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Agents of Treachery: Never Before Published Spy Fiction from Today's Most Exciting Writers
For the first time ever, legendary editor Otto Penzler has handpicked some of the most respected and bestselling thriller writers working today for a riveting collection of spy fiction. From first to last, this stellar collection signals mission accomplished.
* Lee Child with an incredible look at the formation of a special ops cell.
* James Grady writing about an Arab undercover FBI agent with an active cell.
* Joseph Finder riffing on a Boston architect who's convinced his Persian neighbors are up to no good.
* John Lawton concocting a Len Deighton-esque story about British intelligence.
* Stephen Hunter thrilling us with a tale about a WWII brigade.
Full list of
James Grady, Charles McCarry, Lee Child, Joseph Finder, John Lawton, John Weisman, Stephen Hunter, Gayle Lynds, David Morrell, Andrew Klavan, Robert Wilson, Dan Fesperman, Stella Rimington, Olen Steinhauer
* Lee Child with an incredible look at the formation of a special ops cell.
* James Grady writing about an Arab undercover FBI agent with an active cell.
* Joseph Finder riffing on a Boston architect who's convinced his Persian neighbors are up to no good.
* John Lawton concocting a Len Deighton-esque story about British intelligence.
* Stephen Hunter thrilling us with a tale about a WWII brigade.
Full list of
James Grady, Charles McCarry, Lee Child, Joseph Finder, John Lawton, John Weisman, Stephen Hunter, Gayle Lynds, David Morrell, Andrew Klavan, Robert Wilson, Dan Fesperman, Stella Rimington, Olen Steinhauer
429 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2010
45 people are currently reading
298 people want to read
About the author
Otto Penzler
374 books533 followersOtto Penzler is an editor of mystery fiction in the United States, and proprietor of The Mysterious Bookshop in New York City, where he lives.
Otto Penzler founded The Mysteriour Press in 1975 and was the publisher of The Armchair Detective, the Edgar-winning quarterly journal devoted to the study of mystery and suspense fiction, for seventeen years.
Penzler has won two Edgar Awards, for The Encyclopedia of Mystery and Detection in 1977, and The Lineup in 2010. The Mystery Writers of America awarded him the prestigious Ellery Queen Award in 1994, and the Raven--the group's highest non-writing award--in 2003.
Otto Penzler founded The Mysteriour Press in 1975 and was the publisher of The Armchair Detective, the Edgar-winning quarterly journal devoted to the study of mystery and suspense fiction, for seventeen years.
Penzler has won two Edgar Awards, for The Encyclopedia of Mystery and Detection in 1977, and The Lineup in 2010. The Mystery Writers of America awarded him the prestigious Ellery Queen Award in 1994, and the Raven--the group's highest non-writing award--in 2003.
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August 5, 2016Apparently there has never been a collection of purpose-written espionage short stories, and you can see why because the degree of difficulty here is immense. International thrillers take a buttload of mise-en-scene, tradecraft, atmosphere, sometimes historical exegesis, and especially character motivation -- a lot to cram into 30 pages or less. I think with only one exception none of these authors chose to use a series character, and that one barely appeared, so they really did all start from scratch.
This isn't your triumphalist James Bond and Tom Clancy type of thriller fiction, but in almost all cases more the "heirs of Graham Greene" type -- you really aren't going to want to reach for this collection when you're feeling sad. Every story is suffused with... not nostalgia exactly, but a sense that the spy trade might now be so limp and tatty that it can't even support fiction set in the modern era. Almost all of the authors chose an explicitly or implicitly 20th century era, and even the post 9-11 tales are oddly backwards-looking.
As always, the pick of the litter is Charles McCarry hands down. Robert Wilson's cinematic outing is as bracing as a shot of neat bourbon, and Andrew Klavan turns in a haunting yet woozy nocturne that reads almost more like contemporary science fiction than a spy thriller.
This isn't your triumphalist James Bond and Tom Clancy type of thriller fiction, but in almost all cases more the "heirs of Graham Greene" type -- you really aren't going to want to reach for this collection when you're feeling sad. Every story is suffused with... not nostalgia exactly, but a sense that the spy trade might now be so limp and tatty that it can't even support fiction set in the modern era. Almost all of the authors chose an explicitly or implicitly 20th century era, and even the post 9-11 tales are oddly backwards-looking.
