Spies, Detectives and Thrillers: Alex Rider Readalikes

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Spies, Detectives and Thrillers: Alex Rider Readalikes
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If you liked the Alex Rider series (by Anthony Horowitz), try one of the following:

Butcher, A. J.. Spy High : Mission One. 2003. (YA Fiction Butch.A)

Six teenagers, attending a special high school that trains them to be secret agents, struggle to complete their training exercises as a team before being sent out into the field to sink or swim. (Book One of Spy High series)

Card, Orson Scott. Ender's Game. 1985. (YA Science Fiction Card.O)

An expert at simulated war games, Andrew "Ender" Wiggin believes that he is engaged in one more computer war game when, in truth, he is commanding the last Earth fleet against an alien race seeking Earth's complete destruction (Book One of a series).

Carter, Ally. I'd Tell You I Love You but Then I'd Have to Kill You. 2006. (YA Fiction Carte.A & YA CD Fiction Carte.A & eAudiobook)

As a sophomore at a secret spy school and the daughter of a former CIA operative, Cammie is sheltered from "normal teenage life" until she meets a local boy while on a class surveillance mission.

Cole, Stephen. Thieves Like Us. 2006. (YA Fiction Cole.S)

A mysterious benefactor hand-picks a group of teen geniuses to follow a set of clues leading to the secrets of everlasting life, secrets which they must steal and for which they risk being killed (Book One of a series).

Colfer, Eoin. Artemis Fowl. 2003. (YA Fiction Colfe.E & JUV CD Fiction Colfe.E)

When a 12-year-old evil genius tries to restore his family fortune by capturing a fairy and demanding a ransom in gold, the fairies fight back with magic, technology, and a particularly nasty troll. (Book One of the Artemis Fowl series)

Deuker, Carl. Runner. 2005. (YA Fiction Deuke.C)

Living with his alcoholic father on a broken-down sailboat on Puget Sound has been hard on seventeen-year-old Chance Taylor, but when his love of running leads to a high-paying job, he quickly learns that the money is not worth the risk.

Feinstein, John. Last Shot : A Final Four Mystery. 2005. (YA Mystery Feins.J)

After winning a basketball reporting contest, eighth graders Steve and Susan Carol are sent to cover the Final Four tournament, where they discover that a talented player is being blackmailed into throwing the final game.

Ferguson, Alane. The Christopher Killer : A Forensic Mystery. 2006. (YA Mystery Fergu.A)

On the payroll as an assistant to her coroner father, 17-year-old Cameryn Mahoney uses her knowledge of forensic medicine to catch the killer of a friend while putting herself in terrible danger (Book One of a series).

Gilman, David. The Devil's Breath. 2008. (YA Fiction Gilma.D & YA CD Fiction Gilma.D)

When fifteen-year-old Max Gordon's environmentalist-adventurer father goes missing while working in Namibia and Max becomes the target of a would-be assassin at his school in England, he decides he must follow his father to Africa and find him before they both are killed.

Hautman, Pete & Mary Loque. Snatched. 2006. (YA Mystery Hautm.P)

Too curious for her own good, Roni, crime reporter for her high school newspaper, teams up with Brian, freshman science geek, to investigate the beating and kidnapping of a classmate (Book One of a series).

Heath, Jack. The Lab. 2008. (YA Fiction Heath.J)

This exciting new adventure series introduces 16-year-old superhuman Six of Hearts, an extremely capable agent in The Deck, a team of special agents fighting to uphold justice in a terribly corrupt world.

Hiaasen, Carl. Flush. 2005. (YA Fiction Hiaas.C)

With their father jailed for sinking a river boat, Noah Underwood and his younger sister, Abbey, must gather evidence that the owner of the floating casino is emptying his bilge tanks into the protected waters around their Florida Keys home.

Higgins, Jack. Sure Fire. 2007. (YA Fiction Higgi.J)

Resentful of having to go live with their estranged father after the death of their mother, 15-year-old twins, Rich and Jade, soon find they have more complicated problems when their father is kidnapped and their attempts to rescue him involve them in a dangerous international plot to control the world's oil.

Higson, Charles. SilverFin : A James Bond Adventure. 2005. (YA Fiction Higso.C)

Young James Bond, while attending boarding school at Eton in the 1930s, must battle against an insane arms dealer who, by using killer eels, is attempting to create a race of indestructible soldiers on the eve of World War II. (Book One of the Young Bond series)

Hoobler, Dorothy. The Ghost In The Tokaido Inn. 1999. (YA Mystery Hoobl.D)

While attempting to solve the mystery of a stolen jewel, Seikei, a merchant's son who longs to be a samurai, joins a group of kabuki actors in eighteenth-century Japan. (Book One of a series)

Jinks, Catherine. Evil Genius. 2007. (YA Fiction Jinks.C)

Child prodigy Cadel Piggot, an antisocial computer hacker, discovers his true identity when he enrolls as a first-year student at an advanced crime academy (Book One of a series). 

