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docemmettbrown99 · 7 years

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365 Movies in 365 Days - #4 Mystery Team

Coming up next:

Okay, I watched this on a complete whim. I was scrolling through Netflix, looking for a movie to watch and this popped up. I saw it had Donald Glover and Aubrey Plaza and I loved Donald Glover in Community and Aubry Plaza in Parks and Recreation. So, how bad could it be? Well, . . .

First off, the cast:

We have Donald Glover as Jason:

Jason is our lead in the movie, he is the center of the Mystery Team, a trio of boys dedicated to solving the mystery’s of the neighborhood. Glover does a decent job here, playing a version of his character Troy from Community. He’s got great comedic timing, I just wish the material would rise to his comedic ability.

There is D. C. Pierson as Duncan

He plays the smart one of the group because he read a fact book once. And that’s not me being flip, that’s how it gets explained in the movie. Once again, does a okay job but the material is weak. Pierson has been around for a while, playing lots of one time characters in a bunch of TV shows and background characters in movies, this seems like his first time out being the center of a movie.

Then we have Dominic Dierkes as Charlie:

Charlie is the muscle of the group, even though he ends up just hurting himself 98% of the time instead of helping out. Dierkes plays the dumb here okay but leans too heavily into most of the time. Just like Pierson, he’s been around for a while playing either bit roles on TV shows and as background characters in a couple of movies. He does a lot of writing as well, usually for one or two episodes of a TV show. Not the strongest writer as is seen in this movie.

Next we have Aubry Plaza as Kelly:

Plaza plays Kelly here pretty close to similiar characters she has played before. Think April from Parks & Rec. but slightly more upbeat. She does a good job with the role, but the same compliant, the writing just isn’t there to match what she is doing.

As for our main cast, that is it, but there are a ton of cameos. Such as:

Bobby Moynihan (from SNL) as Jordy:

He plays the local store clerk that the team will visit when they need information. And Jordy desperately wants to be a part of the group.

Ellie Kemper (from The Office & Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) as Jamie:

She plays one of the local kids that live in the neighborhood that will bring cases to the Mystery Team every so often.

Matt Walsh (from Upright Citizens Brigade fame & a slew of bit parts in other movies & TV shows) as Jim & John Lutz (from 30 Rock & a writer for SNL & Late Night with Seth Meyers) as Frank:

They both play characters that work at this company that the kids have to sneak into and they are having a costume party.

Even Ben Schwartz (from Parks & Rec., House of Lies & that he looks like Joe Keery’s character Steve Harrington from Stranger Things that the internet flipped out over this past summer) has a few lines:

The director of this mess is Dan Eckman:

On his IMDB page it says he has 57 directing credits but including this movie, there are only like 3 movies he has directed and a bunch of short comedy pieces. Which this may explain some of the problems I have with the movie.

The writer. Well, that’s tricker to pin down. 3 are credited with writing the screenplay (Pierson, Glover and Dierkes) but 5 others are credited with the story (Eckman, Dierkes, Glover, Pierson & Meggie McFadden). Here’s Meggie:

Meggie has done a little bit of everything, acting and writing some but she is mainly a producer. So, you’ve got 5 people writing the script/coming up with the story, most of these people have their background in short comedy pieces and a director who has never done a feature length film before this, what could go wrong? A lot and it’s a shame too. Read underneath the Spoilers for more.

This movie, it’s just a mess. It had some potential, had solid comedic actors in the leads, a fun idea and a supporting cast of veteran comedic actors. So, what went wrong? The writing and the direction. They couldn’t get out of their own way and let the comedy come naturally from the characters they had created.