As always, the pick of the litter is Charles McCarry hands down. Robert Wilson's cinematic outing is as bracing as a shot of neat bourbon, and Andrew Klavan turns in a haunting yet woozy nocturne that reads almost more like contemporary science fiction than a spy thriller.
December 13, 2019
If you read just one read Child's,he's a cut above.
July 21, 2020
The End of the String by Charles McCarry
Set in Ndala, Africa, the story follows a revolution of a brutal dictatorship. The revolutionary, Benjamin, is chief of police and he takes on a secret agent to oversee everything in hopes of gaining the approval of the United States. The story is like a novel, but short and sweet. Charming, enchanting, it’s a marvel and great way to start this anthology.
Section 7 (A) by Lee Child
The narrator looks at all the agents gathered around in his apartment, noting not only their personality and interplay but their flaws and the pitfalls in their operation. Turns out the narrator is actually Lee Childs, who calls his agent at the end of the story. A clever play on the reader, it's a marvel of postmodernism
Destiny City by James Grady
A “right now story” that has both spies and terrorists. Both are racing around the clock in Washington, D.C. The twist? We got an undercover FBI agent in an active terrorist cell.
Neighbors by Joseph Finger
This story goes one step beyond. Instead of straight up “spy,” it’s about a Boston Architect bombarded by news reports of terrorist cells in the US, who spies on his mysterious neighbor.
East of Suez, West of Charing Cross Road by John Lawton
An hilarious story of George Hosefield who shares the name of one of his superiors. After being caught with a young woman (not his wife) in a set-up planned by a Russian, George Hosefield is mistaken for the other George Hosefield and is blackmailed. Not wanting the photo leaked to his wife, George Hosefield feeds false information to the Russian, making up a web of lies as he goes along.
Father’s Day by John Weisman
A soldier turned CIA agent deals with internal politics as his superior brings in a possible terrorist with seemingly important information.
Casey at the Bat by Stephen Hunter
During World War 2, a Brit and an American are tasked with bombing a bridge. The brit, George, is hilarious. Nothing affects him and he goes about with such British posh it’s amazing. He knows who to call when he needs Soviet help, he knows how to charm Germans into thinking he’s one of their own. His only fault is he can’t tell Americans apart.
BEST QUOTE: “His dick was as big as wine bottle”
Max is Calling by Garye Lynds
A spy is taken under the wind of an ex-spy named Cowboy, who teaches him that everyone has their own secrets - even Cowboy
The Interrogator by David Morrell
Andrew is a born interrogator, and here’s a day in the life. It’s horrifying.
Sleeping with My Assassin by Andrew Klavan
After the fall of the Berlin wall, everyone’s out to get the spies. Americans want to shut up their own (you know what that means) and Russia wants to kill them. Knowing he’s screwed either way, an ex-spy gets involved with a woman he’s convinced is his assassin from one of the countries. He does it because it makes him happy, and why not be happy before you blow everything open? A gripping tale of paranoia and PTSD (maybe?), the story never gives you concrete answers but instead opts to give you just enough
The Hamburg Redemption by Robert Wilson
An ex-spy with a conscience is drinking himself into oblivion, drowning out his sorrows and those around him telling him he, along with his fellow ex agents, are in danger. He wakes up with a disabled woman with no leg, intent on exposing his (and his country’s) dark secrets to the world. Then he learns the woman he woke up holds the key to his redemption. Blood and twisted, it's Robert Wilson at his finest. It's also wonderfully written.
The Courier by Don Fesperman
During World War 2, two spies are tasked with finding the right person for the right job. The right job is to find someone who will break under German interrogators, admitting the Allies Plan to them. The twist? The plan this ‘right person’ will be given false information, tricking the Nazis. It’s Operation Mincemeat on a smaller, more personal scale. They choose a pilot who will be shot down by the Germans, and once that is done all they can is sit back and wait. The narrator thinks about his son and baseball, how one boy would try but not be good enough. Twisting baseball and the USA’s war plans into one? Now that’s gloriously twisted.
