Ten great books of Washington intrigue

CrimeReads senior editor Dwyer Murphy tagged ten "paranoid thrillers and conspiracy classics from the nation’s capital." One title on the list:

Susan Hasler, Intelligence

Hasler’s first novel is one of those DC satires in the style of Iannucci or Isherwood, where you hope none of it’s true but suspect it probably is. In this case there’s even more reason to believe, since Hasler, before launching her writing career, worked at the CIA for over 20 years as a linguist, analyst and speechwriter. In Intelligence, the President only wants to hear information that supports his own warped worldview and demands that the CIA toe the line. One agent goes rogue and assembles her own team to do what the leadership won’t. The story is told with a healthy portion of world-weary humor and inside baseball—more or less what you’d expect from a career spook.

Read about another entry on the list.

The Page 69 Test: Intelligence.

--Marshal Zeringue