The premise is that Glover, Pierson and Dierkes have been working together since childhood to solve mysteries around town. Everyone knows about them and go along with the kids playing like sleuths. But now the 3 of them are seniors in high school and they are behaving the exact same way they did when they were 8, even down to wearing the same type of clothes they did then. This is the first problem I have. They want the 3 of them to stay innocent, naivie about the outside world and growing up, so they make them behave like 8 year olds moving around in 18 year old bodies. I could get behind this idea if it wasn’t taken so literal. For instance, the way the adults of the town and even the kids own parents talk to them is like they are still 8 years old even though they want them to grow up. It’s contradictory. There’s a scene where they are investigating a case and they have to follow their suspect into a strip club. They pretend to have fancy accents and clothes to pull off looking older and the bouncer just lets them in because he knows that these are just kids and what’s the harm. Once inside, the mystery team is asked if they want lap dances, they refuse but a kid from school (his mom is a stripper there and he’s just hanging out, coloring or some shit) sees the mystery team and decides to tell his mom and the other strippers to give them a lap dance. So, the ladies do, for a moment before the team has to move to follow their suspect. When they get up the mystery team have these massive erections, they even talk about it hurting, but none of them know why or what caused it. It’s like the mystery team never progressed past the age of 8, mentally or emotionally. And there other scenes where similar things happen, Duncan and Charlie will talk about how gross girls are and make fun of Jason for liking Kelly. It’s not until almost the end of the movie where Duncan and Jason get into a fight that Duncan says they should just grow up, especially since they are going to college next year. The fight and speech kind of come out of nowhere and it’s done on a really well lit baseball field at like10:00 pm at night with no one around. The whole scene is odd and feels out of place. Meanwhile, I feel like this

The writing and direction is this film is just not good. It’s not awful but there is such a lack of focus or clear line of what they wanted to do. It feels like a bunch of sketch ideas that they were stringing together to make a movie. There are some funny moments in it, don’t get me wrong but it’s not a movie, it feels like a short comedy piece you would see on Funny or Die or College Humor but dragged out to 90+ minutes. And where the story ends, with Duncan & Pierson heading off to college and Glover staying in town to join the police force makes sense and works for an ending and you see them growing up in this moment but it’s too little too late.

I know I didn’t get into the rest of the story but there is no reason to I think. It’s because it’s taking the same themes from above and it just keeps recycling them until we have to have a climax in the movie. It’s a waste of potential, it could of been a comedy about lost of innocenence and youth and having to grow up but just because you have to grow up doesn’t mean you have to stop being yourself. At the end of the movie, we get a little bit of that but it’s very rushed and almost shoehorned in like the writers and director realized they needed to have an actual ending. If they put more time in developing that out instead of watching the mystery team wonder around in a strip club and seeing the freaky things that happen behind close doors and them not understanding it or having to get a ring out of a toilet full of crap that was up a stripper’s vagina, then maybe it would of worked out better. A lot of the time it seemed like they were just going for the gross out joke or the easiest joke. And that’s just being lazy, so lazy, it just makes me

So, now that is done, I feel a little better. I give it 1.5 stars out of 5.

#mystery team #donald glover #aubry plaza #d.c. pierson #dominic dierkes #bobby moynihan #matt walsh #john lutz #ellie kemper #dan eckman #meggie mcfadden

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netflix-recs · 7 years

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Mystery Team

6.8/10 - IMDb

(2009) Rated R - 1hr 37min

A group of former Encyclopedia Brown-style child-detectives struggle to solve an adult mystery.

You might like this if you like:

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#mystery team #donald glover #D.C. Pierson #Dominic dierkes #aubrey plaza #netflix #netflix recommendations #movie #mystery #comedy #independent #00s

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richardanthonymorris · 5 years

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OST (thoughts)

I’ve done very very little preparation for this year’s NaNo book. I need to create a proper storyline, because at the moment I know how it begins. I’m pretty sure I know how it ends but it’s the middle part.

My phone is full of notes from the past couple of months that I have to sift through, Google Keep is truly my friend, the sifting will be done later today. But, those notes aren’t a…

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#Bloc Party #D.C Pierson #nanowrimo #preptober #this modern love #Thoughts #universe #worry #Writing

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wausaupilot · 9 months

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Field goal on final play lifts D.C. Everest football past Marshfield

The Evergreens remain undefeated with last-second home win Friday night.

Wausau Pilot & Review WESTON – D.C. Everest bled the clock on the final drive and Gabe Golbach booted a 19-yard field goal as time expired to knock off Marshfield 17-14 in a hard-fought Valley Football Association matchup on Friday night at Stiehm Stadium. D.C. Everest led 14-0 at halftime after second-quarter touchdown pass from Logan George to Pierson MacDonald for 33 yards and 6 yards to…

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flashbang-througthe-door · 3 years

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Ready for anything

Ship: Pierson/Hudson(Platonic)

Trope: no umbrella

Tw: None? Maybe swearing, no probably swearing

A/n: @samatedeansbroccoli, thank you for the dialogue, and it might not be 5k lol

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Pierson hates it here, he hates being in D.C mostly because of the weather and the people and the places. Okay, he hates all of it. Especially when the down poor starts it wasn't the nice romantic rain it was freezing pain in the ass rain. Pierson wasn't alone he had the CIA's very best with him. Not because he did anything wrong but because they became friends a while back when Hudson was sent to go check out the soldiers that Pierson was training at the time.

"I hate D.C" "I hate you" Hudson replies annoyed by Pierson sure they were friends but they also hate each other. Hudson took a few steps away from Pierson and whips out an umbrella like a ninja. "Why are you prepared for everything?" Pierson touch his back pocket realizing he didn't have his umbrella, Sammy must have taken it first. "Cause I'm CIA" Hudson replies walking away, Pierson followed but didn't go under the umbrella being a salty bitch. "But your colleagues are never prepared for anything" Pierson jabs smirking watching Hudson get annoyed was a fun pastime. "I'm a rare exception" Hudson answers back not looking at Pierson, he was annoyed and it showed but he didn't want to give the other satisfaction. "Jason I-" "Will I-" they interrupted each other and looked away as they continue down the sidewalk. "You can go first" "No, you spoke first" Hudson waves his free hand and Pierson grabs it gently he's not a barbarian.

Hudson stopped walking and looked at their hands "This isn't talking" He warns Pierson, who let go "Sorry...mhm" Pierson thinks of his next words carefully. Does he like Hudson, sure he does, but he didn't want to ruin anything considering it was a very platonic feeling towards the other, no romantic feelings at all. Pierson crosses his arms as the rain seemed to come down harder his stubborn ass not going under Hudson's umbrella. Pierson is one of the few friends Hudson actually cares about, sure he told Pierson to drop dead a few times but it was always joking. Pierson had his jokes about Hudson too telling him that his sunglasses are stupid or that he hopes he falls down the apartment stairs. "Earth to Pierson, we're going to die of sickness if you don't talk" Hudson shakes his head, Pierson looks up "I like you, but not the I wanna fuck you kind of way" He rubs his neck looking away again "But more like I want to cuddle, hug and hold your hand, be there when what his shit breaks up with you and you're eating a tub of ice creams kinda way" He was nervous pretty sure he just lost his best friend and was going to get beat up.

"Aww," Hudson grins slowly "Aww? Aww?! That's what you say?! Aww!!!" "Hey calm down...I find it really sweet and accept your offer" Hudson holds his hand out "Especially today because I'm cold as hell" he chuckles Pierson nods taking Hudson's hand. "Hey what were you going to say earlier?" "It was nothing, I was preparing for whatever you were going to say" "You're ready for anything" "That I am"

#pierson #hudson #Pierson/hudson #the wheel of pain strikes again #it aint no 5k like someone wanted #but its okay #thank you sam #you know what you did #thanks sam....#why did my own sister do this to me?#why did this get sweet?#this story kicked my ass and im okay with it #SOMETIES I FORGET WHERE THE . GOES #I SPELT TIME WRONG #alt titles DONT FORGET TO WATER YOUR SALTY BITCH

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deargodsno · 3 years

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The idea that the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol caught everyone by surprise is a recurring theme. The Metro D.C. Police claimed they had no expectation of violence, though two previous Trump rallies had ended in that way. The Capitol Police said they had no reason to expect violence, except they had intelligence indicating that it was likely. That intelligence community passed along relatively sparse information, though they had reams of social media showing that they were following significant planning by white supremacist militias.

Congressional committees have discussed failures of all these groups when it comes to failing to plan for events on Jan. 6. But it now appears there was another group that was well aware of what was likely to happen on the day of Trump’s big “Stop the Steal” rally — staffers inside the Trump White House.