Ludlum, Robert. The Bourne Identity. 1980. (Fiction Ludlu.R)

A shooting victim, suffering from amnesia, finds himself with a Swiss bank account in the name of Jason Bourne, a professional assassin being manipulated by a top-secret American government organization to kill his arch rival, the dreaded Carlos. (Book One of a series)

MacHale, D. J.. The Merchant Of Death. 2002. (YA Science Fiction Macha.D)

Bobby Pendragon, a seemingly normal fourteen-year-old boy, has a family, a home, and even Marley, his beloved dog. But before Bobby can object, he is swept off to an alternate dimension known as Denduron, a territory inhabited by strange beings, ruled by a magical tyrant, and plagued by a dangerous revolution, where Bobby must fight for the future of the human race. (Book One of the Pendragon series)

MacLean, Alistair. The Guns Of Navarone. 1957. (Fiction Macle.A)

A specialized commando team is assembled to destroy the German Army's mighty guns of Navarone, because they control a strategic channel in the Aegean Sea.

MacLean, Alistair. Where Eagles Dare. 2002. (Fiction Macle.A 2002)

The attempt by a group of special agents to rescue an Allied general from an impregnable castle is jeopardized by a ruthless German double agent.

Marsden, John. Tomorrow, When The War Began. 1993. (YA Fiction Marsd.J)

Seven Australian teenagers return from a camping trip in the bush to discover that their country has been invaded and they must hide to stay alive. (Book One of the Tomorrow series)

Matheson, Shirlee Smith. Fastback Beach. 2003. (YA Fiction Mathe.S)

When Miles is put on probation for stealing a car, he tries to make a fresh start, but soon finds that his old friendships come back to haunt him with disturbing results.

McNab, Andy. Traitor. 2005. (YA Fiction Mcnab.A)

A boy who believes his grandfather to be a traitorous spy who turned against England and then disappeared tracks him down and finds out the truth.

McNamee, Graham. Acceleration. 2003. (YA Mystery Mcnam.G)

Stuck working in the Lost and Found of the Toronto Transit Authority for the summer, seventeen-year-old Duncan finds the diary of a serial killer and sets out to stop him.

Mowll, Joshua. Operation Red Jericho. 2005. (YA Fiction Mowll.J)

The posthumous papers of Rebecca MacKenzie document her adventures, along with her brother Doug, in 1920s China. The teenaged siblings are sent to live aboard their uncle's ship, where they become involved in the dangerous activities of a mysterious secret society called the Honorable Guild of Specialists (Book One of a series).

Myers, Walter Dean. Fallen Angels. 1988. (YA Fiction Myers.W)

Seventeen-year-old Richie Perry, just out of his Harlem high school, enlists in the Army in the summer of 1967 and spends a devastating year on active duty in Vietnam.

Patterson, James. Maximum Ride : The Angel Experiment. 2005. (YA Science Fiction Patte.J & YA CD Science Fiction Patte.J)

After the mutant Erasers abduct the youngest member of their group, the "bird kids," (a group who are the result of genetic experimentation) take off in pursuit and find themselves struggling to understand their own origins and purpose. (Book One of the Maximum Ride series)

Peet, Mal. Tamar: A Novel of Espionage, Passion and Betrayal. 2007. (YA Fiction Peet.M)

In England in 1995, 15-year-old Tamar, grief-stricken by the puzzling death of her beloved grandfather, slowly begins to uncover the secrets of his life in the Dutch resistance during the last year of the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, and the climactic events that forever cast a shadow on his life and that of his family.

Reilly, Matthew. Scarecrow. 2003. (Fiction Reill.M)

When a $20,000,000 bounty is placed on his head, Scarecrow Schofield begins an international race for survival during which he unravels a vast conspiracy that reveals why he has been targeted.

Reilly, Matthew. Temple. 2001. (Fiction Reill.M)

A mysterious Inca idol becomes the focus of an international treasure hunt, and a young linguist is caught up in the conspiracy when he is hired to translate a centuries-old manuscript that holds the key to the idol's location.

Riordan, Rick. The Lightning Thief. 2005. (YA Fiction Riord.R & YA CD Fiction Riord.R)

Twelve-year-old Percy Jackson learns he is a demigod, the son of a mortal woman and Poseidon, god of the sea. His mother sends him to a summer camp for demigods where he and his new friends set out on a quest to prevent a war between the gods. (Book 1 of Percy Jackson & the Olympians series)

Rose, Malcolm. Framed!. 2005. (YA Mystery Rose.M)

Sixteen-year-old forensic investigator Luke Harding and his robot sidekick race to discover who is behind three student murders, only to find that the evidence points to Luke himself. (Book One of the Traces series)

Simmons, Michael. Finding Lubchenko. 2005. (YA Mystery Simmo.M)

When his father is framed for murder and bioterrorism, high-school junior Evan, using clues from a stolen laptop, travels from Seattle to Paris with two friends to find the real culprit (Book One of a series).

