Anyway this has put me in the mood to discuss spy novels. I've twice previously posted about some of the great spy novelists -
a. 4 May 2013 - I wrote a post specifically on Ian Fleming, the creator of that 007 spy, James Bond. As of today, I've read (in some cases reread) and enjoyed 11 of this series.
b. 3 June 2016 - As part of a Monthly Genre reading group challenge where we selected the Spy Novel, I wrote the entry you can access by clicking on the date, I discussed a variety of authors of the spy novel and their books.
Since that time, I've been introduced to a number of other authors. So in this entry, let's look at a few others. Some of them I've not yet attempted, but do have books awaiting my attention or have ordered at least one of them.
So without further ado, here are a few more authors of spy novels and their books
2. Adam Diment. Diment was an English spy novelist who wrote 4 novels from 1967 - 1971. His spy, Philip McAlpine, was a reluctant spy, basically blackmailed into working for a department of the British spy agency. I've read two of his four books so far and have only been able to find the 3rd for the time being. McAlpine lived in the sexy '60s, liked drugs and booze and girls and is quite the antithesis of Fleming's James Bond. The stories are fun and interesting. My reviews for the first two books are below -
"The Dolly Dolly Spy is the first of four books by Adam Diment featuring British spy, Philip McAlpine. It was first published in 1967 and it definitely has that '60s vibe about it. McAlpine is a security officer for a big firm and is blackmailed into working for a subset of MI6.
He is sent for pilot and armed combat training in the US and assigned to a job with a company, International Charters that works out of a small island in Greece. He does legal and illegal flying missions and periodically reports back to his boss in England with information on his missions. Ultimately he gets assigned a specific mission, to acquire a target that MI6 wants to interrogate.
On its own it's a relatively simple spy story but there is more to it than that. The feel for the time is excellent. It's maybe a James Bond light but the characters are interesting. McAlpine is a neat guy, kind of a coward but still a guy whose quick off the mark and a problem solver. There is enough action, a bit of sex and drugs and rock 'n roll, and an entertaining spy story. Diment disappeared after his fourth book and has retained a cult following (from what I read anyway). If the other books are as entertaining, I'm looking forward to them. (4 stars)"
"The Great Spy Race by Adam Diment is the 2nd of four books that feature Philip McAlpine, reluctant spy for the English. Set in the psychedelic '60s, the book is a bit sexy and filled with action, especially the last chapters.
The book reminds me of the 1967 Casino Royale, which starred David Niven, and was filled with spies in a spyish rolic, and also Mike Myers, Austin Powers. Not that the book is a comedy, but it has a similar tone, providing a picture of the time; drugs, sex, fancy clothes.
The premise of the story is that a rich, ex-spy offers intelligence that all countries might want and they have to provide spies to take part in a race, using the old-fashioned spy techniques. McAlpine is black-mailed by his boss to take part and begins a journey from London to St Tropez to Geneva and ending at an island resort in the Indian Ocean called Mali. McAlpine must use tried and true techniques like blackmail, forgery and sex to get information to continue his journey and to beat the other spies to the end. Accompanied for part of the journey with the sexy Josephine, it's a fast paced adventure. Don't expect a classic of the spy genre, rather more of a cult py story which is entertaining and action-packed. (3.5 stars)"
The other books in the series are -
-- The Bang Bang Birds (1967)
-- Think Inc (1971)
I've yet to find a copy of Think Inc, but I have The Bang Bang Birds awaiting my attention. Diment disappeared after the last novel supposedly living in Switzerland with no plans to continue this series.
