The Crook Factory vs The second lady: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: Spy Fiction, Fiction

The Crook Factory

The Crook Factory Dan Simmons · 1999 ★★★★☆ 4.0 576 pages · ≈ 10 h 40 m · Moderate Find on Amazon

The second lady Irving Wallace · 1980 ★★★★☆ 3.9 383 pages · ≈ 7 h 06 m · Moderate Find on Amazon

The verdict

Ratings are close: 4.0 vs 3.9 — either is a safe pick by score.
The second lady is the quicker read — about 7 hours vs 10 for The Crook Factory.