by Stephen Hunter (1986)
Stephen Hunter has chosen the backdrop of the chaotic and cruel Spanish Civil War to weave a classic tale of espionage and counterespionage. Julian Raines was one of the first Englishmen to volunteer for the international brigade in Spain. The British Secret Service suspect that the flamboyant Raines was recruited for the KGB by the Bolsheviks during his student days at Oxford and send Robert Florry, a struggling young writer to Spain after Raines with orders to eliminate him. Florry was an old school chum to Raines and had every reason to hate him. The British are not alone on Raines' trail. The ruthless Communist leader in Barcelona believes that the identity of the double agent conceals a powerful and profitable secret. It is a novel that constantly surprises.
Donald Hamilton
"When the big man in Washington assigned Matt Helm to ride shotgun on a top secret mission in Norway, Helm wanted to know why. But this was a need-to-know deal, at least until his partner -- a woman posing as his mistress -- was killed. Now Helm is mad, mad enough to blow the operation sky high."--Page [4] of cover.
Helen MacInnes
A young woman is innocently caught up in a terrorist organization that is under surveillance by an army major she once loved at age fifteen.
Rachel Canon
Melanie Lombard, the first female President of the United States, had only held office for three days when an assassin's bullet ended her life and dreams. Now, on the first anniversary of Melanie's death, her best friend Nora discovers that Melanie may have led a secret life. As Nora searches for the truth, someone tries to stop her--permanently.
Ross Thomas
"It was while jogging along the beach just east of the Paradise Cove pier that Artie Wu tripped over a dead pelican, fell, and met the man with six greyhounds." Thus begins what may be the most popular of Ross Thomas's unique stories.