The Odessa FileThe Odessa File
Score Classic
What it's about
In Hamburg in 1963, a young reporter named Peter Miller reads the diary of an old Holocaust survivor who has just killed himself. It describes an SS commander at a concentration camp in Riga who is still alive and free. Miller sets out to find him, and to do it he must go undercover inside ODESSA, a secret network that protects former SS men.
Why it's worth reading
It spent weeks at #1 on the New York Times list. Forsyth, author of The Day of the Jackal, writes tight, realistic thrillers, and this one is based on a real war criminal.
You'll love it if you liked
The Day of the Jackal
QB VII
The Bourne IdentityGood to know
The survivor's diary describes atrocities in the camp. The 1974 film stars Jon Voight.
By the numbers
- Readers71 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller57 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #81 of the 555 mysteries and thrillers we rank
- #268 of the 762 classics we rank
- #866 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Gripping
More by Frederick Forsyth
The Day of the Jackal
The Fourth Protocol
The Dogs of WarIf you like this, read next
The Pillars of the Earth
The Spy Who Came in From the Cold
The Name of the Rose
Kane & Abel
Perfume
So Long, See You TomorrowExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is The Odessa File worth reading?
Yes. It spent weeks at #1 on the New York Times list. It ranks #866 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 74.3 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Odessa File about?
In Hamburg in 1963, a young reporter named Peter Miller reads the diary of an old Holocaust survivor who has just killed himself. It describes an SS commander at a concentration camp in Riga who is still alive and free. Miller sets out to find him, and to do it he must go undercover inside ODESSA, a secret network that protects former SS men.
How long does it take to read The Odessa File?
About 8 hours (334 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Odessa File?
If you liked it, try The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth, QB VII by Leon Uris or The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum.