SSG: Spy/Spec-Ops Group discussion
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Looking for a good spy series
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Michael
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Dec 31, 2012 07:57AM
I wanted to hate the movie because Cruise was so far from the character (5'7" vs 6'5"), but I too was pleasently surprised with the movie. I would have like a more authoritative figure in the part of Reacher, maybe Tom can grow??
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San Diego Spy Games. It's a time piece, set in the 60's. Quite good by a talented author, Craig Wessel.
Sorry that I am entering late to the thread, I have just subscribed to goodreads.One of the best sagas I ever read is the Covert One novels by Robert Ludlum. In fact he only wrote the first one (the hades factor with Gayle Lynds) but the rest have been written under his name by others. All of them are wonderful, real page turners, strongly recommended. I think they are the best from the Ludlum's factory
Still can't bring myself to watch a short metrosexual couch jumper try and pull of a rugged masculine character. Jack Reacher should be a High Jackman or Sam Elliott, not some little squirt all lubed up with hair gel.
The German author Christoph Fischer has posted an interesting take on the spy novel, "The Old Spook." Read his review at http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Just read Robert Crais' "The First Rule" For me, it is the best one so far of the series featuring Joe Pike.Joe Pike and Elvis Cole make the best pair of characters this side of Spencer and Hawk.
Action. Suspense. Ongoing series. Pike is a bad ass. Cole is the more than competent character equally as capable. Both characters can and do carry their own ongoing series. This was a great read!!
Even though I like black ops (featuring mainly men), I'm always hoping there are some bad ass women out there too. If you're looking for a female bad ass character, I'd like to recommend books by Lori Armstrong featuring Mercy Gunderson. She is a former black ops army sniper adjusting to living in South Dakota. There are three books in the series and you need to begin with No Mercy. I think the story line and character development are well done. I thoroughly enjoyed all three books. Let me know what you think.
Thank you Sally! My oldest daughter is nibbling at the edges of this genre. On TV, she liked Covert Affairs which features a female CIA character. I wanted her to read more so I tried to find books like this and like you want. I managed to find The Athena Project from Brad Thor which was all badass women characters. And that was it until you posted your note here. Lori Armstrong is going on my list right now!
Samuel Carver by Tom Cain. Former Special Boat Service Officer and now independent Hitman for hire. For the right price he will find a creative solution to your problems with a trademark untraceable accident. He first appears in 2007's The Accident Man where he mistakenly kills....Princess Diana. There are six books in the series and each of them is a gem.
Paul, sounds like my kind of read. I'm an avid reader as well as a writer. Hope you'll give Blast Rings of Terror a try. I think you'll like it.George
In my book Tom Clancy is king, during the few years he was going through cancer treatment those two are a little weak but all of the Jack Ryan series and even the newer ones are all fantastic.I would put Larry Bond as #2, Bond has also written sci-fi, which are also good, but I prefer the thrillers.
My favorite series is the Robert Ludlum Covert One Series, as Ludlum was already deceased when the series started coming out they are written by a number of different authors. The first was made into a movie, Covert One: The Hades Factor, this movie really sucked, but the book was very good.
I forgot to mention Chris Stewart, who was a fighter pilot and writes about that. The Third Consequence, Shattered Bone, The God of War, The Kill Box, and The Fourth War.
Jeff wrote: "Thank you Sally! My oldest daughter is nibbling at the edges of this genre. On TV, she liked Covert Affairs which features a female CIA character. I wanted her to read more so I tried to find bo..."Covert Affairs spends slot of time talking about relationships and a more female oriented point of view. Try David Ignatius who writes in this style also.
I am a Tom Clancy fan also. One thing that has bugged me about his writing, he gets in to too many details. As a new writer, I've tried to get into interesting details that are important to the story, but not put my readers to sleep. I still am a Clancy fan. None of us are perfect.George A. Coriaty
George,I would agree that Mr. Clancy does go pretty deep into the technical details. I consider myself pretty technical, at least with relation to computers, but his writing sometimes caused me to skip over long sections of technical details. I vaguely remember hearing years ago that after Hunt for Red October was released someone in the US Military read the book and was concerned he was releasing classified information about our military arsenal.
