Welcome to Five Books For, a newsletter for people who love great stories. I’m so happy you’re here. Recently I’ve found myself taking a deep dive into spy fiction, after we finished watching The Americans (as ever when it comes to TV shows, I was late to the party with this one) which was AMAZING. I mean, there’s so much great TV out there these days - we’re spoiled, right? - but I really loved this. It had complex, nuanced characters, a whole bunch of 80s nostalgia and a lot of moral ambiguity as well as being a fascinating insight into old-school spy tradecraft. I love how they made Elizabeth someone that you (kind of) rooted for, despite her actions being abhorrent, and how as a female lead character she was a lot less likeable (at least, as we usually read like ability for female characters) than she could have been. And how well they humanised Philip especially, and explored the various themes of family, values, patriotism and zealotry while always being so entertaining and thrilling.
Anyway, this is a books newsletter and not a TV newsletter so all this is just to say that watching The Americans is what first sent me on a search for great spy fiction and wow, there is loads. And in different genres too! Not everything has to be a thriller. So this month you’ll find five recommendations for various spy stories, all of them great reads, from romcoms and comedies to thrillers to something more serious.
Okay, let’s dive in!
Damascus Station by David McCloskey
“Syria, her uncle had said, is the heart of the world. Ancient blood flows through this place. Its cities have stood since creation and will stand until the end. And here, he would say, pointing his finger toward the ground, it is here that the world will end.”
So what’s it about? An intelligent, textured spy novel written by an ex-CIA agent and set at the height of the war in Syria Damascus Station follows the story of CIA agent Sam Joseph’s posting to Damascus in an attempt to find an American agent who has been captured and imprisoned by President Assad’s regime. Joseph is tasked with recruiting Mariam Haddad, one of the Palace advisory staff, and when they unexpectedly fall in love a whole new layer of danger ensues. The story follows Sam’s recruitment and running of Mariam as the war around them intensifies and eventually reaches an explosive conclusion.
What’s great about it? This is about as far from the stylised, suave James Bond-type stories as you can imagine. If you’re looking for a book that’s realistic (at least as far as any of us non-spies will ever know), with plenty of tension and a great plot, but weightier and more serious than a typical thriller, then this is the perfect book for you. The characters are well-drawn and I especially liked how McCloskey explores their motivations. There is plenty of moral complexity and very few simplistic baddies. He also explores the way in which the war affects the various players within Syria, from Mariam's rebellious cousin to her uncle, who works in the chemical warfare programme, and the choices they are forced to make.
Give it a try if: you like morally complex, ambitious fiction; you’re interested in books that explore the impact of war; you’re interested in the Middle East; you like learning more about world events through the lens of fiction; you love strong female characters; you’re fascinated by how the CIA really works.
East Of Hounslow by Khurrum Rahman
“He was a tough motherfucker. Tough enough to scare away any would be chancers‚ and tough enough not to think a jacket necessary‚ even though‚ through his tight T-shirt‚ his nipples told a different story.”
So what’s it about? A comedy-thriller, East Of Hounslow is the story of Jay Qasim, a small-time drug dealer living on the outskirts of London who finds himself reluctantly enlisted by MI5 as an undercover agent to investigate a possible terror cell at his local mosque.
What’s great about it? Jay is a great character - funny and smart and extremely conflicted in terms of how he feels about MI5. Rahman writes so well on Jay’s moral push-pull and how he can so easily understand the motives of the terrorists he’s hunting even as he abhors what they’re trying to do, not an easy line to walk. It’s also very funny - Jay as a character is witty but there’s also enough absurdity built in to lighten the subject matter even as the book heads towards a tragic conclusion. Rahman balances the humour and plot really well and there’s a cliffhanger ending which will make you want to buy the next in the trilogy as quickly as possible.
Give it a try if: you like books that make you laugh; if you like satire; if you enjoy reading books which are full of moral complexity but not overly serious; you want something fun to read; you prefer to read about serious subjects through the lens of humour.
The Blonde Identity by Ally Carter
“Her knees were bleeding, and her thighs burned; there was a hole in her black tights and a stitch in her side, and even her collarbones hurt. Her collarbones! Two bones that served absolutely no purpose beyond making a girl look great in boatneck sweaters.”
