More or less what the title says: I'm looking for spy stories that are set in modern times, with modern technology and a modern political landscape, but maintaining that slightly fantastical, glamorous and romantic view of spies that you get in Bond. So not something as gritty or technical as Clancy, for example, nor quite as authentic as le Carré. I still want the exotic locations, the action, the beautiful women and expensive cars. Just more modern.

Have already read Alex Rider books.

 

There are several Bourne books you can try, as well as several post-Fleming Bond books. I'm reading Carte Blanche, one of the latter, by James Deaver. The writing is a bit sub-par, but so far it seems to have most the elements you want. Also, anything by Daniel Silva might fit the bill - I've heard some good things but I haven't tried any of his books yet.

 

Eh, in my opinion the recent Bond and Bourne books definitely fall short of the originals. The Bourne books also don't really have the same Bondesque image of spies, they're much less glamorous and stylish.

I haven't read the most recent Bond book, by Anthony Horowitz, but Devil May Care by Sebastian Faulks is probably the best of the newish ones but it's set in the 60s rather than modern times. Carte Blanche is honestly more of a Bourne book than a Bond one.

 

OK, I'm gonna go for a bit of self-promoting here. I wasn't going to post it until I could get my handson the proof read copy which I left on the hard drive at my secondary school but since you were looking for something similar, here it is.

I must admit, the first chapter is slow but since I don't have the better version on hand that's the best I can offer. The story is finished (At least the version on my school hard drive is at 80,000 words) so I'll probably update it sometime next week.

But, if you wnt something official, you should try the first Artemis Fowl book. That was a work of art. Unfortunately, everything after that first one was terrible.

 

You could try The Thief by Megan Whaler Turner..main character is a spy and a thief, but the story itself takes place in an older time period. Very underrated series

 

Robert Muchamore's CHERUB series fills part of your criteria, mate. Plenty of them, as well! However it is geared toward a YA audience.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CHERUB

 

CHERUB is... weird though. And I don't think it's particularly Bond-esque unless something changes from the first few books. They seem mostly like a "government sponsored teenage Bournes" thing, except with less violence and more actual spying.

 

Also, the Young Bond series is a decent Time Waster. Chances are that you've already read it but who knows, you might not have.

First book is SIlverfin and to tell you the truth, I didn't actually realise that the James that I was reading about was actually THE James Bond. In all fairness, I wasaround 8 at the time.

 

I tend to find spy novels written by actual spies (think Ian Fleming, Graham Greene) more compelling for some reason.

Valarie Plame has taken up writing with co-author Sarah Lovett. They have a couple of spy novels out (Blowback and Burned) that feature contemporary themes and a female protagonist. I found them a little dry (rather like her autobiography) and a bit clumsily written by DLP fiction standards, but they seemed to contain authentic spycraft.

Another contemporary writer who'd walked the talk is Susan Hasler (Intelligence).

I wouldn't categorize either as "Bond-esque" in the sense of the films. (They're more like the books, but don't quite have the same sense of wonder and adventure.)

 

The three Queen and Country novels by Greg Rucka sort of fit what you're looking for, though the lead character is a female. They're based on a comic book series but knowledge of the comics isn't necessary to read the books. This is the link to his first book.