The trust and fate of millions in the hands of few! Who doesn’t love a geopolitical thriller? They are packed full of action, double-dealings and secrets, which makes them perfect reading for taking on a vacation or just unwinding after a long day. Here are six great political thrillers for new readers in the genre and long-time fans alike.
The Deserter by Nelson DeMille and Alex DeMille
Featuring ripped-from-the-headlines stakes and an exotic, wildly dangerous locale, this thriller opens with reports of the Army’s most lethal military deserter spotted in Caracas, Venezuela. Top Army brass send brilliant but unorthodox investigator Scott Brodie and his new partner, Maggie Taylor, to hunt him down. But the mission hits complications from the moment they land in South America, and the fact that Brodie’s beautiful partner seems to be keeping secrets of her own doesn’t help matters either.
Savage Son by Jack Carr
This third novel in the bestselling Terminal List series opens with our hero, former Navy SEAL James Reece, recovering from brain surgery in the mountains of Montana. He thinks he’s safe, but — of course — his past comes back to haunt him in the form of a treasonous CIA officer who joins forces with a Russian mobster. When their plans escalate into a deadly game of cat and mouse, Reece must use all his instincts and expertise to recruit a team of former commandos to turn the hunted into the hunters. Author Jack Carr’s own military experience adds depth and detail to this geopolitical thriller, enhancing the humanity of his characters in the midst of an ever-changing covert war.
Red Chaos by Gary Grossman and Edwin D. Fuller
Gary Grossman and Ed Fuller have penned a great political thriller, featuring a heavy dose of action, in Red Chaos.
Dan Reilly is back in this latest addition to the Red Hotel series, aptly named since Russia supplies the bad guys. Reilly isn’t your typical action hero, having cut his teeth in both the intelligence and corporate worlds. But he proves once again to be up the task when the US faces a devastating plot hatched by a Vladimir Putin stand-in. Reilly is dealing with assassination attempts galore as the centerpieces of a plan meant to rebuild the old Soviet empire.
Red Chaos is marked by superb writing and research. Grossman and Fuller have made their third effort in the series an outstanding one.
Lethal Agent by Vince Flynn
In this page-turner, readers encounter fan favorite Mitch Rapp — ex-CIA turned private contractor — against the backdrop of a toxic presidential election showcasing a deeply divided country. When an ISIS terrorist (and previous Rapp adversary) kidnaps a renowned scientist to produce a biological weapon, the US government and Rapp must act quickly to combat the danger and mounting hysteria facing the nation. But their worst enemy is one they don’t even see coming.
Killing Floor by Lee Child
The first novel from master thriller author Lee Child, Killing Floor introduces readers to Jack Reacher, a former military policeman whose rootlessness leads him to a small Georgia town, where he’s promptly arrested for a murder he didn’t commit. Reacher uses his cutting-edge investigative and fighting skills, honed in the Army, to escape and hunt down the conspirators who led to the victim’s death. But as he discovers a counterfeit currency ring and levels of corruption throughout the community, Jack’s also forced to confront someone from his own past.
Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews
In this thrilling look at spy games and international intelligence, a CIA field operative is charged with protecting his source, a mole placed high up in Putin’s administration. Meanwhile a young ballerina survives in modern-day Russia after training as a seductress, whose next mark puts her on a collision course with the CIA. Rocketing through Russia, Finland, Greece, Italy and the United States, the two agents engage in dueling tradecraft and secret allegiances, and — most critically — a forbidden passion for each other, which could cost them both everything.