Hedged In by Stella Rimington
Ron Haddock is an agent who once nabbed a gun from an enemy. Years later, he defends that gun from everyone including his wife a la The Revenant (the real life event, not the Leo DiCaprio movie).
You Know What’s Going On by Olen Steinhauer
Aslim Taslam is a Somali terrorist whose group broke off a larger terrorist group after an ideological dispute. That’s the concrete from which this foundation is made. To change metaphors, the story is a web. Three threads interconnect into one bigger, grander, story. We go from Geneva to Rome, to Kenya, swapping spectives from Paul, an American spy undercover as a banker, Nabil, a Somali Jighadist, Sam, an American spy, and Benjamin, a Kenyan police officer. Paul is an unwitting pawn in a harrowing opening that keeps the reader interested. Nabil’s story shows a perspective of a terrorist, adding a human element to what most authors (coughupdikecough) make into stereotypes. Then we get Sam, who proves to be the most interesting character since the two previous stories both showed two radically different sides to him. Thus, Sam’s story is able to dive in deeper. He’s a spy, first and foremost, and everything he tells you might be a lie. But his story shows he’s not a calm, collected James Bond type, rather he’s a human who can get stressed, scared, curious, horrified, etc. Nevertheless, he’s also dangerously manipulative. Lastly we have Benjamin (again with Benjamin, first and last stories have people in Africa named Benjamin?) who shows us the ground work and the lives of people who live in areas. It shows how, much like the spies, tragedy comes and goes as if they “had never been” even though the affects are felt in the air, culminating in the last line “[d]espite the sweltering heat, Benjamin had even stopped sweating.” It’s a great story to end this anthology.
Set in Ndala, Africa, the story follows a revolution of a brutal dictatorship. The revolutionary, Benjamin, is chief of police and he takes on a secret agent to oversee everything in hopes of gaining the approval of the United States. The story is like a novel, but short and sweet. Charming, enchanting, it’s a marvel and great way to start this anthology.
Section 7 (A) by Lee Child
The narrator looks at all the agents gathered around in his apartment, noting not only their personality and interplay but their flaws and the pitfalls in their operation. Turns out the narrator is actually Lee Childs, who calls his agent at the end of the story. A clever play on the reader, it's a marvel of postmodernism
Destiny City by James Grady
A “right now story” that has both spies and terrorists. Both are racing around the clock in Washington, D.C. The twist? We got an undercover FBI agent in an active terrorist cell.
Neighbors by Joseph Finger
This story goes one step beyond. Instead of straight up “spy,” it’s about a Boston Architect bombarded by news reports of terrorist cells in the US, who spies on his mysterious neighbor.
East of Suez, West of Charing Cross Road by John Lawton
An hilarious story of George Hosefield who shares the name of one of his superiors. After being caught with a young woman (not his wife) in a set-up planned by a Russian, George Hosefield is mistaken for the other George Hosefield and is blackmailed. Not wanting the photo leaked to his wife, George Hosefield feeds false information to the Russian, making up a web of lies as he goes along.
Father’s Day by John Weisman
A soldier turned CIA agent deals with internal politics as his superior brings in a possible terrorist with seemingly important information.
Casey at the Bat by Stephen Hunter
During World War 2, a Brit and an American are tasked with bombing a bridge. The brit, George, is hilarious. Nothing affects him and he goes about with such British posh it’s amazing. He knows who to call when he needs Soviet help, he knows how to charm Germans into thinking he’s one of their own. His only fault is he can’t tell Americans apart.
BEST QUOTE: “His dick was as big as wine bottle”
Max is Calling by Garye Lynds
A spy is taken under the wind of an ex-spy named Cowboy, who teaches him that everyone has their own secrets - even Cowboy
The Interrogator by David Morrell
Andrew is a born interrogator, and here’s a day in the life. It’s horrifying.