As ProPublica reports, Trump’s internal team was in touch with two competing groups that were looking to gain the limelight on Jan. 6, and they were helping them both. The first group appears to have been the same “Women for Trump” group that was behind other rallies—including two previous D.C. rallies that ended in violence. The second was the “Stop the Steal” team, which was openly advocating for actions that would generate chaos.

Put in charge of the rally was Katrina Pierson, who had been a spokesperson for Trump going back to the 2016 election, and who might best be remembered for defending Trump’s lack of diversity by pointing out the lack of Black members in Abraham Lincoln’s cabinet. Or maybe it was for the time that Pierson said that slavery was part of America’s “good history.” Either seems to be top-notch qualifications for dealing with Roger Stone, Alex Jones, and a collection of Proud Boys.

Even the organizers from Women for Trump tried to warn the White House that things were getting out of hand. They got ignored. Because chaos is exactly what Trump wanted.

...ProPublica shows how, immediately following the election, Ali Alexander began assembling “Stop the Steal” as a worst of the worst team — a Suicide Squad of politics, without the humor, and where the biggest thing that could be blow up was America. Alexander made it clear he was open to “working with racists.” And racists signed on. Alexander made connections with Alex Jones and Roger Stone. With white nationalist Nick Fuentes. With an army of “Groypers,” or, as Alexander called them, “America First young white men.”

And he seemed to realize that these were “bad people.” Only, he was okay with that. “Why can’t bad people do good tasks? Why can’t bad people fight for their country?”

Mix in Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, and Alexander had assembled this whole sorry team under the banner of Stop the Steal. Everyone involved knew who they were. Everyone knew what they could do.

If there were concerns, Trump’s team was more impressed by the ability of these white nationalists to turn out sizable crowds on a moment’s notice. What did it matter if these were brutal, fascist, racist, what supremacists? They came when called and, really, wasn’t that Trump’s base in any case?

But while the Pierson and the members of Trump’s White House team were fully aware of what was coming on Jan. 6, they didn’t share that information with police. The permits continued to indicate that there would be a number of small, disconnected events. And even though intelligence indicated that violence could happen, the scale of what they were anticipating seemed to make that threat seem miniscule.

"An intelligence report from that day obtained by ProPublica shows that the Capitol Police expected a handful of rallies on Capitol grounds, the largest of which would be hosted by a group called One Nation Under God.

Law enforcement anticipated between 50 and 500 people at the gathering, assigning it the lowest possible threat score and predicting a 1% to 5% chance of arrests. The police gave much higher threat scores to two small anti-Trump demonstrations planned elsewhere in the city."

That the police were more concerned about two anti-Trump rallies seems … typical. But the suggested difference between what happened, and what was expected appears to be much larger than hearings and testimony have previously indicated. However, the police were set up.

"One Nation Under God was a fake name used to trick the Capitol Police into giving Stop the Steal a permit, according to Stop the Steal organizer Kimberly Fletcher. Fletcher is president of Moms for America, a grassroots organization founded to combat “radical feminism.” "

Fletcher was seriously amused by how the police called to find out who was behind the rally and she was able to keep them away from the truth.

That name may have fooled the Park Police and Capitol Police into handing out a permit, and lulled everyone into a sense of false security on the morning of Jan. 6. However, Pierson and the White House team were perfectly aware of the truth.

This means that Trump’s White House staff — and likely Trump — were aware that a large group of white supremacists and militia were coming to down with plans to conduct a march on the Capitol. They not only didn’t share this information with police, it seems highly probable they were also aware of, or involved in, creating the fake name that got Stop the Steal onto the ellipse. The whole rally that Trump encouraged to “fight like hell” was a rally that was never supposed to exist.

#fuck trump #trump supporters #coup attempt

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justforbooks · 4 years

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The Best Spy Novels to Read While Stuck at Home

Forty, page-turning spy novels, to Keep you on the edge of your seat. Marked by an exhilarating pace, plenty of dramatic twists, and richly drawn complex protagonists, spy novels are about as riveting as it gets in the library. And while all the excitement of double agents and espionage keeps you at the edge of your seat, these books also offer insight into fascinating and troubling historical periods.