If you can look beyond that he is a great author and enjoy his writing immensely.
Rob.
Hi Rob,Vince Flynn and Tom Clancy are still my fav's. I took a risk painting such a dark picture of Islam in Blast Rings Of Terror. It's how I really view them, based on their actions against us. I've studied the Koran...very interesting indeed! I'm about to find out
(by August)-if the American public like my new book.
Rob wrote: "George,I would agree that Mr. Clancy does go pretty deep into the technical details. I consider myself pretty technical, at least with relation to computers, but his writing sometimes caused me t..."
Skipping over technical details? OMG. I just couldn't get into Hunt for Red October. It took me 50 pages before I realized the action was taking place on a sub!I never could get beyond that and gave up reading Clancy. Too many other authors out there for me to read.
Sally, I still like Clancy, but I agree he goes into too much detail. I hope you'll give Blast Rings of Terror a read. I think you will enjoy it, it's very poignant and timely. Read the synopsis at georgecoriaty.com Let me know what you think.
Hey George I would love to check out your book but $8.99!!! That seems a little steep. Most new authors sell their ebooks for about a quarter of that. Don't get me wrong I know you and your publisher are trying to make a profit. However considering a reader can purchase a Tom Clancy or Vince Flynn book for the same price with thousands of positive reviews on this site. Well you seem like a smart guy, I'm sure you know what the reader will buy. Just my two cents. I widh you the best of luck and will continue to monitor the price.
I agree, but I have no control over the pricing. My publisher funds my book and marketing, I show up at book signings they arrange. I think the prices will drop to a more competitive price range soon. I noticed that a Christian book chain on-line has discounted the prices already. Google Blast Rings of Terror and check out some of the outlets and their pricing. Anyone that believes in a higher power will enjoy the read.George
I had always been a non-fiction and biography reader. Somehow I stumbled on Vince Flynn and I was hooked. I have read all of the books in the Mitch Rapp series, having finished my last one yesterday. The question is which series I start with next. Daniel Silva? Lee Childs? Brad Thor? Someone else? Help please. It's a big decision because one series can take up 6 months to a year of your life....and who knows how many years we have left? If it's any help, I am in law enforcement and prefer not to read detective stories and courtroom dramas. Too close to home.
Lou,I'm glad you are reading Vince Flynn, he inspired me to write. I was published by Tate Publishing Enterprises. Blast Rings of Terror is now available at Amazon Books and other outlets. If you like Flynn, you will enjoy my style of counter-terrorism thrillers. Different from Flynn but a very fun read. Hope you give it a try.
George wrote: "Lou,I'm glad you are reading Vince Flynn, he inspired me to write. I was published by Tate Publishing Enterprises. Blast Rings of Terror is now available at Amazon Books and other outlets. If you ..."
George - If everyone thinks that your books are as good or better than Daniel Silva, Lee Childs, Brad Thor, and others in the genre, I'd be happy to give yours a try. Nothing personal, but as my post says, I am trying to find a series that is the BEST because time is valuable and life is short.
Lou wrote: "I had always been a non-fiction and biography reader. Somehow I stumbled on Vince Flynn and I was hooked. I have read all of the books in the Mitch Rapp series, having finished my last one yesterda..."Lou
If you're into Black Ops type of books, I think Daniel Silva might be more to your liking but Brad Thor is just as good. Having said that, Jack Reacher in Lee Child books is one of my favorite characters; he is a former MP in civilian life but he does encounter some interesting situations. Another character that Lee Child writes about is Joe Pike but I believe there are only 3 or 4 books that deal with Joe. Whichever author you choose, start with the first book and move on.
Lieutenant Colonel Brad Taylor of Delta Force has written a fantastic series featuring counter terrorist Pike Logan. There are four books and each of them is fantastic, interesting and always surprises.