Sleeping with My Assassin by Andrew Klavan
After the fall of the Berlin wall, everyone’s out to get the spies. Americans want to shut up their own (you know what that means) and Russia wants to kill them. Knowing he’s screwed either way, an ex-spy gets involved with a woman he’s convinced is his assassin from one of the countries. He does it because it makes him happy, and why not be happy before you blow everything open? A gripping tale of paranoia and PTSD (maybe?), the story never gives you concrete answers but instead opts to give you just enough
The Hamburg Redemption by Robert Wilson
An ex-spy with a conscience is drinking himself into oblivion, drowning out his sorrows and those around him telling him he, along with his fellow ex agents, are in danger. He wakes up with a disabled woman with no leg, intent on exposing his (and his country’s) dark secrets to the world. Then he learns the woman he woke up holds the key to his redemption. Blood and twisted, it's Robert Wilson at his finest. It's also wonderfully written.
The Courier by Don Fesperman
During World War 2, two spies are tasked with finding the right person for the right job. The right job is to find someone who will break under German interrogators, admitting the Allies Plan to them. The twist? The plan this ‘right person’ will be given false information, tricking the Nazis. It’s Operation Mincemeat on a smaller, more personal scale. They choose a pilot who will be shot down by the Germans, and once that is done all they can is sit back and wait. The narrator thinks about his son and baseball, how one boy would try but not be good enough. Twisting baseball and the USA’s war plans into one? Now that’s gloriously twisted.
Hedged In by Stella Rimington
Ron Haddock is an agent who once nabbed a gun from an enemy. Years later, he defends that gun from everyone including his wife a la The Revenant (the real life event, not the Leo DiCaprio movie).
You Know What’s Going On by Olen Steinhauer
Aslim Taslam is a Somali terrorist whose group broke off a larger terrorist group after an ideological dispute. That’s the concrete from which this foundation is made. To change metaphors, the story is a web. Three threads interconnect into one bigger, grander, story. We go from Geneva to Rome, to Kenya, swapping spectives from Paul, an American spy undercover as a banker, Nabil, a Somali Jighadist, Sam, an American spy, and Benjamin, a Kenyan police officer. Paul is an unwitting pawn in a harrowing opening that keeps the reader interested. Nabil’s story shows a perspective of a terrorist, adding a human element to what most authors (coughupdikecough) make into stereotypes. Then we get Sam, who proves to be the most interesting character since the two previous stories both showed two radically different sides to him. Thus, Sam’s story is able to dive in deeper. He’s a spy, first and foremost, and everything he tells you might be a lie. But his story shows he’s not a calm, collected James Bond type, rather he’s a human who can get stressed, scared, curious, horrified, etc. Nevertheless, he’s also dangerously manipulative. Lastly we have Benjamin (again with Benjamin, first and last stories have people in Africa named Benjamin?) who shows us the ground work and the lives of people who live in areas. It shows how, much like the spies, tragedy comes and goes as if they “had never been” even though the affects are felt in the air, culminating in the last line “[d]espite the sweltering heat, Benjamin had even stopped sweating.” It’s a great story to end this anthology.
April 15, 2019
From WWII through the Cold War up to present day, this collection of fourteen spy stories covers a lot of ground. Like most anthologies, it's a bit of a mixed bag, and it saves the best for last: Olen Steinhauer's You Know What's Going On was the only one of these stories that I was already familiar with, though I'd been meaning to re-read it. Still an exquisitely crafted piece of fiction.
August 16, 2010
Fourteen short stories written by some of the thriller genre’s best authors: Gayle Lynds, Joseph Finder, Lee Child, David Morell, John Weisman….., are contained in this novel. I am not sure what it took to get this done, but every page is like gold. I have made a point on this in a previous post about the digital shorts, this is perfect: A very nice way to get a little fix of one of your authors before they put out the main course, their newest novel.
I read the printed version of the novel, but it can be purchased in an ereader form and read just as a series of digital shorts. I am a bit surprised they didn’t also break them up and sell them individually, why not? Everything is in place to do so. Picking up one of these well written pieces would be a bargain for any fan of this group of authors. I had a difficult time trying to figure out where to start with it. I am a big fan of most of the authors in the group and didn’t want to disrespect any of them so I wrote all the names down put them in one of my ball caps and picked out the names and wrote down the order. It added to the fun and the excitement of the novel. Having choices is fun and this type of format gives the reader that and so much more.