In the name of thrilling reading, no matter what time of year and to wrestle with larger philosophical questions of betrayal, human connection, and the legacy of international conflict, I rounded up 40 of the best spy novels around, to read while stuck at home. Written by former CIA and other intelligence agents and some of the most prolific literary minds of all time, get to know the best spy novels below.

Here are my picks for the best spy novels you have to read while stuck at home.

Rosalie Knecht, Who Is Vera Kelly?

1962 in New York City's Greenwich Village and Argentina. A radio show host is struggling to make ends meet and fit into the underground gay scene when she gets recruited by the CIA to wiretap a crooked congressman in Argentina, and works her way into a radical group of students planning a coup. Think coming-of-age meets historical fiction with a strong female protagonist.

Jason Matthews, Red Sparrow

Modern-day Russia. Dominika Egorova is forced into becoming a secret agent that uses her sultry beauty to seduce an American CIA officer. When she develops genuine feelings for him, her loyalties begin to shift and the plot thickens.

Gina Apostol, Gun Dealer's Daughter

1980s Marcos-era Philippines and modern-day America. Though this book doesn't follow a linear chronology, it reflects Sol's fragmented memory and trauma. As a young woman limited by the comfort of her wealth, she seeks to overthrow the Marcos regime. Spying on the American generals and Philippine elite from her own fancy dinner table, Sol's loyalties struggle between her family, homeland, and her insurgent student friends. Politically charged, lyrical, and eye-opening, this is a must-read.

Helen MacInnes, Agent in Place

New York, Washington, D.C., and the French Riviera during the Cold War. When a Russian spy who's expertly infiltrated Washington society gets his hands on a top-secret NATO memorandum, a high-profile CIA officer's cover is blown in Moscow. Now, everyone is racing against time to uncover who the Russian spy actually is.

Viet Thanh Nguyen, The Sympathizer

1975 Vietnam and Los Angeles, A half-French, half-Vietnamese double agent relocates to America after the fall of Saigon, and betrayal, both personal and political, ensues. At once a love story and a spy novel about the legacy and evils of colonialism, the Vietnam War, and ensuing refugee experience in the U.S. you won't soon forget The Sympathizer. It's satirical, sharp, suspenseful, and poignant.

Joseph Kanon, Leaving Berlin

Post-WWII Berlin, Germany. Alex Meier is a young German Jew who fled to America at the onset of WWII to escape Nazi persecution. But with the Cold War underway, it's the peak of the McCarthy era, and he's pigeon-holed into working undercover in East Berlin for the CIA. It's the only way he won't be deported. But when he gets there, he finds out that his target is the woman he loved and left behind before the war. It's a thought-provoking and action-packed love story.

Joseph Conrad, The Secret Agent

London, late 1800s. A shop-owner gets wrapped up in an anarchist scheme to bomb the Greenwich Observatory, but the plan goes wrong and throws his life into chaos. It raises philosophical questions and is a literary masterpiece, but that doesn't keep it from being a thrilling, entertaining read.

John Le Carré, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Post-WWII Britain. Unhappily retired after a failed mission, an aging officer sets out to catch a traitor who has worked their way into the highest ranks of British intelligence. Full of political and social commentary with a fast-paced plot, there's a reason this is such a classic.

Ian McEwan, The Innocent

Berlin, 1955. A young Englishman living in American-occupied Berlin is commissioned to install the tape recorders that that will wiretap Russians in Soviet-occupied East Berlin. He begins spying on the Americans for the Brits while helping the Americans spy on the Russians. But, he fails as a spy, and the plot becomes more complicated when he falls in love with an older German with a violent, possessive ex-husband.

Lauren Wilkinson, American Spy

Burkina Faso. In the FBI, Marie Mitchell sticks out as a young black woman. In American Spy, Marie wades through a sea of a mostly white male intelligence community, and an assignment to Burkina Faso, where she meets Thomas Sankara, revolutionary president of the landlocked, West African country.