Smith, Roland. I, Q : (book One: Independence Hall). 2008. (YA Fiction Smith.R)

In this gripping thriller, teenagers Q (Quest) and Angela go on tour with married rockers Blaze and Roger and, while in Philadelphia, become submerged in a world of danger when they discover the identity of Angela's real mother, who is a former Secret Service agent. (Book one of the Independence Hall series)

Spradlin, Michael. Live and Let Shop. 2005. (YA Fiction Sprad.M)

Beverly Hills teenager Rachel Buchanan gets in trouble with the law and winds up at mysterious Blackthorn Academy in Pennsylvania, where she uncovers secrets about the school and becomes entangled in a case of international espionage. (Book 1 of series)

Stephens, J. B.. The Big Empty. 2004. (YA Science Fiction Steph.J)

After half of the world's population is killed by a plague, seven teenagers seek a better life in a nightmarish future by deciphering coded messages and trying to avoid the Slashers. (Book One of the Big Empty series)

Updale, Eleanor. Montmorency : Thief, Liar, Gentleman?. 2003. (YA Fiction Updal.E)

In Victorian London, after his life is saved by a young physician, a thief utilizes the knowledge he gains in prison and from the scientific lectures he attends as the physician's case study exhibit to create a new, highly successful, double life for himself. (Book One of the Montmorency series)

Vande Velde, Vivian. Never Trust A Dead Man. 1999. (YA Mystery Vande.V)

Wrongly convicted of murder and punished by being sealed up in the tomb with a dead man, 17-year-old Selwyn enlists the help of a witch and the resurrected victim to find the true killer.

Walden, Mark. H.I.V.E. (The Higher Institute for Villainous Education). 2007. (YA Fiction Walde.M)

Otto Malpense unwittingly awakens in a helicopter he doesn't remember boarding, only to discover that he has been abducted by H.I.V.E., a secret school dedicated to nurturing young villains. Leaving is not an option, but that doesn't stop Otto and his new friends from trying (Book One of a series).

Werlin, Nancy. Black Mirror : A Novel. 2001. (YA Mystery Werli.N)

Convinced her brother's death was murder rather than suicide, sixteen-year-old Frances begins her own investigation into suspicious student activities at her boarding school.

Westerfeld, Scott. So Yesterday : A Novel. 2004. (YA Mystery Weste.S)

Hunter Braque, a New York City teenager who is paid by corporations to spot what is "cool," combines his analytical skills with girlfriend Jen's creative talents to find a missing person and thwart a conspiracy directed at the heart of consumer culture.

Whyman, Matt. Icecore : A Carl Hobbes Thriller. 2007. (YA Fiction Whyma.M)

Seventeen-year-old Englishman Carl Hobbes meant no harm when he hacked into Fort Knox's security system, but at Camp Twilight in the Arctic Circle, known as the Guantanamo Bay of the north, he is tortured to reveal information about a conspiracy of which he was never a part.

Young, E. L. Storm: The Infinity Code. 2008. (YA Fiction Young.E)

In London, the teen geniuses of STORM, a secret organization dedicated to eliminating the world's misery through science and technology, uncover plans for a deadly weapon and race to find and dismantle it, then confront the corrupt scientist behind the scheme. (Book one of a series)

 

Graphic Novels/Manga

Arakawa, Hiromu. Fullmetal Alchemist. 2005. (YA 741.5952 Araka.H v. 1)

As young boys, Edward and Alphonse Elric dabbled in alchemy to try to resurrect their dead mother. As a result, Ed lost one arm and one leg, while Al lost his entire body and had his spirit sealed into a suit of armor. Now, they are searching for the fabled Philosopher's Stone to restore what they've lost.

Cooke, Darwyn. The Spirit. 2008. (YA 741.5973 Cooke.D bk. 1)

Criminologist Denny Colt lets the world believe he is dead in order to continue his war against crime as masked adventurer The Spirit. Now he faces a cast of criminals and femmes fatales armed only with his wits, and with the help of savvy teenager Ebony White, girlfriend Ellen Dolan and her father, the hard-as-nails Police Commissioner!