Digital shorts, short stories, they are a wave that is beginning to cause a current and an undertow that I think is exciting. Having access to something like this is amazing. Picking up a novel, pulling up the file on the ereader, getting that quick hit, that satisfaction immediately is just a win-win for the author and their customer, the consumer/their fan. I hope that more novels like this hit the market because this is like holding lightning in a bottle. The power, the sheer force of having such skill and storytelling ability in one novel, fourteen well-crafted shorts by some of the industry’s best authors shouldn’t be passed up. I don’t hesitate to say not just to put this in your Goodreads/Shelfari –to read- list, but to get it a.s.a.p.
What are you reading today? Check us out and become our friend on Facebook, Shelfari, and Crimespace. Go to Goodreads and become our friend there and suggest books for us to read and post on. You can also follow us on Twitter, Book Blogs, and the Gelati’s Scoop Facebook Fan Page; also look for our posts on Amazon, Borders, Barnes and Nobles, and the Bucks County Library System. Did you know you can shop directly on Amazon by clicking the Gelati’s Store Tab on our blog? Thanks for stopping by today; we will see you tomorrow. Have a great day.
I read the printed version of the novel, but it can be purchased in an ereader form and read just as a series of digital shorts. I am a bit surprised they didn’t also break them up and sell them individually, why not? Everything is in place to do so. Picking up one of these well written pieces would be a bargain for any fan of this group of authors. I had a difficult time trying to figure out where to start with it. I am a big fan of most of the authors in the group and didn’t want to disrespect any of them so I wrote all the names down put them in one of my ball caps and picked out the names and wrote down the order. It added to the fun and the excitement of the novel. Having choices is fun and this type of format gives the reader that and so much more.
Digital shorts, short stories, they are a wave that is beginning to cause a current and an undertow that I think is exciting. Having access to something like this is amazing. Picking up a novel, pulling up the file on the ereader, getting that quick hit, that satisfaction immediately is just a win-win for the author and their customer, the consumer/their fan. I hope that more novels like this hit the market because this is like holding lightning in a bottle. The power, the sheer force of having such skill and storytelling ability in one novel, fourteen well-crafted shorts by some of the industry’s best authors shouldn’t be passed up. I don’t hesitate to say not just to put this in your Goodreads/Shelfari –to read- list, but to get it a.s.a.p.
What are you reading today? Check us out and become our friend on Facebook, Shelfari, and Crimespace. Go to Goodreads and become our friend there and suggest books for us to read and post on. You can also follow us on Twitter, Book Blogs, and the Gelati’s Scoop Facebook Fan Page; also look for our posts on Amazon, Borders, Barnes and Nobles, and the Bucks County Library System. Did you know you can shop directly on Amazon by clicking the Gelati’s Store Tab on our blog? Thanks for stopping by today; we will see you tomorrow. Have a great day.
July 24, 2016
La reseña completa en:
https://unavidaentrepaginasyletras.bl...
Creo que algo que le voy a destacar a esta antología es que tira el estigma de que los libros que hablan de espías, policías y novelas negras se escriben exactamente igual o tienen el mismo cliché de "policía borracho, engreído, que se acuesta con señoras híper sensuales y se lleva a la rubia volando en su coche maravilla hacía el atardecer", así que:
¡Gracias Otto, gracias!
Como se narra en la sinopsis el libro nos presenta 14 relatos de uno de los mejores escritores de novela negra, thriller y relatos de espías; autores como: Lee Chile, Joseph Finder Charles McCarry (cuyo relato me encantó), pero no se dejen engañar, son sólo unos de los tantos nombres destacables que se encuentran aquí.
Tenemos un abanico enorme de personajes, elaborados de forma excelente y específica por cada escritor, pasando por un hombre retirado en su última misión, un agente de barbas largas muy astuto que engaña a todo el país enemigo, hasta un vecino común en un pueblo de las afueras con sospechas infundamentadas sobre los nuevos residentes de la casa de enfrente (o eso se cree). Ver como cada autor construye a cada personaje ha sido un espectáculo magnífico y tienen la profundidad suficiente para que en ningún relato te sientas perdido.
Hablando del espacio debo decir que los autores no han reducido el cuadrante de trabajo, ya que damos vueltas por el mundo: desde un complot para liberar un pueblo africano, pasando por una bella y mística Venecia dónde los secretos se revelan entre las sombras, sin olvidar dar un paseo en un Londres lleno de intrigas; entre muchos otros lugares.
https://unavidaentrepaginasyletras.bl...