John le Carré, The Spy Who Came in From the Cold

Cold War-era Germany. British intelligence agent Alec Leamas should be on his way back to London, but one more job—an undercover mission to topple East German intelligence, leads Leamas back into dangerous territory. In an interview with Electric Literature, author Lauren Wilkinson (author of American Spy) calls this spy novel "terrific."

Susan Hasler, Intelligence

Post-9/11 America, during an election year. Intelligence trails Maddie James, a CIA counterterrorism analyst as she pursues an al-Qaida operation with an eccentric team. Meanwhile, the Administration is more interested in maintaining the message that America is winning the war on terror. According to author Susan Hasler, a former member of the CIA, writing the novel was a way to cope with residual 9/11 period anger.

Valerie Plame, Blowback

Cyprus. Young, blonde CIA operative Vanessa Pierson assumes the identify of a financial adviser in Cyprus on a reconnaissance mission. Her target: An international arms dealer, Bhoot, who is believed to be aiding Iran to bolster its nuclear activities. With an assassin on her trail, Blowback is full of fast-paced action scenes, as well as intimate details that the Washington Post describes "might elude a male writer." Blowback is co-authored by former CIA agent Valerie Plame, and Sarah Lovett.

Stella Rimington, At Risk

Britain. British intelligence taps Liz Carlyle, a scrappy counter terror agent to stop a terrorist attack. And the person of interest is traveling under a British passport, an "invisible." Author Stella Rimington relies on her former life as a high-ranking spy to author At Risk, Rimington's debut novel.

Patricia Wentworth, Hue and Cry

London. Before Mally Lee's wedding in six months, she accepts a position as governess to a shipping magnate's young daughter. Upon entering the Peterson grounds, however, Lee will be accused of being a thief and spy. Mally flees, leaving her fiancé in emotional shambles and private investigators in hot pursuit. What has Mally stumbled into?

Irène Némirovsky, The Courilof Affair

18th century Russia. Léon M, son of Russian revolutionaries, is tasked with assassinating the ruthless Valerian Alexandrovitch Courilof, Russian Minister of Education. Fronting as Courilof's personal physician, Léon M works his way into Courilof's summer house, and as his relationship with Courilof grows, learns things are more complicated than they seem.

Stephenie Meyer, The Chemist

United States. A page-turning tale of an ex-agent on the run from her former employer (a clandestine, unnamed agency). To clear her name, she accepts one more job that will put her in an even more precarious position. But, the job goes south. What now?

Jennifer Chiaverini, The Spymistress

Civil War-era America. Elizabeth Van Lew is a Union loyalist living in the Confederacy, and she will risk it all to help build the Richmond underground, break free inmates from Confederate Libby Prison, and gather military intelligence under the pretense of humanitarian aid. In this historical novel inspired by a true story, Van Lew's contributions during the Civil War comes alive.

John Buchan, The Thirty-Nine Steps

Over a century old, and Buchan’s adventure novel still passes muster. The first of five novels featuring an all-action hero with a stiff upper lip, Richard Hannay, this is unpredictable, exciting fare – and will keep you guessing until the last page.

Graham Greene, The Quiet American

A novel depicting French colonialism being uprooted in Vietnam may not sound like the most thrilling you’ve ever heard, but in the hands of English literary giant Graham Greene, anything is possible. Featuring British journalism, undercover CIA agents, illegitimate marriage and a light smattering of car bombs, there is action balanced with considered philosophy – and the book is all the better for it.

Frederick Forsyth, The Day of the Jackal

Telling the tale of a professional assassin – tasked by a French dissident organisation to kill the President of France – Forsyth’s novel was met with praise when it was first published, and remains so to this day. Of course, the 1973 film adaptation starring the suave Edward Fox did nothing to help with the stories success...

Robert Ludlum, The Bourne Identity

We all know Matt Damon’s award-winning portrayal of Ludlum’s most famous character, but how many of us have read the novels? If not, you’ll be glad to know that these tales of amnesia, backstabbing and action are just as thrilling on the page – and that Eric Van Lustbader has added to the cannon, with an additional 11 Bourne books available to read.

