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Quick answer: If you loved The Bourne Identity, try The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Ultimatum, The Matarese Circle, The Day of the Jackal, Orphan X and The Gray Man. Each one is a high-stakes thriller about amnesia, assassins, spies or a hero on the run.
Robert Ludlum's 1980 novel opens when a man is pulled from the Mediterranean with bullet wounds and no memory, but with a Swiss bank account number implanted in his hip. As he searches for his identity across Europe with the help of Marie St. Jacques, he discovers he may be Jason Bourne, a notorious assassin, and that many people want him dead. Readers love its pace and twists. These books share its spies and its chases.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Mood | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Bourne Supremacy | Robert Ludlum | Fast | readers who want the sequel |
| The Bourne Ultimatum | Robert Ludlum | Fast | readers who want the trilogy's end |
| The Matarese Circle | Robert Ludlum | Fast | readers who want more Ludlum |
| The Day of the Jackal | Frederick Forsyth | Tense | readers who like assassins |
| Orphan X | Gregg Hurwitz | Fast | readers who like trained assassins |
| The Gray Man | Mark Greaney | Fast | readers who like hunted operatives |
| Killing Floor | Lee Child | Fast | readers who like loners |
| American Assassin | Vince Flynn | Fast | readers who like counterterrorism |
| The Spy Who Came in from the Cold | John le Carré | Bleak | readers who like realistic spies |
| I Am Pilgrim | Terry Hayes | Epic | readers who like long thrillers |
| Six Days of the Condor | James Grady | Tense | readers who like hunted agents |
| Before I Go to Sleep | S.J. Watson | Tense | readers who like amnesia thrillers |
| The Terminal List | Jack Carr | Fast | readers who like revenge |
| Red Sparrow | Jason Matthews | Tense | readers who like Russian spies |
| The Bourne Legacy | Eric Van Lustbader | Fast | readers who want later Bourne |
1. The Bourne Supremacy by Robert Ludlum
Bourne is drawn into a plot in Asia.
Best for: readers who want the sequel.
2. The Bourne Ultimatum by Robert Ludlum
Bourne faces his nemesis Carlos.
Best for: readers who want the trilogy's end.
3. The Matarese Circle by Robert Ludlum
Rival spies team up against a conspiracy.
Best for: readers who want more Ludlum.
4. The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth
An assassin plots to kill de Gaulle.
Best for: readers who like assassins.
5. Orphan X by Gregg Hurwitz
A former assassin helps people in need.
Best for: readers who like trained assassins.
6. The Gray Man by Mark Greaney
A former CIA operative is hunted.
Best for: readers who like hunted operatives.
7. Killing Floor by Lee Child
A drifter is arrested.
Best for: readers who like loners.
8. American Assassin by Vince Flynn
Mitch Rapp's origin.
Best for: readers who like counterterrorism.
9. The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John le Carré
A spy's last mission.
Best for: readers who like realistic spies.
10. I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes
An agent hunts a terrorist.
Best for: readers who like long thrillers.
11. Six Days of the Condor by James Grady
A CIA researcher is hunted.
Best for: readers who like hunted agents.
12. Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson
A woman wakes each day with no memory.
Best for: readers who like amnesia thrillers.
13. The Terminal List by Jack Carr
A SEAL seeks revenge.
Best for: readers who like revenge.
14. Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews
A Russian agent targets a CIA officer.
Best for: readers who like Russian spies.
15. The Bourne Legacy by Eric Van Lustbader
Bourne returns in a continuation.
Best for: readers who want later Bourne.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with The Bourne Identity: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to The Bourne Identity. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most. If a pick is part of a longer series, read the first book before you commit, and check the age or content notes in the table before passing a book to a younger reader.
How to Choose
Continue with The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum. If you love assassins on the run, Orphan X and The Gray Man are perfect. For classic suspense, The Day of the Jackal is essential. Before I Go to Sleep offers a very different amnesia thriller.
Related: Orphan X by Gregg Hurwitz: Summary and Key Takeaways
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Bourne Identity about?
A man with no memory discovers he may be an assassin while being hunted across Europe.
Is the book like the movie?
No. The book differs greatly, including its villain Carlos the Jackal.
How many Bourne books are there?
Ludlum wrote three, and Eric Van Lustbader and others wrote many more.
Who is Marie St. Jacques?
A Canadian economist who helps Bourne.
When was it published?
In 1980.
Is it violent?
Yes. It has thriller violence.
What should I read next?
The Bourne Supremacy.