| 100% | PANAMA | 6 | The Tailor of __, spy novel by John le Carré |
| 70% | ALEGACYOFSPIES | 14 | 2017 novel by John le Carré that wraps up the story of 30-Across (4 wds.) |
| 68% | SMILEYSPEOPLE | 13 | 1979 spy novel by John le Carré |
| 64% | SPY | 3 | "Tinker Tailor Soldier ___," 1974 novel by John le Carre |
| 62% | RUSSIA | 6 | & 18D The —, 1989 novel by John Le Carre |
| 62% | APERFECTSPY | 11 | 1986 novel by John le Carre |
| 62% | TINKERTAILOR | 12 | 1974 novel by John le Carre |
| 61% | THEMISSION | 10 | & 5D 2006 novel by John le Carre |
| 61% | AMOST | 5 | & 5D 2008 novel by John Le Carre |
| 61% | AMURDEROF | 9 | & 5D 1962 novel by John le Carre |
| 61% | THENIGHT | 8 | & 6D 1993 novel by John le Carre |
| 58% | THECONSTANT | 11 | & 14D 2001 novel by John le Carre whose central character is Justin Quayle |
| 54% | EUPHUES | 7 | 1578 novel by John Lyly subtitled The Anatomy of Wit |
| 52% | CALLFORTHEDEAD | 14 | 1961 novel by John le Carré that introduces 30-Across (4 wds.) |
| 51% | TINKER | 6 | “___, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” (John le Carré novel) |
| 49% | SMILEY | 6 | John le Carre spy |
| 48% | EASTOFEDEN | 10 | John Steinbeck novel inspired by the biblical story of Cain and Abel: 3 wds |
| 47% | GOD | 3 | "To a ___ Unknown," novel by American author John Steinbeck about the relationship of a man to his land |
| 46% | FAULT | 5 | "The ___ in Our Stars," 2012 novel by John Green which depicts the story of Hazel Grace and Augustus Waters |
| 45% | HOLYGHOST | 9 | Book by John Sandford which was part of the "Virgil Flowers" novel series and became a NYT 2018 Bestseller: 2 wds. |
| 44% | COLDWAR | 7 | Backdrop of many John le Carré novels |
| 44% | PEOPLE | 6 | Novel by Chinua Achebe: A Man of the __ |
| 44% | ORANGE | 6 | Novel by Joanne Harris: Five Quarters of the __ |
| 43% | WERTHER | 7 | The Sorrows of Young __, novel by Goethe |