Tom Clancy, The Hunt for Red October

Tom Clancy’s debut novel remains his best. Introducing Jack Ryan, the CIA analyst throw into the field, it one again tackles Soviet themes and the adventures of a group of US Navy officers taking possession of a nuclear submarine. It’s thrilling fare, and Clancy’s talent to bring the appeal of classic espionage into modern-day storytelling is impressive to say the least.

Len Deighton, The IPCRESS File

Len Deighton’s first spy novel, like Tom Clancy’s, is also his best. More famous for the Michael Caine-fronted film spun from its pages, this original novel involves Cold War brainwashing, a United State atomic weapons test and an extended sequence in Lebanon – and makes use of spy novel trope to be employed for years to come: that of the nameless protagonist.

John le Carré, The Tailor of Panama

He is Harry Pendel: Exclusive tailor to Panama’s most powerful men. Informant to British Intelligence. The perfect spy in a country rife with corruption and revolution. What his “handlers” don’t realize is that Harry has a hidden agenda of his own. Deceiving his friends, his wife, and practically himself, he’ll weave a plot so fabulous it exceeds his own vivid imagination. But when events start to spin out of control, Harry is suddenly in over his head—thrown into a lethal maze of politics and espionage, with unthinkable consequences...

Eric Ambler, A Coffin for Dimitrios

A chance encounter with a Turkish colonel leads Charles Latimer, the author of a handful of successful mysteries, into a world of sinister political and criminal maneuvers. At first merely curious to reconstruct the career of the notorious Dimitrios, whose body has been identified in an Istanbul morgue, Latimer soon finds himself caught up in a shadowy web of assassination, espionage, drugs, and treachery that spans the Balkans.

Ken Follett, Eye of the Needle

“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...“

Olen Steinhauer, The Tourist

Milo Weaver has tried to leave his old life of secrets and lies behind by giving up his job as a “tourist” for the CIA―an undercover agent with no home, no identity. Now he’s working a desk at the agency’s New York headquarters. But when the arrest of a long-sought-after assassin sets off an investigation into a colleague, exposing new layers of intrigue in his old cases, he has no choice but to go back undercover and find out who’s been behind it all from the very beginning.

Graham Greene, Our Man in Havana

MI6’s man in Havana is Wormold, a former vacuum-cleaner salesman turned reluctant secret agent out of economic necessity. To keep his job, he files bogus reports based on Charles Lamb’s Tales from Shakespeare and dreams up military installations from vacuum-cleaner designs. Then his stories start coming disturbingly true...

Erskine Childers, The Riddle of the Sands

The classic spy novel by Erskine Childers, credited as the first work of modern espionage fiction. Set in pre-World War I Europe, two British subject, Carruthers and Davies, uncover secret German activity suggesting a prelude to war.

Tom Bradby, Secret Service

What if your next national leader was secretly a Russian spy? Kate Henderson is a high-ranking officer of England's MI6—and a recent undercover operation has revealed explosive intel. Russia has infiltrated the upper levels of UK politics by co-opting a senior politician. To make matters worse, there may be a mole moving through the halls of England's Secret Intelligence Service. With an election looming, Kate is in a race to expose the double agents and save those she holds dear. But who can be trusted? Acclaimed British author and journalist Tom Bradby excels at crafting pulse-pounding narratives set against the backdrop of true-life events. In Secret Service, the author delivers a tense and timely spy thriller where the greatest threat comes from within.

James Grady, Condor: The Short Takes

In this novella, the iconic CIA operative Condor is back in a series of new adventures. New York Times-bestselling author James Grady brings back his famous spy but in a surprising setting. Six Days of the Condor was popular during the paranoid era of the 1970s as Condor was a spy in his prime who ruthlessly and heroically deals with a conspiracy within the United States government. In Condor: The Short Takes, Grady presents an aged Condor who finds himself in a modern setting and with 21st century threats. The original framework is present but the stories are far more intimate and less straightforward. Condor finds himself involved in cyber threats and the 9/11 aftermath; perhaps an even bigger scandal than the Cold War. The master of intrigue brings you six stories that are sure to leave you on the edge of your seat; can Condor soar over the obstacles or will he falter and fall? This is perfect for any fans of the hit original series, Condor!

