20 Best Political Thriller Books

20 Best Political Thriller Books

Today, we’ve compiled a list of the 20 best political thriller books ever written.

While Justice Sleeps by Stacey Abrams

While Justice Sleeps by Stacey Abrams

This superb and intelligent novel follows the life of Avery, a law clerk to Justice Wynn.

Black Ice by Brad Thor

Black Ice by Brad Thor

This book follows the brilliant American spy, Scot Harvath, as he is torn between his life of pleasure in the Norwegian fjords and his duty back in the US.

House of Cards by Michael Dobbs

House of Cards by Michael Dobbs

Now a popular TV show, this is the story of Francis Urquhart. He knows all dirty secrets of the US politics and is willing to betray them to become the Prime Minister.

November Road by Lou Berney

November Road by Lou Berney

This historical fiction centres on the biggest political event of the 20th century – the assassination of John F Kennedy.

The Parallax View by Loren Singer

The Parallax View by Loren Singer

This speculative fiction is another book that deals with the sensational murder of president John F Kennedy and the mysterious murders that followed.

The President is Missing by Bill Clinton and James Patterson

The President is Missing by Bill Clinton and James Patterson

This landmark book was written by the honourable president Clinton and the brilliant thriller writer Patterson.

1984 by George Orwell

1984 by George Orwell

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 Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth

The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth

This is a novel about the English assassin, the Jackal, hired by OAS to kill the French president Charles de Gaulle.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by John le Carre

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by John le Carre

This modern classic is a war of wits between George Smiley and Soviet double agent Karla.

The Manchurian Candidate by Richard Condon

The Manchurian Candidate by Richard Condon

This novel is not just a spy thriller but also a dark comedy. It follows Sgt Raymond Shaw, who is a hero who saved his battalion but also an assassin.

Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews

Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews

This follows the Russian Intelligence Officer Dominika Erogova who is forced to become a Sparrow – a trained seductress to Nathaniel Nash of the CIA.

The Devil May Dance by Jake Tapper

The Devil May Dance by Jake Tapper

This novel follows the political bigshots of the 1960s Charlie and Margaret Marder who now wish to retire.

The Scarlet Pimpernel by Emmuska Orczy

The Scarlet Pimpernel by Emmuska Orczy

This classic historical fiction is the story of the elusive Englishman, the Scarlet Pimpernel.

Dark Horse by Kenneth Ackerman

Dark Horse by Kenneth Ackerman

In this non-fiction novel, Ackerman has reconstructed the political landscape at the time of James Garfield’s presidency.

11/22/63 by Stephen King

11/22/63 by Stephen King

This follows Jake Epping’s unconventional life as an English teacher. His student Harry’s essay informs him of the terrible murders Harry’s father committed – of his mother, brother and sister.

Native Speaker by Chang-Rae Lee

Native Speaker by Chang-Rae Lee

This story of cultural alienation is also the story of Henry part, a man of Korean American descent who finds himself neither here nor there.

All the King’s Men by Robert Penn Warren

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.

Too Bad to Die by Francine Mathews

Too Bad to Die by Francine Mathews

This is in the Tehran Conference of November 1943 when Winston Churchill, Franklin Roosevelt and Josef Stalin meet to finalize the D-Day Invasion.

The Quiet American by Graham Greene

The Quiet American by Graham Greene

This novel follows Alden Pyle, a man sent from the US to Vietnam on a mission and Fowler, the narrator and British press correspondent.

It Can’t Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis

It Can’t Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis

Lewis’ brilliant writing exposes how vulnerable democracy is, and hoe fascism could grasp America in its stifling hands.