, Beside the Syrian Sea.
12. McEwan skillfully portrays the tense, shadowy world of espionage and its impact on human relationships.
For those drawn to le Carré's stories about ordinary people thrust into extraordinary situations, The Innocent is a strong choice.
Robert Ludlum
Readers who appreciate John le Carré's tense spy stories may want to explore Robert Ludlum.
Rimington, former head of MI5, brings authentic insight to her spy thrillers.
Her novel At Risk introduces readers to Liz Carlyle, an intelligence officer facing the real-world threat of terrorism in Britain.
12 Spy Writers to Read After John le Carré from James Wolff to Paul Vidich
6.
Readers who enjoy John le Carré's novels may find themselves drawn to Greene’s The Quiet American.
Set in Vietnam during the last years of French colonial rule, this novel follows Fowler, a British war correspondent, who meets the idealistic and naive CIA operative Alden Pyle.
Through their complicated friendship and rivalry, the story explores foreign intervention, personal morality, and the unintended consequences of covert operations.
Greene weaves strong characters and atmospheric settings into a narrative that remains timely and thought-provoking.
Eric Ambler
Eric Ambler was a master storyteller known for realistic and intricate spy novels that contain the sort of complex characters and shady espionage fans of John le Carré often enjoy.
In his novel The Mask of Dimitrios, a crime writer named Charles Latimer becomes fascinated by a mysterious and notorious criminal, Dimitrios Makropoulos, after seeing his body in the morgue.
Latimer’s curiosity leads him across Europe in search of clues about Dimitrios’ shadowy past.
Harting, refugee background, a Junior Something in the British Embassy in Bonn. Kanon creates memorable characters and builds suspense through careful plots.
Anyone drawn to John le Carré's atmospheric and morally ambiguous spy tales will find similar satisfaction in The Good German.
Ian McEwan
Readers who enjoy John le Carré's blend of suspense, moral complexity, and well-crafted characters will appreciate Ian McEwan’s novels.
After escaping to Russia, he becomes a Soviet agent involved in undercover missions throughout Europe, filled with tension, double-crosses and moral ambiguity.
Furst captures the same fascinating blend of geopolitics, deep character portraits and rich historical settings that fans of le Carré appreciate.
Joseph Kanon
Readers who enjoy the spy novels of John le Carré may also appreciate the books of Joseph Kanon.
8. Along the way he uncovers layers of corruption, greed, and betrayal.
Ambler’s narrative weaves thoughtful suspense and compelling characterization together, providing both depth and thrills to the espionage genre.
Len Deighton
If you enjoy John le Carré's stories of espionage that capture the shadowy world of Cold War spies, you might appreciate Len Deighton’s work.
Deighton’s novel The IPCRESS File introduces an anonymous British spy—later portrayed famously by Michael Caine in the film adaptation—who navigates the secretive bureaucracy of British intelligence.
With his dry wit and realistic depiction of spycraft, Deighton builds a story around the mystery of high-level scientists disappearing under unusual circumstances.
The protagonist’s sharp observations, combined with the suspenseful atmosphere of 1960s London, create a memorable reading experience for anyone fascinated by le Carré's style.
Frederick Forsyth
Frederick Forsyth is an author known for meticulous storytelling and suspenseful narratives.
He relies on wits, intuition, and nerve instead of gadgets and weapons, facing double-crosses, hidden enemies, and shifting loyalties at every turn.
The carefully crafted tension, precise detail, and guarded characters create an atmosphere reminiscent of le Carré’s shadowy spy world.
.
Bona fides: London-born Dame Stella Rimington knows her Black Ops from her OpSec.
Ferris is stationed in the Middle East and navigates complex alliances, unsettling betrayals, and moral questions in his pursuit of a dangerous terrorist mastermind.
Ignatius creates an authentic portrayal of intelligence work, filled with careful tradecraft, high-stakes decisions, and the shadowy world of global surveillance.
If you appreciate the ethical ambiguity and realistic espionage in le Carré's stories, give David Ignatius a closer look.
Alan Furst
If you enjoy John le Carré's intelligent, atmospheric spy novels, Alan Furst might be perfect for you.
Hall, whose real name was Elleston Trevor, wrote a series of novels featuring a secret agent called Quiller.
In The Quiller Memorandum, Quiller must navigate through dangerous alleys and tense encounters in Cold War Berlin. Silva offers fast-paced espionage thrillers filled with intrigue and memorable characters.
His novel The Kill Artist introduces Gabriel Allon, a talented art restorer pulled back into the dangerous world of international espionage.
The story centers on Allon’s efforts to track down a relentless terrorist, a mission that forces him to face a past tragedy and navigate shifting alliances.
Silva brilliantly captures the harsh realities and moral dilemmas of undercover work, offering a tense, satisfying read for espionage enthusiasts.
Ken Follett
Ken Follett is a master storyteller whose novels weave suspense and intricate historical detail into powerful narratives.
James Wolff
Fun Fact: He grew up in a Lebanese neighborhood that includedan eccentric homeless man believed to be harmless - until he rolled into Beirut atop the first Israeli tank in 1982. Bona Fides: The author of How To Betray Your Country worked for the British government for more than a decade but he’s not revealing where or his real name.
