I’m just going to be honest here—this was kind of a crazy column to write.
November, like so many months before it, is stacked with solid, must-read titles. But here’s the thing, in picking the best books set to come out, I noticed something kind of strange . . .
Though there are three rather iconic spy novelists set to put out new books, on top of one world-famous bestselling author who is releasing the second title in a new series, and the return of one of the genre’s most famous characters, for me, this month’s most notable new thriller comes from the writing team of Andrews and Wilson, two guys who—compared to Joseph Kanon, Robert Harris, Alan Furst, David Baldacci, and Marc Cameron—are probably lesser known to readers.
Well, that should change. Soon.
Here’s the deal, as you’ll see in my reviews below, all the names on this list turned in top-notch thrillers that are absolutely worth picking up and diving into. Harris, more than anyone, delivers a massive, mind-bending twist that I literally cannot wait to hear from readers about. That said, Andrews and Wilson’s latest John Dempsey book is awesome—and might just be the book that finally puts their series right up there with Vince Flynn’s Mitch Rapp and Brad Thor’s Scot Harvath.
Bottom line: there are a lot of really good thrillers about to come out, but maybe don’t go right for the ones with the biggest names on the cover.
Happy reading!
The Accomplice by Joseph Kanon
Release Date: November 5th (Atria)
Set in 1962, Otto Schramm, a vile man who made a living torturing—and finding new ways to kill—prisoners at Auschwitz, is believed to be dead. Normally, the world would rejoice in the passing of such an evil human being. However, not everyone is sold that Schramm is, indeed, dead.
Max Weill, a famous survivor of the Holocaust, has spent years hunting down Nazis and avenging the fallen. Naturally, he’s skeptical when the news of Schramm’s “passing” spreads, and he sets out to confirm things one way or another. His instincts eventually prove correct when he finally finds Schramm in Hamburg, but unfortunately, Max is no longer fit for tracking the notorious murderer. Instead, he passes the torch to his nephew, CIA analyst Aaron Wiley.
Though initially reluctant, Aaron eventually steps in for his uncle and pursues Schramm, but things take a sudden turn when he meets Otto’s daughter, Hanna, who he’s instantly attracted to . . .
For my money, this is the best of many high-profile spy thrillers hitting stores this fall. Yes, that means even above John le Carre’s ho-hum new book, Agent Running in the Field. Where that book missed its mark and fell flat due to a severe lack of character development, Kanon breaths life into his cast and fleshes them out masterfully, and as always, he nails the locational details that help transport readers to the story’s setting. The moral conundrum Aaron faces, while not new by any stretch—writers have long used beautiful women to force their male heroes into making impossible decisions (hello every James Bond book ever written!)—Kanon displays a crafty touch and exceptional depth with how he approaches things.
From beginning to end, Joseph Kanon threads suspense and intrigue into his story, forcing readers to sit down and hang on his every word. The Accomplice is some of his best work so far, and a no-brainer for fans of old school espionage.
Red Specter by Andrews and Wilson
Release Date: November 5th (Thomas & Mercer)
Following the events of their last book, Andrews and Wilson bring back American badass John Dempsey—who finds himself mixing it up with a lethal shadow organization that’s able to match him step for step.
Years back, Dempsey was a Navy SEAL named Jack Kemper. He had a wife and a child, friends and family. But that was in another life, one that he gave up in order to become a ghost—the kind of killer who’s able to get down into the shadows with the bad guys and take the fight directly to them, on their turf. Now, he’s the most trusted—and the most battle-tested—operator working with Ember, the United States’ most covert counterterrorism entity, and the president’s deadliest secret weapon when all-out war and diplomatic solutions are no longer viable options.
Picking up several weeks after where American Operator (2018) ended, Dempsey and his gang are still in pursuit of a Russian assassin named Malik, whom they crossed paths with last time out. Considered Dempsey’s equal when it comes to the art of killing targets, John’s Russian counterpart is gunning for Ember, hellbent on exacting revenge for the way things went down last time—with the Russian squad failing to kill the president of the United States.
Not only is Malik able to go toe-to-toe with Dempsey, but he also has a secret, off-the-books organization with unprecedented funding and connections backing him. Arkady Zhukov, the brainchild and director of Spetsgruppa Zeta, better known simply as Zeta, has built his operators into tough-as-nails agents capable of stunning violence.
Like Dempsey, Zhukov is believed by many to be dead, a mere casualty of a Russian transfer of power under President Petrov. Instead, he’s dialing up diabolical attacks from the Kremlin, and it’s up to Ember to find him and put a stop to his schemes before it’s too late. What they don’t know, though, is that Zhukov has managed to penetrate America’s foreign intelligence service, and in a deadly game of chess, he’s playing the board with the finesse and precision of a seasoned pro, slowly placing his pieces in a strategic manner designed to box in his opponent.
