I was a paratrooper in the U.S. Army, lucky enough to spend three years in Germany. While in Germany, I fell in love with Europe. After my return to the States, I became an avid skydiver. That led to BASE jumping (parachuting from high buildings, bridges, cliffs, etc.) Unfortunately, I was badly injured in 1999. Though I’ve mostly recovered, I sought therapy in writing, melding my experiences as a soldier and adrenaline junkie, along with my love of exotic locales, into stories I love to share. That’s why I write. It keeps me sane and I love, love, love communicating with my readers.
In the midst of the Second World War, two spies—more alike than they could imagine—stalk one another. The German spy is embedded as an American soldier, killing his superiors in the heat of battle. A major. A colonel. A general.
The American spy hunts him, the search narrowing from division, to regiment, to company. It’s a hunt for a vicious killer. It’s a hunt for the American’s doppelgänger.
I’ve read The Day of the Jackal at least a dozen times, and I still find new inspiration. Forsyth created an antagonist akin to Hans Gruber in Die Hard—I nearly find myself rooting for him. Along with great characterization is some of the greatest plotting I’ve ever read. The book is tight, smart, and absolutely engrossing, not to mention gorgeously written.
The Day of the Jackal is the electrifying story of the struggle to catch a killer before it's too late.
It is 1963 and an anonymous Englishman has been hired by the Operations Chief of the O.A.S. to murder General De Gaulle. A failed attempt in the previous year means the target will be nearly impossible to get to. But this latest plot involves a lethal weapon: an assassin of legendary talent.
Known only as The Jackal, this remorseless and deadly killer must be stopped, but how do you track a man who exists in name alone?
This was the book that hooked me on espionage thrillers. Follett takes an enormous subject and boils it down to a battle between a few. There are memorable characters all over this story, and each of them are faced with difficult choices. Once again, the antagonist has a shred of humanity, which occasionally puts the reader at odds. You’ll be hooked.
The worldwide phenomenon from the bestselling author of The Pillars of the Earth, World Without End, A Column of Fire, and The Evening and the Morning
His code name was "The Needle." He was a German aristocrat of extraordinary intelligence-a master spy with a legacy of violence in his blood, and the object of the most desperate manhunt in history. . . .
But his fate lay in the hands of a young and vulnerable English woman, whose loyalty, if swayed, would assure his freedom-and win the war for the Nazis. . . .
This novel kicked off one of the most successful espionage franchises since James Bond. Gabriel Allon, along with the rest of Silva’s cast of characters, is so unique, so meticulous, that the reader feels as if you know him personally. Rich in research and detail, Silva’s book moves at a torrid pace. Once you read The Kill Artist, you’ll burn through the entire series.
Wily old Israeli intelligence chief recalls former agents in order to eliminate top Palestinian terrorist. One agent is now an art restorer, the other a fashion model. Ten years before on a mission to destroy the Arab Black September group they were briefly lovers. Now their pasts and their enemies come back to haunt them, as the terrorist murders ambassadors in Paris and Holland. Will the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks be his next target? And what motivates the terrorist? Is it politics, or is it possibly personal? Set mainly in London, but with forays into Paris, Amsterdam, the Middle East and…
This book took me completely by surprise. I’d never heard of it, nor was I familiar with the author. It was one of those books that’s like finding a pot of gold. The pacing is excellent; the character development unique and well done. I found this book to be quite different, and engrossing, for reasons I cannot describe. Be warned, it’s not for the faint of heart.
The astonishing story of one man's breakneck race against time to save America from oblivion. _______________ A FATHER PUBLICLY BEHEADED. Killed in the blistering heat of a Saudi Arabian public square. A YOUNG WOMAN DISCOVERED. All of her identifying characteristics dissolved by acid.
A SYRIAN BIOTECH EXPERT FOUND EYELESS. Dumped in a Damascus junkyard.
SMOULDERING HUMAN REMAINS. Abandoned on a remote mountainside in Afghanistan.
PILGRIM. The codename for a man who doesn't exist. A man who must return from obscurity. The only man who can uncover a flawless plot to commit an appalling crime against humanity. _____________
Casino Royale is the book that launched an icon: Bond…James Bond. While certainly not a modern thriller, this book is like taking a vacation to another time and place. Fleming’s writing style is his own, and his ability is enough to make me want to throw in the towel. Read this to get lost in the details and the richly developed characters. You’ll feel like you’re in France.
In the novel that introduced James Bond to the world, Ian Fleming’s agent 007 is dispatched to a French casino in Royale-les-Eaux. His mission? Bankrupt a ruthless Russian agent who’s been on a bad luck streak at the baccarat table.
One of SMERSH’s most deadly operatives, the man known only as “Le Chiffre,” has been a prime target of the British Secret Service for years. If Bond can wipe out his bankroll, Le Chiffre will likely be “retired” by his paymasters in Moscow. But what if the cards won’t cooperate? After a brutal night at the gaming tables, Bond soon…
My life and work have been profoundly affected by the central circumstance of my existence: I was born into a very large military Catholic family in the United States of America. As a child surrounded by many others in the 60s, I wrote, performed, and directed family plays with my numerous brothers and sisters. Although I fell in love with a Canadian and moved to Canada, my family of origin still exerts considerable personal influence. My central struggle, coming from that place of chaos, order, and conformity, is to have the courage to live an authentic life based on my own experience of connectedness and individuality, to speak and be heard.
Trapped in her enormous, devout Catholic family in 1963, Annie creates a hilarious campaign of lies when the pope dies and their family friend, Cardinal Stefanucci, is unexpectedly on the shortlist to be elected the first American pope.
Driven to elevate her family to the holiest of holy rollers in the parish, Annie is tortured by her own dishonesty. But when “The Hands” visits her in her bed and when her sister finds herself facing a scandal, Annie discovers her parents will do almost anything to uphold their reputation and keep their secrets safe.
Questioning all she has believed and torn between her own gut instinct and years of Catholic guilt, Annie takes courageous risks to wrest salvation from the tragic sequence of events set in motion by her parents’ betrayal.
Interested in
France,
intelligence officers,
and
the Middle East?
10,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them.
Browse their picks for the best books about
France,
intelligence officers,
and
the Middle East.