So what’s it about? When Zoe wakes up in the middle of a street in Paris, with an incredibly handsome man standing above her urging her to run, shes momentarily perplexed: what’s happened? Why was she unconscious? And, most worryingly of all, who is she? And so begins an espionage-themed adventure romp which also happens to be a romcom. Zoe soon realises that she is the twin sister of a spy who everyone seems to want to catch, from the Russian mafia to the intelligence agencies she has apparently betrayed, but with no memory to work with she needs to stay on her toes and ahead of her pursuers until she can figure out what to do next and how to get out of this mess. Luckily help is at hand in the form of Jake Sawyer - the extremely hot and competent spy who first tried to help her. But as they make a run for it across Europe, Zoe has to question whether she can trust Jake... and her feelings for him.
What’s great about it? This book is so much fun; it takes lots of the tropes and features of the spy genre and twists them into new and funnier forms. Zoe and Jake are great characters and the romance element is convincingly done while the adventure story really carries you propulsively through the story.
Give it a try if: you like romcoms; you like books which make you laugh; you love strong female characters; you love a love story; you like adventure stories; you’re in the mood for something light-hearted; you want something with a bit of Bond-esque style but without all the isms.
Northern Spy by Flynn Berry
“I recently read a scientific paper that said that murder victims, before they die, are flooded with serotonin, oxytocin, hormones that create a sense of euphoria as the body tries to protect itself from the knowledge of what’s happening.”
So what’s it about? Tessa is a producer at the BBC in her native Northern Ireland and a new (and newly single) mother to her baby son Finn. Tessa is at work one day when news breaks of another IRA raid and she is horrified to recognise her sister Marian in the security footage of the crime. Convinced that Marian must have been kidnapped and coerced into the robbery, Tessa is determined to help if she can, but how? The IRA are still a deadly force in Northern Ireland, even 20 years after the Good Friday agreement, and a single wrong step could mean death for Tessa and everyone she loves.
What’s great about it? This is an intelligent, thoughtful thriller exploring the tensions of living in a country riven by sectarianism and organised crime. It also explores the relationship between two sisters who love each other deeply and find themselves in a situation which has no safe way out. Berry really makes you feel the fear and dread Tessa experiences as she tries to help Marian and also captures the experience of changing identity in new motherhood brilliantly.
Give it a try if: you like courageous, strong female characters; if you love page-turning thrillers with some weight to them; if you love stories about sisters or family; if you’re interested in depictions of new motherhood; if you like books set in Ireland; if you’d like to learn more about The Troubles.
The Secret Hours by Mick Herron
“You want to serve your country, right? What did you think that involved, dressing up and playing parts? This job is about betrayal. About persuading people to betray other people. Their countries, their friends, those they work for. And in return, we betray them too in the end.’’
So what’s it about? The plot revolves around an inquiry into the secret services, set up by a vengeful Prime Minister but doomed to fail through First Desk’s unparalleled ability to tie it up in red tape. However, when the inquiry acquires a top secret file, it seems as though light will finally be shed on one of the Service’s most sensitive operations back in Cold War Berlin, the effects of which are still being felt today.
What’s great about it? If you’ve read, or seen the wildly successful adaptation of, Mick Herron’s Slow Horses, then many of the characters in this novel will be familiar to you and one of the great things about this book is that is fills out the background on some of the characters from those books but without feeling especially like a prequel. And even if you’ve never heard of Mick Herron before you pick this up, it’s a great story. The action is split between present-day London and Cold War Berlin and the plot is clever enough to satisfy without being gimmicky. Herron really excels at characterisation; he’s so good at drawing out people’s motivations and at describing the very ordinary bits of life that bring his characters alive and make them easier to understand and his plotting is first-rate.
Give it a try if: you like Slow Horses; you love great writing; you love brilliant characterisation; you like books which are also a commentary on current affairs; you like books which have great plotting.
Thanks for reading!
I hope you found something good to read here. As ever, I’d love to hear if you’ve read and loved (or indeed hated) any of the books here, and which ones you’d add to the list. You can reply directly to this email or leave a comment by clicking the button below.
Join me next month for five new recommendations on a very different theme and if you’re a paid subscriber I’ll see you in two weeks with a couple of bonus recommendations and our usual extra goodies.
Happy reading,
Kate