Today, we’ve compiled a list of the 20 best political thrillers ever written. these include some classics, some relatively modern stories, and span a multitude of settings and plots.
while justice sleeps by stacey abrams
This superb and clever novel follows the life of Avery, a paralegal for Justice Wynn. When Wynn falls gravely ill, he appoints Avery as his proxy. Now Avery must fill her huge shoes and deal with conspiracies and dangerous people to find the truth.
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brad thor black ice
This book follows the brilliant American spy, Scott Harvath, as he is torn between his life of pleasure in the Norwegian fjords and his duty in America. When he sees a man he personally killed get out of a taxi, he knows something is wrong and he needs to get back to work.
michael dobbs house of cards
Now a popular TV show, this is the story of Francis Urquhart. he knows all the dirty secrets of American politics and is willing to betray them to become prime minister. Meanwhile, political correspondent Mattie Storin comes across a scandal that he must expose to preserve her integrity.
lou berney november road
This historical fiction focuses on the greatest political event of the 20th century: the assassination of John F. kennedy. Follow Frank Guidry, who knows too much about the murder and must flee if he wants to save his life.
loren singer’s parallax view
This speculative fiction is yet another book dealing with the sensational assassination of President John F Kennedy and the mysterious murders that followed. several people directly or indirectly involved in the investigation died or disappeared, and the singer reveals the speculations of her.
the president is missing because of bill clinton and james patterson
this landmark book was written by the honorable president clinton and the brilliant thriller writer patterson. It begins with a tense atmosphere in America, with various political and military threats looming on the horizon. the president becomes a suspect and disappears, and the cliffhanger that follows is a work of immense intelligence.
1984 by george orwell
See Also: Aldous Huxley – Book Series In Order
Perhaps the original political thriller, Orwell’s dystopia follows a totalitarian world where the government has erased history and dictated every action of its citizens. the love of the world has been forbidden, and the language has been altered. The story follows Winston Smith, who becomes aware of the government’s policy and decides to massacre it.
the day of the jackal by frederick forsyth
this is a novel about the english assassin, the jackal, hired by the oas to kill french president charles de gaulle. Gaulle is the most protected man in the world and the killer is the most secretive man in the world. the battle that follows is chilling.
spy soldier tailor tinker by john le carre
This modern classic is a war of wits between George Smiley and Soviet double agent Karla. This spy novel will keep you on the edge of your seats for sure.
the manchurian candidate by richard condon
This novel is not only a spy thriller, but also a black comedy. Follow Sergeant Raymond Shaw, a hero who saved the battalion from him but also a killer. brainwashing has made him convince people that he is the savior of him, when he was the one who killed them. a terrifying novel about conditioning and mind control, this will blow your mind.
jason matthews red sparrow
This follows Russian intelligence officer Dominika Erodova, who is forced to become a Sparrow, a trained seductress for Nathaniel Nash of the CIA. As their battle begins, circumstances raise the stakes and things become increasingly complex.
the devil can dance by jake tapper
This novel follows 1960s political hotshots Charlie and Margaret Marder, who now wish to retire. but the attorney general informs them of a security threat not only to the president but also to the country and they find themselves embroiled in a dangerous web of power and lies.
emmuska orczy’s scarlet pimpernel
This classic historical fiction is the story of the elusive Englishman, the Scarlet Pimpernel. he rescues French aristocrats from the guillotine during the French revolution and brings them to safety across the channel. but ultimately, it is his beautiful French wife who will unknowingly betray him.
dark horse by kenneth ackerman
See Also: Jeffrey Archer – Book Series In Order
In this non-fiction novel, Ackerman has reconstructed the political landscape at the time of James Garfield’s presidency. Although this is based on true events, it reads like a thriller as it deals with Garfield’s election and murder.
11/22/63 by stephen king
This follows Jake Epping’s offbeat life as an English teacher. he harry’s student essay he tells her about the terrible murders harry’s father committed: his mother, his brother, and his sister. Jack’s friend informs him that his warehouse is a portal to the year 1958. Now Jack must go back in time to stop Kennedy’s murder and save the family of his student.
native speaker of chang-rae lee
this story of cultural alienation is also the story of henry part, a man of korean-american origin who is neither here nor there. when he enlists to spy on a Korean American, he finds himself torn in two. the story that follows is an exploration of his crisis and a spy thriller.
all the king’s men by robert penn warren
This classic is a story set in the depression era and deals with the themes of politics, power and corruption. follows willie stark, the governor of louisiana, and jack ballast, his press agent with a troubled conscience.
so sad to die by francine mathews
this is at the tehran conference in november 1943 when winston churchill, franklin roosevelt and josef stalin meet to finalize the d-day invasion. However, someone tells intelligence officer Ian Fleming that Hitler’s killer has entered the convention, and Fleming goes undercover. the story that follows is a chilling thriller.
graham greene’s quiet american
This novel follows Alden Pyle, a man sent from the United States to Vietnam on a mission, and Fowler, the narrator and correspondent for the British press. the story brilliantly blends literary fiction, historical fiction, politics, and suspense narratives.
this can’t happen here by sinclair lewis
Lewis’s brilliant writing exposes how vulnerable democracy is and how fascism could seize America in its suffocating hands. Lewis wrote this during the great depression, but this disturbing story remains relevant to this day.
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See Also: Howard Fast – Book Series In Order