Recs if you like Slow Horses (Slough House, #1)...

Inspired to create a list by a post from @mmyth, I thought it would be nice to have a list of quest books you can download and read for free via Internet Archive. Recommendations gladly accepted. Happy reading ya'll!

(Please note this will ONLY contain books found through Internet Archive and no other sources, I don't want to run into possible mistakes and copyright headaches.)

Update: This list will also include books you can borrow through Open Library, a part of Internet Archive. In addition, this will only show English-language availability.

The book girlies are seeing their favourite characters on screen this year so if you didn’t know or want to be ahead of the game and prep, this list is here. This list includes tv adaptations and movies so if you’re curious make sure to see if it’s streaming or theatre release.

P.s. I’m including books whose adaptations already came out this year so far

page-turning stories about fictional spies and top-secret operations. featuring classics to contemporary.

The New York Times published a list on August 5th, 2026, of the 50 best thrillers published since 2000 as voted on by hundreds of writers of every kind of crime fiction, from legal thrillers to spy novels to cozy mysteries, as well as librarians, editors, critics and Bookstagrammers.

Dry humor, exciting mysteries

50 Best Thrillers of the 21st Century | NYT List

my favourite MI5 rejects!! all of the books by Mick Herron that are part of the Slough House book series, including novels/novellas that take place in the same universe!!

August 2026 List of the best thrillers of the 21st century as nominated by mystery/thriller authors

August 2026 Reader’s choice of the best 100 thrillers All I gotta say is the definitely didn’t ask me. 🤷🏻‍♀️

book to screen adaptations (announced, in the works or out for years)