Creo que algo que le voy a destacar a esta antología es que tira el estigma de que los libros que hablan de espías, policías y novelas negras se escriben exactamente igual o tienen el mismo cliché de "policía borracho, engreído, que se acuesta con señoras híper sensuales y se lleva a la rubia volando en su coche maravilla hacía el atardecer", así que:
¡Gracias Otto, gracias!
Como se narra en la sinopsis el libro nos presenta 14 relatos de uno de los mejores escritores de novela negra, thriller y relatos de espías; autores como: Lee Chile, Joseph Finder Charles McCarry (cuyo relato me encantó), pero no se dejen engañar, son sólo unos de los tantos nombres destacables que se encuentran aquí.
Tenemos un abanico enorme de personajes, elaborados de forma excelente y específica por cada escritor, pasando por un hombre retirado en su última misión, un agente de barbas largas muy astuto que engaña a todo el país enemigo, hasta un vecino común en un pueblo de las afueras con sospechas infundamentadas sobre los nuevos residentes de la casa de enfrente (o eso se cree). Ver como cada autor construye a cada personaje ha sido un espectáculo magnífico y tienen la profundidad suficiente para que en ningún relato te sientas perdido.
Hablando del espacio debo decir que los autores no han reducido el cuadrante de trabajo, ya que damos vueltas por el mundo: desde un complot para liberar un pueblo africano, pasando por una bella y mística Venecia dónde los secretos se revelan entre las sombras, sin olvidar dar un paseo en un Londres lleno de intrigas; entre muchos otros lugares.
June 22, 2014
What a disappointment this book was! I've enjoyed the novels of several of the authors whose short stories are contained in this anthology, and was looking forward to taking pleasure in the stories of those whom I had not yet read. But mediocrity infused this collection through-and-through. It took me forever to finish the book, since none of the stories stoked my enthusiasm to go on to the next one. If there's one reason I'm glad I hung on, however, it's that Olen Steinhauer's contribution--the last in the book--managed to hit his usual high standard.
September 17, 2011
I picked this book up in the Kindle sale, and I think I'm glad I didn't pay full price. There were a couple of really good stories, and the collection as a whole was mildly diverting, but it was a real mix of quality and I was disappointed too many times. However it was an interesting taster of a genre I don't really read, and I may look for longer works by the writers of my favourite pieces.
November 8, 2010
This is great fun. Short stories about spies. From WWII thru the Cold War to modern Europe and Iraq. I've found them all very interesting in their way; only have a few left.
October 27, 2023
I get it writing short stories is hard. It's even harder to write spy fiction as short stories. Since how do you break a spy story out from regular mystery stories or even action adventures? The only difference is the characters are referring to bosses as various intelligence organizations or counter intelligence agencies.
There are about 15 stories in this book. They vary in quality. Most of them are set in the war on terror time frame. One is set in WW2. Overall, out of these 15 stories I would rule maybe 3 stories are top notch, the rest are so-so and are up to personal preference on the topic.
Overall, not bad but I don't think this is a must read. It's a read if nothing else attracts you on the shelf and not a push to finish.
There are about 15 stories in this book. They vary in quality. Most of them are set in the war on terror time frame. One is set in WW2. Overall, out of these 15 stories I would rule maybe 3 stories are top notch, the rest are so-so and are up to personal preference on the topic.
Overall, not bad but I don't think this is a must read. It's a read if nothing else attracts you on the shelf and not a push to finish.
December 7, 2018
The stories are from both sides of the Cold War divide but primarily from the West. There was an uneven quality to them. Obviously, in any anthology, some stories would be more interesting than others, but it seemed to me that it was more pronounced in this collection than in others that I've read. I prefer my spy fiction to have a clear understanding of who the good guys are, even if the story is told from the bad guys perspective. This was not always the case here.
February 6, 2019
This was an interesting read, some that fell by the wayside, others that ended to quickly and some that made you go *hmmm*... Some authors that were introduced and probably never be read by me again and old acquaintances of authors that didn't disappoint and can't wait too read what's next. A couple of never read authors that got me intrigued enough to look up what else they wrote.
All in all a three star collections of stories.
