Spies have long occupied a fascinating place in literature. Moving between identities, countries and loyalties, they inhabit a world where nothing is quite what it seems. The best spy novels explore questions of morality, betrayal, loyalty and the cost of living between two worlds. From the tense politics of the Cold War to the complexities of postcolonial India, these books show us why literary spies continue to intrigue readers across generations.
The Bombay Circle Press has curated a list of five books that take us into the shadowy worlds of espionage, conspiracy and political intrigue.
Alec Leamas – The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John le Carré
In this classic, John le Carre’s third novel and the first to earn him international acclaim, he created a world unlike any previously experienced in suspense fiction. With unsurpassed knowledge culled from his years in British Intelligence, le Carre brings to light the shadowy dealings of international espionage in the tale of a British agent who longs to end his career but undertakes one final, bone-chilling assignment. When the last agent under his command is killed and Alec Leamas is called back to London, he hopes to come in from the cold for good. His spymaster, Control, however, has other plans. Determined to bring down the head of East German Intelligence and topple his organization, Control once more sends Leamas into the fray — this time to play the part of the dishonored spy and lure the enemy to his ultimate defeat.
Lizzie Hardwicke – Lizzie Hardwicke Series by Georgina Clarke
This gripping and vividly imagined mystery series is set in 18th century London. Clarke’s writing sets the peculiar stage of the 1700s well, and has mastered the atmosphere of the time. Lizzie Hardwicke, sex worker and sometime sleuth for the magistrate, is desperate to satiate her ever-existent curiosity. From the smoke-filled rooms of fashionable gambling houses, theatre green rooms, and to the violent streets of Soho, this series follows Hardwicke’s journey navigating these spaces as an outsider, someone judged not only for their work but also as an individual. If you are a fan of Agatha Christie and Enola Holmes, and you want something echoing the atmospheric pull of a Nancy Drew–esque mystery, Georgina Clarke is here for you. Check out the books Death and the Harlot, The Corpse Played Dead and Viper in the Nest to get a head-start.
Richard Hannay – The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan
Recently returned from South Africa, adventurer Richard Hannay is bored with life, but after a chance encounter with an American who informs him of an assassination plot and is then promptly murdered in Hannay’s London flat, he becomes the obvious suspect and is forced to go on the run. He heads north to his native Scotland, fleeing the police and his enemies. Hannay must keep his wits about him if he is to warn the government before all is too late.
Inspector Sartaj Singh – Sacred Games by Vikram Chandra
Vikram Chandra’s Sacred Games draws readers into the life of Inspector Sartaj Singh and the criminal underworld of Ganesh Gaitonde, Mumbai’s most wanted gangster. Sartaj, a Sikh police officer whose career is on the decline, gets an anonymous tip about Gaitonde’s secret hideout and sees an opportunity to turn his life around.
Set against the dark and chaotic side of modern Mumbai, the novel is a story of friendship, betrayal and violence. Drawing from crime fiction, Bollywood and Chandra’s own experiences of Mumbai, Sacred Games offers a vivid portrait of a city and the people who inhabit its shadows.
From Cold War London and Berlin to the streets of Mumbai and the upheavals of India’s independence, these novels remind us that the world of the spy is rarely black and white. For more recommendations on books by Indian authors, as well as literary works from around the world, stay connected to The Bombay Circle Press Bulletin.