She Judges Crime Fiction's Biggest Prizes — Here Are Her 5 Favourite Spy Books!

One of crime fiction's most trusted voices reveals her 5 best spy novels. In our latest Spybrary Dead Drop Five series, crime fiction critic Ayo Onatade makes a passionate case for each one — and her picks may surprise you.

Welcome back to the Dead Drop 5 series! In this episode, Spybrary host Shane Whaley is joined by Ayo Onatade — one of the most respected voices in crime and thriller fiction.

Ayo is a critic, commentator, and moderator who has written extensively on crime and thriller fiction, contributed to major reference works on British and American crime writing, and served as judge and chair for some of the genre's most significant prizes, including the Ian Fleming Steel Dagger.