Spies. Assassination attempts. The threat of nuclear war. An ex-operative just trying to return to his peaceful life, only to be drawn back into a bloody battle of global proportions. An unsuspecting assistant thrown into a high-stakes chase after stumbling across a sinister plot.
These are only some of the key ingredients that make the thriller genre so enticing for readers. The global stakes and heightened elements of danger make these thrillers exciting across platforms, leading to worldwide popularity in literature and film. They’re the kind of stories people just can’t turn away from!
So for fans of thriller legends like Jason Bourne and Jack Reacher, here are 8 international conspiracy thrillers to add to your shelves.
Killer Instinct by Bradley Wright
Tom Walker arrives in his hometown and in less than an hour, the secret government program he works for tries to kill him. To make matters worse, the farm where he seeks refuge has — unbeknownst to the owner, Leila — an underground drug ring operating on the property. Despite this newfound danger, Leila risks her own life to nurse Walker back to health. Then she is taken.
With time running out, Walker must risk everything to save the woman who saved him. Even if it means taking on dangerous criminals, small-town corruption, and facing his own violent past that threatens to ruin any chance they had to survive.
Red Deuce by Thomas Roehlk
If you’re an American company producing defense technology — technology the Pentagon relies on — you don’t want to acquire a German company that’s been penetrated by Chinese agents. But that’s exactly what LaSalle, a Fortune 500 company based in Chicago, is about to do.
Standing in the way? Only Mandy Doucette, the young, tough, smart lawyer in charge of vetting LaSalle’s acquisitions, and she senses something is wrong. Will redheaded Mandy — with help from her twin sister, Reggie — get to the truth, or will ruthless higher-ups silence her? As the sisters dig deeper and come out of their comfort zones, one thing is for certain — you don’t want to get these redheads mad. If they can stay out of the assassin’s crosshairs, they might just bring down your international conspiracy. (Read the full BookTrib review and interview.)
Straight Shot by Jack Lively
After surviving combat tours in Afghanistan, Iraq and northern Syria, Keeler receives his discharge from the United States Air Force Special Tactics Squadron. He’s planning a long vacation, beginning with the town where his mother spent summers as a kid. But the vacation might have to wait. Within less than an hour of passing through Alencourt, France, someone tries to kill him. It’s a case of mistaken identity, and they picked the wrong guy.
The French police can’t be trusted — except for the beautiful Cecile Nazari. She finds out fast that keeping up with Keeler is a dangerous occupation. With young women disappearing amidst a slew of attacks across France, it’s clear someone’s preying on the weak and unprotected. But they never counted on coming up against a guy like Keeler.
Second Term by J.M. Adams
Sixteen years after her heroic actions to stop a terrorist plot in Benghazi, former-DIA defense operative Cora Walker is the press secretary for the Speaker of the House. As a single mom, she’s struggling to balance her demanding job and her home life. Soon, things get more complicated at work as the lame-duck president suspends habeas corpus and begins arresting members of Congress in a desperate attempt to retain power.
Cora springs into action to save the Speaker and prevent catastrophe, working strategically to keep everyone safe. Alliances turn sour, and her trust in others begins to falter. It’s an uphill battle for Cora until an explosive finale exposes what can really happen to democracy when political extremism reaches new heights. (Read the full BookTrib review and interview.)
The Enemies of My Country by Jason Kasper
David Rivers is an elite-level assassin — a veteran operator who has served as a Ranger, a mercenary, and now as a CIA contractor conducting covert action around the world. In his secluded mountain home in Virginia, however, David Rivers lives the quiet life of a family man. His cover legend is so strong that even his wife doesn’t know the true nature of his work.
Half a world away, on a mission to assassinate a foreign operative, Rivers uncovers intelligence pointing to an imminent attack on US soil. Now he must hunt down the terrorists before it’s too late. But there’s something impossibly chilling about this particular intel. The target is in his hometown … and Rivers’ wife and daughter are mentioned by name.
Perfect Shot by Steve Urszenyi
Special Agent Alexandra Martel has put her days as one of the most renowned and decorated Army snipers behind her. But when Alex, now an FBI special agent on loan to Interpol, learns that an old friend, an MI5 officer, has been killed under mysterious circumstances, she’s pulled back into the dangerous world she left behind.
Following a trail of clues left behind by the dead woman, Alex pieces together a terrifying conspiracy that only escalates when a nuclear warhead goes missing. As the clock ticks down and the world edges closer to doom, she must fall back on her Special Ops skills to stop the unthinkable. She thought her life as a sniper was over ― but with stakes this high, she must use whatever means necessary to render the world safe. (Check out the BookTrib review and interview here.)
Dark State by Jack Slater
Jason Trapp, codename “Hangman,” was a covert operative whose feats became the stuff of legend. He was the tip of the spear — the man his country unleashed when all hope was lost.
Six months ago, someone sold him out. The Agency listed him as killed in action. He lost everything — and everyone — he held dear. But Trapp’s not that easy to kill.
As his country reels from the deadliest terrorist attacks it has ever witnessed — a day that will come to be known as Bloody Monday — Trapp’s personal vendetta leads him right back to where he started: duty to his country. The violence, the terror, the assassination of his partner … it’s all connected.
Threshold by Kevin Barry O'Connor
Key Murphy — an international adventurer with a rare genetic mutation that allows him to access memories and clues from his ancestors — is drawn into a deadly game that threatens the life of the Vice President. Teaming up with decorated Marine Corps Captain Cat Fahey, another person with the Ancestral Memory Gene, Key discovers a sinister assassination plot that propels the team into a pulse-pounding race against time.
As Key navigates the labyrinth of conspiracy, he uncovers deceit that sprawls wider than he ever feared. In a world of veiled realities and shifting alliances, can he outwit the unseen threats, or will the Vice President’s fate be tragically sealed? With only four days to halt the impending chaos, each tick of the clock amplifies the tension. (Read the full BookTrib review and interview.)