All in all a three star collections of stories.
September 2, 2019
3 stars average, with stories ranging from one to four.
13 spy stories by well-known authors. McCarry's small novel exceptional may be the best. Child's, not even a spy story, is really bad. The rest yield some brief but clever twists and turns by great storytellers, but editor Penzler, the founder of the Mysterious Bookshop and Press, stretched a bit for this collection.
13 spy stories by well-known authors. McCarry's small novel exceptional may be the best. Child's, not even a spy story, is really bad. The rest yield some brief but clever twists and turns by great storytellers, but editor Penzler, the founder of the Mysterious Bookshop and Press, stretched a bit for this collection.
July 5, 2025
As with all anthologies, I found some good and some bad. I didn't find anything exceptional either way. Some of these stories seemed dated and reminded me of spy stories from the 60s and 70s. There were few that gave me a surprise ending and some that didn't appear to give an ending at all. I took my time with this one because nothing grabbed my interest enough to keep me reading.
December 31, 2019
Agents aplenty
Interesting mix of stories ranging from WWII to modern day. As Mr. Penzler notes in his forward, stories of this genre are not often found. Another winner from one of the best anthology editors.
Interesting mix of stories ranging from WWII to modern day. As Mr. Penzler notes in his forward, stories of this genre are not often found. Another winner from one of the best anthology editors.
August 29, 2020
I’m really disappointed in this collection of short stories. I couldn’t find one that grabbed me and took me on a great adventure. Frankly very boring stuff. I’d recommend you passing on this one or loaning it from a library.
December 14, 2018
A great variety of spy stories by some stellar authors.
February 8, 2019
Not all of these short stories worked well but those by Lee Child and John Lawton were definitely worthwhile.
October 20, 2019
A mundane collection of spy stories, only a couple of which I found interesting. Most were dry, boring and confusing despite being authored by notable writers.
June 24, 2020
Very good stories.
March 4, 2023
Great Read, Great Authors
These short stories are written by masters of the espionage trade. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in thriller / spy novels.
These short stories are written by masters of the espionage trade. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in thriller / spy novels.
June 15, 2023
Some of the stories were great.
September 27, 2023
Algunos mejores que otros
April 5, 2015
This is a collection of fourteen original short stories written by some of the best thriller writers in the business, including Lee Child, Joseph Finder, Charles McCarry, Olen Steinhauer and Stella Rimington. They span a range of timeframes and countries, from 1940s Switzerland to the current war in Iraq.
The standard is somewhat uneven. I thought a few of the stories were outstanding, some were just good and a few left me cold. I enjoyed the way that each one reflected the author's writing style and I look forward to exploring some of the authors whose work was previously unknown to me.
Stand-outs for me included Charles McCarry's account of an African dictator which was reminiscent of the film The Last King Of Scotland. The characters are so well developed that they really come alive. Joseph Finder writes a very accessible and clever story about a man who harbours suspicions about his next door neighbours. John Weisman writes about a CIA agent on the frontline in Iraq, working for a boss who values climbing the ladder ahead of retrieving hostages.
Lee Child's story was probably the biggest disappointment and I wondered if it was included for the value that his name adds to the collection rather than on its own merits.
Overall a mixed bag, but with some stand-outs that made it well worthwhile.
The standard is somewhat uneven. I thought a few of the stories were outstanding, some were just good and a few left me cold. I enjoyed the way that each one reflected the author's writing style and I look forward to exploring some of the authors whose work was previously unknown to me.
Stand-outs for me included Charles McCarry's account of an African dictator which was reminiscent of the film The Last King Of Scotland. The characters are so well developed that they really come alive. Joseph Finder writes a very accessible and clever story about a man who harbours suspicions about his next door neighbours. John Weisman writes about a CIA agent on the frontline in Iraq, working for a boss who values climbing the ladder ahead of retrieving hostages.
Lee Child's story was probably the biggest disappointment and I wondered if it was included for the value that his name adds to the collection rather than on its own merits.
Overall a mixed bag, but with some stand-outs that made it well worthwhile.
Want to read
August 12, 2015For the first time ever, legendary editor Otto Penzler has handpicked some of the most respected and bestselling thriller writers working today for a riveting collection of spy fiction. From first to last, this stellar collection signals mission accomplished.