Unaware of the traitor among them, Dempsey and Ember follow a lead they believe links Malik to an arms dealer, and pressed for time, John goes undercover hoping to gain entry to Russia’s criminal underworld. Instead, he finds himself walking right into a trap set by Zeta. Worse yet, Dempsey and his Ember team learn the hard way that Zhukov’s reach extends further than they realized.
Checkmate.
Ordered to eliminate Zeta, Zhukov, and Malik—along with their entire outfit—Ember prepares a bold counterstrike, but doing so takes Dempsey to Russia, which quickly proves to be the most dangerous battlefield he’s stepped foot on yet . . .
One of the things that makes this series so unique is how Andrews and Wilson have structured their stories. Each book has its own storyline and conclusion, though every three books function as a separate trilogy within the series—continuing the same overall arc. Last year’s American Operator kicked off a new storyline for them to explore, and they continue that shadow war between Ember and Zeta here, delivering another action-packed plot that moves at breakneck speeds.
Dempsey, who doesn’t get enough credit as one of the best heroes in the genre today, is tested in ways we haven’t previously seen. That leads to more character development, something the authors have done a phenomenal job with since introducing him in their 2016 novel, Tier One.
While Dempsey is the unquestioned star of the show, Andrews and Wilson have built a great supporting cast around him—including Grimes, the team’s designated sniper who, thanks to her unparalleled abilities with the long gun, has been given the callsign: God. The ever-watchful eye in the sky, Grimes does more than just back up Dempsey and the gang from afar. Flush with a sarcastic personality and plenty of quick one-liners to boot, she brings a real presence to the page, stealing scenes on her way to becoming a sure-fire fan-favorite, and one of the most kickass female characters on the thriller scene today.
Andrews and Wilson have done it again . . . Red Specter is another can’t-miss, must-read thriller that delivers one massive blow after another.
A Minute to Midnight by David Baldacci
Release Date: November 19th (Grand Central)
Atlee Pine, the hero of Baldacci’s hit 2018 thriller Long Road to Mercy, returns to star in the latest page-turning thriller from one of today’s most bankable writers.
Following the events of last year’s book, FBI agent Atlee Pine finally returns to Georgia to re-open the case of her missing twin sister, Mercy, who was abducted––and in all likelihood, murdered—more than three decades prior.
Consumed with anger and regret, both symptoms of survivor’s guilt, Atlee’s decision to dive back into her sister’s case is as much a move of love as it is necessity. Especially after she manages to save a young girl during an attempted abduction in Colorado, the circumstances of which remind her of the past. Ultimately, though the girl is rescued, Atlee’s actions are called into question. No longer able to concentrate on her job, Atlee knows the only way to move forward with her career is to finally solve the mystery around Mercy once and for all—no matter where the trail leads her.
So, Pine and Carol, her assistant, head south for Andersonville, where things quickly take a dark turn when a string of murders rock the small town. First, a woman’s body is found with a wedding veil covering her face, followed by a second even more bizarre murder. Determined to find the killer, Atlee begins working the case, and in doing so she can’t help but wonder if she might somehow be the reason someone is killing in her hometown again . . .
As always, Baldacci does a fantastic job plotting things out and revealing just enough as the pages turn to keep readers engaged and on the edge of their seats. Without giving anything away, there are more twists and turns here than in last year’s book, and just when you think you have everything figured out—Baldacci throws a final surprise that’ll leave fans begging for more.
Few writers can hook readers faster and harder than David Baldacci, who continues to juggle multiple hit franchises. Readers can debate who his best lead character is at the moment, but one thing’s for sure, Atlee Pine is certainly in the discussion—and A Minute to Midnight is as good as anything he’s written over the last several years.
Tom Clancy Code of Honor by Marc Cameron
Release Date: November 19th (G.P. Putnam’s Sons)
Normally, President Jack Ryan, with his considerable power as leader of the free world, has no problem stepping in to help when it’s needed—but in Marc Cameron’s latest thriller, being POTUS actually makes it harder for Ryan to lend aid to an old friend.
Pat West, an old buddy of Ryan’s from grad school, gave up a how-hum but lucrative career at Georgetown to instead go and spread the good word and be of service to others. Now a priest working with the poor in Indonesia, West is accused of committing blasphemy against Islam, but not before he witnessed the murder of a fellow American, a genius software engineer named Geoff Noonan.
Thankfully, West is able to send an email to alert Jack Ryan, who later finds it and connects the dots to a computer application known as Calliope, which functions like a super virus trained to hunt, and is capable of breaching nearly any electronic before taking over full control of the said device in real-time. Originally, Noonan, created Calliope to revolutionize Artificial Intelligence and we know it. Now, following his murder, the question is who has it, and what’s their endgame—two things Ryan knows he better figure out sooner rather than later.
Thankfully, Jack has access to resources most could never dream of, and while he can’t help Father West by engaging Indonesia directly, politically speaking, the president enlists the help of The Campus to save West and track down who’s behind Calliope.
But as the players begin to emerge, so does a major attack that’s in the works against America, and soon it becomes clear that this might be the gravest threat Jack Ryan has ever faced.
