The books Southern indie booksellers are recommending to readers everywhere!

Espionage

Young World by Soman Chainani

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Young World by Soman Chainani
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Are we ready for a teen President? Benton doesn’t have an interest in much of anything, but when his friends put him on the ballot and he gets elected, a wave of change occurs around the world. Can Benton be what everyone wants him to be, or will he become just another pawn in the system?

Young World by Soman Chainani, (List Price: $21.99, Random House Books for Young Readers, 9780593905180, May 2026)

Reviewed by Judith, Octavia Books in New Orleans, LA

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Clown Town by Mick Herron

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Clown Town by Mick Herron
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I loved this book! Clown Town is classic Mick Herron with his evolving cast of Slough House joes. The book collection of a deceased former First Desk is sent to the MI5 library, but there is a book missing, or is it, and is it even a book? And when MI5’s First Desk and a disgraced politician start asking for help, the question becomes who’s playing whom, because “all spies lie.” This fast-paced novel is engaging, surprising, and very well written. Crafted with dry wit and wry comments, this thriller is an absolute pleasure to read. Also, for those needing novel ways to insult their co-workers, look no further than Jackson Lamb – and in this book the invectives are masterful!

Clown Town by Mick Herron, (List Price: $29.95, Soho Crime, 9781641297264, 2025-09-09)

Reviewed by Lia Lent, WordsWorth Books in Little Rock, Arkansas

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The Poet’s Game by Paul Vidich

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The Poet's Game by Paul Vidich
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Paul Vidich’s The Poet’s Game masterfully captures the essence of a classic spy novel. Vidich weaves a compelling narrative filled with intrigue, suspense, and carefully crafted characters. Alex Matthews is a retired CIA station chief, now capitalizing on the new Russian economy. He learns the hard way that the Russians have a long memory, and he will need to risk everything to keep himself and his business alive. Vidich’s attention to detail and his deep understanding of the espionage genre make this book a must-read for fans of spy fiction.

The Poet’s Game by Paul Vidich, (List Price: $27.95, Pegasus Books, 9781639368853, May 2025)

Reviewed by Brent Bunnell, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina

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The Spy by James Phelan

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The Spy by James Phelan
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This book is the first in a new series featuring Jed Walker, a former deep cover CIA operative. On Jed’s last sanctioned mission, he learns that one of the primary goals of the mission includes making sure Jed Walker does NOT survive it. He escapes only by faking his own death and then strikes out on his own to track down the forces that are trying to remove him. That final mission was to infiltrate a mysterious group known as Zodiac, who are plotting a series of devastating terrorist attacks meant to destabilize the current world order. The first of these attacks is set to go off in a little less than 4 days, and Jed will need to use all of his skills and resources if he is able to stop it and at the same time identify those who are working to have him removed. Not knowing who he can and cannot trust, Jed has to rely on his wiles and the network he had developed in his previous life as a CIA operative. The question is, can he trust these resources or is he setting himself up for betrayal? This first in a new series is a blistering page-turner and I can’t wait to see what comes next!

The Spy by James Phelan, (List Price: $16.99, Blackstone Publishing, 9781094193205, August 2024)

Reviewed by Brent Bunnell, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina

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Riding with Evil by Ken Croke

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Riding with Evil by Ken Croke
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This glimpse into the brutal world of outlaw bikers is not sugar coated with flowery language. But, despite its “just the facts ma’am” style, it delves into the emotional strain of being an undercover agent in a way that I’ve not really experienced before. So, if you’re a true crime buff and want to read something compelling that isn’t about a serial killer- here it is!

Riding with Evil by Ken Croke (List Price: $28.99, William Morrow, 9780063092402,  March 2022)

Reviewed by Billy McCormick, McIntyre’s Books in Pittsboro, North Carolina

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The Committed by Viet Thanh Nguyen

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Committed
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After the stunning and beloved debut of The Sympathizer, expectations were somehow surpassed with Viet Thanh Nguyen’s sequel. We are dropped right back into the two minds whose razor sharp criticism and empathy are now directed at the French. In a country that is often depicted as being devoid of contemporary racism, The Committed shines an unforgiving light on centuries of colonialist hypocrisy. A story of the dangers of ideology and the crucial role of humor in revolution, The Committed is everything I didn’t even know I wanted in a sequel.

The Committed by Viet Thanh Nguyen (List Price: $27, Grove Press, 9780802157065, 3/2/2021)

Reviewed by Lucia Drinkwalter, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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A Tip for the Hangman by Allison Epstein

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A Tip for the Hangman
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The 16th century meets the 21st in Allison Epstein’s thrilling debut novel, A Tip for the Hangman. It’s 1585, and aspiring playwright Christopher Marlowe is recruited as a spy while still an impoverished Cambridge scholar. His task: to help foil an alleged Catholic plot to overthrow Queen Elizabeth I. Blending fact and fiction, and period detail with modern sensibilities, Epstein deftly creates a heady mix of intrigue, drama and romance in this captivating page-turner.

A Tip for the Hangman by Allison Epstein (List Price: $26.95, Doubleday, 9780385546713, 2/9/2021)

Reviewed by Jude Burke-Lewis, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi

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