Including:
Lee Child with an incredible look at the formation of a special ops cell. James Grady writing about an Arab undercover FBI agent with an active cell. Joseph Finder riffing on a Boston architect who's convinced his Persian neighbors are up to no good. John Lawton concocting a Len Deighton-esque story about British intelligence. Stephen Hunter thrilling us with a tale about a WWII brigade.Full list of Contributors:
James Grady, Charles McCarry, Lee Child, Joseph Finder, John Lawton, John Weisman, Stephen Hunter, Gayle Lynds, David Morrell, Andrew Klavan, Robert Wilson, Dan Fesperman, Stella Rimington, Olen Steinhauer
July 27, 2016
The volume I read has many things to recommend it beyond the stories: it is a beautifully bound, 3/4 marbled cover limited edition with a drop in the signature page before each story and from the editor. The paper is heavy; in lieu of a dust jacket is a heavy clear plastic protector.
This came about because Otto Penzler likes to edit unusual books. His idea here was to offer the first collection of espionage/international thriller stories by a variety of established authors. The seemingly simple task becomes more difficult once one realizes the difficulty of presenting complicated, layered stories in a short form. The challenge has been met wonderfully well. The fourteen tales all are top flight, albeit different from each other; there are no guarantees that the 'good guys' will win, no singular theme geography or time period.
Altogether a highly satisfying and rewarding reading experience, even without the beauty of my particular copy.
Highly Recommended.
This came about because Otto Penzler likes to edit unusual books. His idea here was to offer the first collection of espionage/international thriller stories by a variety of established authors. The seemingly simple task becomes more difficult once one realizes the difficulty of presenting complicated, layered stories in a short form. The challenge has been met wonderfully well. The fourteen tales all are top flight, albeit different from each other; there are no guarantees that the 'good guys' will win, no singular theme geography or time period.
Altogether a highly satisfying and rewarding reading experience, even without the beauty of my particular copy.
Highly Recommended.
September 1, 2011
Really enjoyed this book! The editor, Otto Penzler, offered a first rate sampling of chosen authors' short stories as well as a brief history of writings, related careers and such meaningful data to persons interested in espionage themes. And he used quite a number of situations where espionage can be a part...and methods used....and the actions and reactions of the many personalities involved in spy-type work. For instance, I never knew that Joseph Finder's first choice would have been as a spy to which he started, but found the bureaucratic setting not to his liking. At times I do like short story collections, and I think this is one of the best and most organized for the reader's benefit that I've read.
August 30, 2016
According to the introduction, there are precious few short stories in the spy/espionage genre, and even fewer written by top talents in the field. That makes sense, given the complexity of most spy stories. It also makes this collection more impressive for achieving such high quality.
Not all of the stories were in my preferred styles, but they were all pretty good. My main complaint is that the stories I liked most tended toward cuteness or playing with the genre's tropes instead of telling a gripping tale. There were other good ones, but telling bleak tales without the space to make the reader identify with the characters limits the payoff. Perhaps that is the trade-off for the brevity of these stories.
Not all of the stories were in my preferred styles, but they were all pretty good. My main complaint is that the stories I liked most tended toward cuteness or playing with the genre's tropes instead of telling a gripping tale. There were other good ones, but telling bleak tales without the space to make the reader identify with the characters limits the payoff. Perhaps that is the trade-off for the brevity of these stories.
May 4, 2011
I returned this one after reading 3/4 of it because I agree with a point that the editor concedes in the introduction--spy fiction doesn't lend itself to short fiction. It's too hard with this genre to develop the atmosphere, incorporate the twists and turns, craft the characters, etc. in a short story so, with two exceptions, I found these very unfulfilling. In all honesty I also prefer modern-day espionage (with a few exceptions) to WWI or WWII stuff and this was a blended collection.
September 13, 2013
Although I call myself a fan of spy stories, I mostly mean tales of, and written during, the Cold War. This collection was a good way for me to find out what's going on in modern espionage fiction. A lot of terrorism, it turns out, and a lot of tales set in the deserts of the Middle East, as well as some historical settings. Some of these stories play the genre completely straight, others are humorous. A lot don't end well.
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