John Lawton, A Little White Death

A social and sexual revolution was had throughout most of the world during the 1960s, and England was no exception. John Lawton's novel implants remnants of this revolution into the third book of his Inspector Troy series. This novel follows Inspector Troy—despite many career set-backs—as he rises to the head of CID at Scotland Yard. However, before the chief detective can celebrate, he finds himself deep into a scandal reminiscent of the Profumo affair. Troy becomes entangled in a web as he attempts to battle illness, police politics, and the Establishment. He must focus on protecting those affected by the aftermath of the scandal and discover who murdered the two key players in the scandal.

Brian Freemantle, Charlie M

Charlie Muffin came into the British secret service in the early 1950s, when the desperate government was in search of more foot soldiers in the impending Cold War. They decided to look into the middle class for the first time and found what they were looking for in Charlie. Even though he is a working-class, state-educated man from Manchester, Charlie has been one of the most effective agents of the secret service. However, times are changing as Cambridge and Oxford graduates are ready to take over again. They have decided it's time to sacrifice Charlie, but he won't go down easy. This exhilarating novel of double-crossing is excellent for fans of le Carre or Deighton!

Patricia Wentworth, Dead or Alive

In this suspenseful tale by British crime author Patricia Wentworth, Meg O'Hara's husband Robin disappears on the day she plans to divorce him. A year after the presumed body of her dead husband is found, someone breaks into her apartment to leave a shocking message. Now Meg is left to uncover if her husband is dead or alive. As more cryptic messages appear, Meg is certain that someone—maybe even her husband—is trying to get to her...but no one takes her seriously. Well, except for Bill Coverdale. For years Bill has been deeply in love with Meg, so he sets out to get to the bottom of things. Together, they find themselves embroiled in blackmail, forgery, and murder all while facing an unstoppable criminal mastermind.

John Altman, A Game of Spies

In preparation of Germany's invasion of France, England needs to gather classified information on Germany...and there's only one highly skilled spy who can get the job done: Agent William Hobbs. During the bleak winter of 1940, Hobbs meets the naive Eva Bernhardt and seduces her into working for the British secret service. Smitten with Agent Hobbs and disenchanted by Hitler, Eva agrees to seek information from the Führer’s inner circle. As Hobbs and Eva plunge into the world of espionage, intrigue, and deception, Eva quickly transforms into a tough and cynical operative, using her feminine guile and manipulative skills to obtain crucial knowledge. A Game of Spies is a thrilling tale with an even more electrifying conclusion as Eva holds her future, and the future of the entire war, in her hands.

John Lawton, Then We Take Berlin

Meet Joe Wilderness, orphaned by World War II - and certain that this fact will allow him to operate outside of society's bounds and rules for the rest of his life. But when he gets recruited into MI6, he discovers a fast-paced life in Berlin that will force him to go to extremes to accomplish his missions. This stylish thriller is a beloved read, best for fans of Eric Ambler.

Helen MacInnes, The Salzburg Connection

MacInnes may be best known for her first novel, Above Suspicion, but in The Salzburg Connection, written over 20 years later, she had become an expert in espionage beyond compare. In this spy vs spy vs lawyer tale, Richard Bryant, British agent, is one of the few who knows about a secret cache of Nazi information. When he’s found dead, an American lawyer gets caught up in the quest to find the information, before it gets in the wrong hands.

Gayle Lynds, Masquerade

Lynds became popular thanks to a collaborative series with Robert Ludlum, Covert-One, but she had been honing her craft long before The Altman Code’s debut. Like Jason Bourne, Liz Sansborough wakes up one morning to discover that she no longer remembers her life as a CIA agent. Luckily, her lover, Gordon, is there to explain what she has forgotten. But can Gordon–or the world–be trusted? There’s an international assassin after Liz, and she’ll need to figure out whom she can trust quickly.

Chris Pavone, The Travelers

A more recent addition, but one worthy of the list, The Travelers by Chris Pavone sees travel writer Will Rhodes is on assignment for Travelers magazine in the wine region of Argentina when a beautiful woman makes him an offer he can’t refuse. Drawn into a tangled web of international intrigue – like so many thriller protagonists before him – this is a standout in a modern world of throwaway poolside paperbacks.

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