This has me thinking of spy novels. Even though le Carré is way way up there, I think Graham Greene is a bit better. Both transcend the spy novel genre. I would call them both political novelists. I'll also mention Lawrence Durrell's Alexandria Quartet. The third book of the quartet, Mountolive, is my favorite international intrigue/espionage novel (though most people would probably not put it in that category). A Coffin for Demetrios by Eric Ambler is another favorite.