Marc Cameron continues to show why he was the perfect choice to step in for Mark Greaney (who originally replaced Tom Clancy to keep the Ryanverse afloat) and continue Clancy’s iconic franchise. While each of his previous entries, Power and Empire and Oath of Office, received rave reviews from both critics and readers, the veteran bestseller hits his stride here, pulling out all the stops—and using fan-favorite characters perfectly—to bring a spine-tingling, heart-thumping story to life in a way that tends to, at times, almost feel too real for comfort. Cameron’s attack scenario is smart, well-plotted, and in the end, feels reminiscent of when Clancy himself was ahead of the curve when it came to predicting threats and weaving them into unputdownable, cutting-edge technothrillers—which is exactly what Code of Honor is.
Marc Cameron has outdone himself once again, delivering the kind of fast-paced, original, true-to-the-characters thriller that Clancy’s fans have long devoured. If you were thinking about skipping this one for whatever reason, think again . . . Tom Clancy Code of Honor is the last must-read book of 2019.
The Second Sleep by Robert Harris
Release Date: November 19th (Knopf)
New York Times bestselling author Robert Harris wows with this latest thriller, where nothing is ever quite what it seems—and the stakes are even higher than readers could ever predict.
Sent by a bishop to perform the burial of controversial priest in the year of 1468, Christopher Fairfax, himself a young and reluctant priest, journeys to a remote Exmoor village to see the job through in hopes of returning promptly following the ceremony. Instead, a major twist awaits him.
It’s impossible to talk about or review this book without accidentally spoiling some of the plot’s best surprises, but without going into great detail—Fairfax, after initially believing he was given the wrong directions, finds the small village in the middle of nowhere. There, he also discovers a number of heretical artifacts that belonged to the dead priest, including one very recognizable device that—the moment readers come across it—slaps you in the face with the reality that Harris, like a magician, has pulled off what may very well be the best twist of his career.
The year, it turns out, is not truly 1468—but without revealing more than that, trust me, the twist prompts a dizzying shock that changes everything. Heck, even the title itself, after the big reveal, becomes a spoiler of sorts, as Harris’ genre-bending thriller takes on new life, and dives into an unthinkable, wild exploration of religion and end-of-the-world prophecy . . . and all of that takes place within the first fifty pages.
While different than anything he’s ever written, The Second Sleep is more on par with Harris’ Munich or An Officer and a Spy, not so much in plot relevance, but rather in overall quality. Whereas books like Conclave and Fatherland were daring—but ultimately lacked punch and missed the mark—Harris’ latest is another risky attempt. Thankfully, this one lands squarely, and those who read it will find themselves thinking and talking about it long after turning the final page.
The Second Sleep is Robert Harris’ most daring novel to date—the payoff being a captivating, enthralling thriller that’s unlike anything else you’ll find sitting on store shelves . . . and the less you know about this one going into it, the more you’ll enjoy the many surprises waiting just head.
Under Occupation by Alan Furst
Release Date: November 26th (Random House)
Set in the early 1940s, spy novelist Paul Richard becomes part of the story when he witnesses a fight between the Gestapo and an unidentified man who, before being shot and killed, passes Richard a note that ends up changing the writer’s life forever.
The document, Paul realizes—which includes a drawing and calculations—is actually schematics for some kind of military-grade weapon. Fully aware of the fact that he’s now in possession of a critical document that could have deadly consequences should it fall into the wrong hands, Paul uses his own hefty rolodex of contacts to best figure out who to pass the information onto before it’s too late.
Realizing he needs to connect with the Allied forces, Paul ends up working with the resistance, where he poses as a journalist. That cover allows him to travel through France and Germany with little suspicion, but with each new assignment brings greater risks, and as Paul learns first-hand, spying on the Nazis is a dangerous game with little room for error. Of course, being the novelist that he is, Paul also sets out to write a new book that resembles his own circumstances, but as often is the case, reality winds up being stranger than fiction . . . and there’s no guarantee that he’ll even stay alive long enough to see how things end.
Much was made of the fact that Furst, John le Carre, Joseph Kanon, and Robert Harris were all going to be publishing new books within the span of a few weeks this year. While that is no doubt an impressive lineup of all-time great spy novelists, the truth is that the overall collective quality of said books don’t quite live up to the hype. While Kanon’s latest was terrific and Harris scored big points for landing a major twist, both le Carre and Furst turned in solid thrillers that are just fine, if not a tad underwhelming. In fact, both share similar weaknesses—like flat characters and too many random coincidences, even for a thriller—that doesn’t necessarily ruin the story, but that certainly does take away from it. In Furst’s case, he manages to flesh out Paul pretty well, but the secondary characters are forgettable and bland. On the plus side, the pacing is steady and picks up steam as the story unfolds, and you can always count on his stuff to be well-written and expertly plotted, including this one.
At the end of the day, Alan Furst is one of the very best spy novelists to ever work in the genre, and while Under Occupation doesn’t quite live up to the expectations set from past works . . . his worst book is still better than most writers’ best offering.