Jolley, Dan. JSA : The Liberty Files. 2004. (YA 741.5973 Justice)

A spy thriller that takes an assortment of familiar superheroes and reinvents them as covert agents during World War II and the Cold War. The Bat, The Clock and The Owl are the Unholy Three, a group of Allied spies that must capture the albino smuggler Jack the Grin before he sells Hitler's greatest weapon to the highest bidder. Later, the Unholy Three are joined by new agents as they attempt to stop KGB operatives from discovering a weapon that could end all life on Earth. (Part of the JSA Series)

Kazu, Kibuishi. The Last Train. 2005. (YA 741.5973 Kibui.K)

Daisy Kutter, the most feared gunfighter in the New West, has just retired from a life of crime to start a general store and, hopefully, a new life. However, old habits die hard, and she is pulled back into the life of a gunslinger by the ghosts of her past. The story is set in the dusty town of Middleton where the young gunfighter must learn to deal with the trials and tribulations of day-to-day life while fighting hordes of robots and a rogues? gallery of malicious criminals.

Kanari, Yozaburo. The Kindaichi Case Files. 2003. (YA 741.5952 Kanar.Y v. 1)

Hajime Kindaichi is invited to pop singer Reika Hayami's father's ski lodge, and his friend Miyuki joins him, but when another guest turns up dead, Hajime joins the case as an investigator. (Book One of the Kindaichi Case Files Series)

Kishimoto, Masashi. Naruto. 2003. (YA 741.5952 Kishi.M v. 1)

In the village of Konohagakure, school is literally a battlefield where classmates are ninjas in training competing to become the greatest ninja in the land. (Book One of the Naruto series)

Miyuki, Takahashi. Musashi #9. 2005. (YA 741.5952 Miyuk.T v. 1)

Musashi #9, a sixteen-year-old girl, is an agent for the organization Ultimate Blue. (Book 1 of a series)

Parker, Jeff. The Interman. 2003. (YA 741.5973 Parke.J v. 1)

Van Meach is on a quest to find out the circumstances of his birth, a result of the Interman Project that created a superior race of spies but was abandoned after his birth.

Prohias, Antonio. Spy Vs. Spy : The Complete Casebook. 2001. (741.5973 Prohi.A)

This loving tribute to Mad magazine's ultimate satirical animation strip looks back on four decades of Cold War hijinks.

Spradlin, Michael & Rachel Manija Brown. Spy Goddess: The Chase for the Chalice. 2008. (YA 741.4973 Sprad.M)

When she is sent to a supersecret spy training academy because of a brush with the law, teenager Rachel Buchanan learns that she may be a reincarnated goddess, takes on missions involving a lunatic millionaire, and tries to learn kung fu without breaking a nail. (Book 1 of a series)

Takahashi, Rumiko. Ranma 1/2. 2003. (YA 741.5952 Takah.R v. 1)

While training at the Accursed Springs in China with his father, martial artist Ranma is cursed to turn into a girl when splashed with cold water, and back into a boy with hot water, and learns that his father has affianced him to tomboy Akane Tendo. (Book One of the Ranma ½ series)

Vaughan, Brian K.. Runaways. Vol. 1. 2005. (YA 741.5973 Vaugh.B)

When six teen friends discover that their parents are all secretly super-powered villains, they run away and find strength in one another to overcome their evil legacy.

Watsuki, Nobuhiro. Rurouni Kenshin. 2003. (YA 741.5952 Watsu.N v. 1)

The wandering swordsman and former assassin, Himura Kenshin, now fights to protect those in need. (Book One of the Rurouni Kenshin series)

 

Nonfiction

Allen, Thomas B. George Washington, Spymaster : How America Outspied The British And Won The Revolutionary War. 2003. (xBiog Washi.G Allen.T)

A biography of Revolutionary War general and first President of the United States, George Washington, focusing on his use of spies to gather intelligence that helped the colonies win the war.

Busby, Cylin & John Busby. The Year We Disappeared : A Father-daughter Memoir. 2008. (YA B Busby.C Busby.C)

After her police officer father is shot one night and barely gets away with his life, everything changes for Cylin Busby's family when they are forced to move from their home and cut off ties with everyone they know in order to maintain their safety while the search for the attempted murderer continues.

Horowitz, Anthony. Alex Rider, The Gadgets. 2006. (YA Fiction Horow.A)

Features the blueprints and technical specifications for the amazing gadgetry used by teenage spy Alex Rider.

Owen, David. Spies : The Undercover World Of Secrets, Gadgets And Lies. 2004. (Young Adult 327.12 Owen.D)

Tells the history of espionage, profiles some famous spies, and describes methods and gadgets used in spying.

Owen, David. Hidden Secrets. 2002. (YA 327.12 Owen.D)

A history of espionage demonstrates some of the methods used by states to obtain information or feed false information to their enemies.

Compiled by Christie Chandler-Stahl

Updated: September 2009