"Bond. James Bond."
Okay, admit it. You're now humming that theme in your head. The one that we all recognise.
And it's no wonder.
Since the arrival of what is probably the most famous fictional spy of them all, James Bond, our fascination with the world of spies and spies themselves has enticed and allured us. Published in 1953 Casino Royale, the first James Bond novel, showed us that spies were men of action and our love affair with them has continued on since then with the movies only enhancing their appeal.
For me it's always been about spies.
Some woman like cowboys. Others like fireman or vampires. Or maybe even a vampire fireman, if there is such a thing.
But for me spies are the thing. Good spies, bad spies, I love them all. It's that combination of mystery and danger and excitement that makes them so thrilling.
These are men (and women too) who could snap your neck like a twig without blinking an eye or steal all your secrets with just a kiss.
So here's to you Mr Bond and all the other fictional spies out there.
Casino Royale / Ian Fleming.
"In his first mission agent 007, James Bond, must neutralize a Russian agent known as "Le Chiffre" by ruining him at the baccarat table, thus forcing his "retirement". However, a beautiful female agent leads him to disaster - and an unexpected saviour."
Everyone has their favourite Bond and each Bond that has appeared on the big screen has been unique while still representing the essence that is Bond. A man of action. A man who seduces women. A man who will do whatever is necessary to carry out his task. Oh yeah, Bond is the man.
The prisoner's wife / Gerard Macdonald.
A spy, a suspected terrorist and the terrorist wife. It all adds up trouble. But trouble in the spy business is just a typical day.
A day where wits and cunning and ruthlessness are the order of business.
In a spy's world nothing and no-one is ever safe.
Shake off / Mischa Hiller.
What happens when a spy falls in love?
Who does his loyalty lie with? The people he works for or the woman he loves?
And can a spy ever have the freedom to choose?
Switch / Charlie Brooks.
Max Ward is a modern spy in a dangerous world.
A world where counter intelligence, drug cartels and global terrorism intersect. A world where the beauty of an Old Master painting hides a deadly game of deal, double cross and revenge.
Happily working as an analyst Max's is about to called to duty by his faceless MI6 master and to confront an enemy that he knows too well.
An enemy that is better left alone.
The Geneva trap / Stella Rimington.
Okay, admit it. You're now humming that theme in your head. The one that we all recognise.
And it's no wonder.
Since the arrival of what is probably the most famous fictional spy of them all, James Bond, our fascination with the world of spies and spies themselves has enticed and allured us. Published in 1953 Casino Royale, the first James Bond novel, showed us that spies were men of action and our love affair with them has continued on since then with the movies only enhancing their appeal.
For me it's always been about spies.
Some woman like cowboys. Others like fireman or vampires. Or maybe even a vampire fireman, if there is such a thing.
But for me spies are the thing. Good spies, bad spies, I love them all. It's that combination of mystery and danger and excitement that makes them so thrilling.
These are men (and women too) who could snap your neck like a twig without blinking an eye or steal all your secrets with just a kiss.
So here's to you Mr Bond and all the other fictional spies out there.
Casino Royale / Ian Fleming."In his first mission agent 007, James Bond, must neutralize a Russian agent known as "Le Chiffre" by ruining him at the baccarat table, thus forcing his "retirement". However, a beautiful female agent leads him to disaster - and an unexpected saviour."
Everyone has their favourite Bond and each Bond that has appeared on the big screen has been unique while still representing the essence that is Bond. A man of action. A man who seduces women. A man who will do whatever is necessary to carry out his task. Oh yeah, Bond is the man.
The prisoner's wife / Gerard Macdonald.
A spy, a suspected terrorist and the terrorist wife. It all adds up trouble. But trouble in the spy business is just a typical day.
A day where wits and cunning and ruthlessness are the order of business.
In a spy's world nothing and no-one is ever safe.
Shake off / Mischa Hiller.What happens when a spy falls in love?
Who does his loyalty lie with? The people he works for or the woman he loves?
And can a spy ever have the freedom to choose?
Switch / Charlie Brooks.
Max Ward is a modern spy in a dangerous world.
A world where counter intelligence, drug cartels and global terrorism intersect. A world where the beauty of an Old Master painting hides a deadly game of deal, double cross and revenge.
Happily working as an analyst Max's is about to called to duty by his faceless MI6 master and to confront an enemy that he knows too well.
An enemy that is better left alone.
The Geneva trap / Stella Rimington.Author Stella Rimington knows all too well what is to be a spy. She was one herself and was the former head of MI5.
In this, her latest novel, her favourite character Liz Carlyle finds her past catching up with her when a rogue Russian spy warns her of a plot. A plot that could see a major shift in power.
Sentinel / Matthew Dunn.
With war between the USA and Russia on the verge of breaking out, agent Will Cochrane is under pressure to find the double-agent responsible for it all.
Sounds simple really.
But as any good spy knows nothing is ever simple.
Retribution / Adrian Magson.As a spy Harry has seen it all.
Or at least he thought he had.
Now though a lone assassin is tracking down and eliminating colleagues from Harry's past which means that Harry could be next on the hitman's list.
To uncover who this killer is Harry must track down the remaining team member's and discover what exactly happened in Kosovo in 1999.
Red star burning : a thriller / Brian Freemantle.One of MI5's best field agents has a secret.
A secret that if revealed could land him in jail for the rest of his life and place the life of the woman he loves in danger.
But a frantic call has brought that secret out and now he must do everything he can to protect not only himself but the people he loves.
The expats : a novel / Chris Pavone.Kate Moore looks like every other expat mum living in Luxembourg.
But she is not as ordinary as she seems and her 'real life' and her 'fake life' are about to collide.
What's a spy to do when the secrets and lies they have been hiding finally catch up with them.
An American spy / Olen Steinhauer.
Milo Weaver is a tourist.
A CIA trained spy and assassin.
It's a life he would like to leave but his former boss can't let it go and when he disappears, Milo can't help but go in search of him, but it's beginning to look like hunting for his former boss is not the only thing he has to worry about.
When a disgraced spy surfaces with information concerning a double agent at the top of the British secret service, George Smiley (Gary Oldman), an ex-MI6 agent, is drawn back into the murky field of espionage. Tasked with investigating which of his trusted former colleagues has chosen to betray him and their country, Smiley must overcome past histories, rivalries and friendships to pinpoint the man who is eating away at the heart of the British establishment.
Welcome to the world of MI5, the UK's clandestine security service. Its operatives - 'spooks' for short - tackle organised crime, terrorist activities, embassy sieges, weapons proliferation and anarchists; not to mention the conflicts and power struggles back in the office.
Prepare for a white-knuckle ride through the perilous, shadowy world of false identities, treacherous agents and cover-ups. And remember: nothing is as it seems.
Featuring the superbly swoon worthy Richard Armitage - before he was a dwarf - as spy Lucas North, a man with secrets so deep and complicated he makes James Bond look like the boy-next-door.
Strike back
Section 20 is an ultra secret government intelligence team who take on the jobs non-one else is prepared to do.
Action packed, this series spies are not your glamour boys. These men know what it means to get down and dirty.
They work hard, fight hard and play hard.
But even these men have their secrets and some are even willing to kill to them them hidden.
Section 20 is an ultra secret government intelligence team who take on the jobs non-one else is prepared to do.
Action packed, this series spies are not your glamour boys. These men know what it means to get down and dirty.
They work hard, fight hard and play hard.
But even these men have their secrets and some are even willing to kill to them them hidden.