Brad Taylor's books are extremely realistic and well researched. But they also have heart, discuss moral question and even when they're at their darkest, always have some extremly funny moments. Think Clancy's pre 2000 novels but without the heavy regan-republican politics and a more realistic/neutral view of the world
On the other end of the scale is the Dewey Andreas Series by Ben Coes, former intern to Ronald Regan, a speech writer to George H Bush and campaign manager to Mitt Romney in his run for governor
Coes is like a modern, americanised version of ian fleming. You may disagree with some of his politics, but make no mistake, he writes EXTREMLY, AND I MEAN EXTREMLY thrilling stories.
Both Coes and Taylor's series are great a read. Logan Pike and Dewey Andreas are kick butt characters.
Mike wrote: "In my book Tom Clancy is king, during the few years he was going through cancer treatment those two are a little weak but all of the Jack Ryan series and even the newer ones are all fantastic.I w..."
http://www.goodreads.com/series/40634...
I'm glad I stumbled across this thread! I've read all the Rapp books and have been searching for something that could hold my attention. I rarely read fiction unless I'm on vacation, but I listen to 2-4 fictional espionage / military thrillers a month during long drives or working in the yard. This adds another dimension to the book, which is the capability of the narrator. A mediocre narrator can turn a great story into a painful listening experience.I went through a few of the Lee Child novels, but found the first person style to be frustratingly slow. I disliked waiting on Jack Reacher to figure out the plot twists that are already apparent to the reader. Next, I stumbled onto the Nathan McBride series by Andrew Peterson. I found these books mindlessly entertaining, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. However, unlike the Rapp series I think I'd need a break between titles if Peterson had more than 3 books.
As much as I love Clancy's earlier titles, I have not found them enjoyable to listen too. This is a combination of extremely poor narration and slow progression due to a depth of detail. Even my all time favorite book "Without Remorse", which I have read 3 or 4 times is painful to listen too.
This is what lead me to Goodreads and this thread. Unfortunately, the reviews I've read for Brad Taylor's books have repeatedly stated poor narration so they may be vacation reading, but Ben Coes has rave reviews for all 6 books. In fact, I haven't seen reviews this good for an audiobook since the Rapp series! I just started to listen to the Flynn's first Rapp book again, but as soon as I am finished I will start listening to Coes.
Thanks!
Has anyone tried the PRIMAL stories? By Jack Silkstone. I love them all. Think Strikeback......
Just wanted to give an update since I'm almost through the 3rd Dewey Andreas book by Ben Coes. I'm running out the door. Please forgive any typos and grammatical mistakes, as I don't have time to read through this a second time.Overall I think its a great spy / espionage series. I'd agree with the reviews that compare Coes to a mix of Flynn and Clancy, but he is definitely neither. This is both good and bad:
Pros:
1. Very detailed scene setup and political background, but not so detailed that it becomes cumbersome
2. Great action with a detailed and raw descriptions of the physical and emotional results of violence.
3. Excellent ability to weave together the story through the viewpoint of multiple characters.
4. Coes does not repeat data from previous books. You either read the last book in the series and understand the references he makes, or you don't. I really appreciate this.
Cons:
1. Far to little depth and insight into the main characters. Coes goes into extreme detail for each of Dewey's foes, but Dewey and his cohorts are very one dimension. I feel as if I've not gotten to know what makes them tick.
2. Although Coes does an excellent job of weaving together separate viewpoints of the same storyline, he does it in an solely in a linear fashion. Each book follows the same formula: the first half of the book is all setup of the story and the second half is pure action. This leaves me wanting to race through half the book to get to the action, rather than enjoying each page.
3. While Coes does spend a great deal of time on describing the visual details of locations, rooms, and inanimate things, he falls short of character descriptions. I find myself visualizing every detail of a room in perfect clarity, but not the visual appearance of the characters in it. I'd prefer if Coes had more consistency in this respect.
