The second lady vs The Whip Hand: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: Spy Fiction, Fiction

Cover of The second lady

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

vs

Cover of The Whip Hand

The Whip Hand Victor Canning · 1965 ★★★★☆ 3.8 271 pages · ≈ 5 h 01 m · Moderate Find on Amazon

The verdict

Ratings are close: 3.9 vs 3.8 — either is a safe pick by score.
The Whip Hand is the quicker read — about 5 hours vs 7 for The second lady.

Side by side