All in all the Dewey books are good. I wouldn't rate him equal to Flynn or Clancy, but he has potential. I think the talent is there, but he has to work on consistency in detail, character depth, and hopefully develop a slightly less linear story line if he continues to weave together sub plots and viewpoints.
Additionally, for those of you who listen to audiobooks, the narration is superb.
I like most of the authors listed and have read all of Vince Flynn, Brad Thor, Lee Child, Eisler, Coes, Taylor, Meltzer, etc. There is an author who I don't see here who is a phenomenal writer, Joseph Finder. He writes International Espionage thrillers. He knows Russia very well. My favorite books by him are "Paranoia" and "The Moscow Club." From there he goes into a series about a character named Nick Heller. Super plot twists. He's up there with the others.
To be honest I haven't read him since the 90's. The Moscow Club, Extraordinary Powers, Zero Hour and High Crimes were very good. I'm thinking, though, new authors writing in this genre opened up more choices and I started reading these authors instead of Finder.Another author who has not been mentioned and has been around a long time is Robert Littell. Legends is one of my all time favorite spy novels.
Sally wrote: "To be honest I haven't read him since the 90's. The Moscow Club, Extraordinary Powers, Zero Hour and High Crimes were very good. I'm thinking, though, new authors writing in this genre opened up mo..."I know where you are coming from, but for those who are looking for yet another good author, he is very good. I still highly recommend Paranoia and The Moscow Club.
Joshua wrote: "I'm glad I stumbled across this thread! I've read all the Rapp books and have been searching for something that could hold my attention. I rarely read fiction unless I'm on vacation, but I listen..."Have you read Brad Thor or Daniel Silva? thor has a character who is very similar to Rapp. Silva has an Mossad assassin named Gabriel Allon and he is phenomenal. Good luck!!
Joshua wrote: "I'm glad I stumbled across this thread! I've read all the Rapp books and have been searching for something that could hold my attention. I rarely read fiction unless I'm on vacation, but I listen..."The John Wells series by Alex Berenson is quite good. I have listened to 3 of these on audiobook, all narrated by George Guidall, a veteran of the business and a great voice. I was unable to find one of the books of the series on audio and had to "read" it myself; what a bummer - I missed the voice of John Wells!
Mark Greany Gray Man Series. Tons of action. Love this series.
Awesome book with an explanation at the end of each book that gives you that "I get it now!" feeling
Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt series was the first action series I read. I don't know if it can be labeled a spy series. I was drawn to the series because its fast pace, low tech, and well, it's just fun. I struggle with books that take a long to time to develop characters and too much tech detail.I'm new to this group and have enjoyed reading the groups input. To trying some of the books mentioned above.
Try the Primal books by Jack Silkstone...similiar to Strikeback on TV.
New series: Tim Stevens "John Purkiss". series consists of: 1) Ratcatcher, 2) Delivering Caliban
3) Jokerman
The main character is relatively fresh as he's the one man internal affairs department of the UK SIS instead of an assassin focused on external threats like James Bond. If a Service employee has been stealing documents, embezzling money etc,Purkiss finds the perpetrator and terminates their employment with a hollow point to the face.
The author, a doctor with the NHS, uses his medical knowledge to great effect in surprising ways through the series and despite not having any military experience, seems to have done his research to a high standard.
Mr Stevens has also written two short stories on the cold war called "Reunion" and "Snout", in the style of David Cornwell and also written a slightly more conventional assassination thriller called "Severance Kill", which is still up to the standard of the Purkiss series
Jim wrote: "Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt series was the first action series I read. I don't know if it can be labeled a spy series. I was drawn to the series because its fast pace, low tech, and well, it's just..."James Patterson is an easy read and he has many series.
Devils alternative is fantastic. One of the best hostage takings in fiction and some very good political backstabbing.
Well, at the risk of sounding really self serving, you might want to check out my novels. They are all based on my real experiences undercover in CIA.
Charles wrote: "Well, at the risk of sounding really self serving, you might want to check out my novels. They are all based on my real experiences undercover in CIA."New here...You didn't say which novels you have..author's name so I can look them up..??
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