3. David Downing. In my June 2016 entry, I highlighted Downing's John Russell WWII spy series. I've since discovered his Jack McColl WWI spy series. There are presently 4 novels in this series. I've found the 1st two and look forward to trying them
"It is 1913, and those who follow the news closely can see the world is teetering on the brink of war. Jack McColl, a Scottish car salesman with an uncanny ear for languages, has always hoped to make a job for himself as a spy. As his sales calls take him from city to great city—Hong Kong to Shanghai to San Francisco to New York—he moonlights collecting intelligence for His Majesty's Secret Service, but British espionage is in its infancy and Jack has nothing but a shoestring budget and the very tenuous protection of a boss in far-away London. He knows, though, that a geopolitical catastrophe is brewing, and now is both the moment to prove himself and the moment his country needs him most
Unfortunately, this is also the moment he begins to realize what his aspiration might cost him. He understands his life is at stake when activities in China suddenly escalate from innocent data-gathering and casual strolls along German military concessions to arrest warrants and knife attacks. Meanwhile, a sharp, vivacious American suffragette journalist has wiled her way deep into his affections, and it is not long before he realizes that her Irish-American family might be embroiled in the Irish Republican movement Jack's bosses are fighting against. How can he choose between his country and the woman he loves? And would he even be able to make such a choice without losing both?"
"Spring 1915: World War One rages across Europe, and the British Empire is assailed on all fronts—domestic and abroad. Amidst this bloodbath of nations, where one man’s flag is another man’s shroud, a British spy is asked to do the impossible: seduce and betray the woman he loves, again. Only this time betrayal is a two-way street.
Jack McColl, a spy for His Majesty’s Secret Service, is stationed in India, charged with defending the Empire against Bengali terrorists and their German allies. Belgium, he finds, is not the only country seeking to expel an invader.
In England, meanwhile, suffragette journalist Caitlin Hanley begins the business of rebuilding her life after the execution of her brother—an IRA sympathizer whose terrorist plot was foiled by Caitlin’s own ex-lover, the very same Jack McColl. The war is changing everything and giving fresh impulse to those causes—feminism, socialism and Irish independence—which she as a journalist has long supported.
The threat of a Rising in Dublin alarms McColl’s bosses as much as it dazzles Caitlin. If another Irish plot brings them back together, will it be as enemies or lovers?"
The other books in this series are -
-- Lenin's Roller Coaster (2017)
-- The Dark Clouds Shining (2018)
4. Adam Hall. Hall was an English writer, born Elleston Trevor, who lived from 1920 - 1995. I was familiar with him as he wrote The Flight of the Phoenix (1964) under his real name. I've since discovered his Quiller books, which he wrote as Adam Hall. Quiller was a British spy who worked in the Cold War era. There are 19 books in the Quiller series, written from 1965 - 1996. I've read the first book so far and have been slowly acquiring the other books.
"The Quiller Memorandum is the first book in the Quiller spy series by Adam Hall. Quiller has spent the post WWII tracking down Nazis to be tried by the post War tribunals. He has just seen the final case and is due to return to England for a well-earned vacation. Attending a play in the New Germany, he is approached by Pol, from a UK government agency with a proposal to track down a notorious Nazi, Zossen who is reported to have returned to Germany from exile in Argentina. The agent previously involved in this case was found murdered. During the war, Hall had infiltrated the Nazis, working in concentration camps to save as many Jews as possible. Zossen ran one of these camps.
This begins an interesting spy story with excellent explanations of spy craft, how spies communicate with their bosses, how to fight interrogation, etc. The story moves along very quickly, plenty enough action and a fascinating story. There are points that 'irritated' me, or more likely that I started to find somewhat humorous; Quiller loves making lists; 3 scenarios, how many types of interrogation drugs he might have been given, etc. But at the same time it provides a picture of how he reasons through his work. The picture of post-War Germany is also interesting, the trials of Nazis, the Nazis still hidden in clear sight and what they are plotting to return to power, etc. Interesting spy story, well worth trying. I'll continue reading the books (3.5 stars)"
I'll also highlight the next two books -
"The setting is Thailand. A very important representative of the Queen is scheduled to visit Bangkok on a good-will tour. A threat has been made against his life, and somewhere amidst the golden spires awaits a deadly assassin.
The top-secret British espionage bureau feels ordinary security precautions are not sufficient, so they call in agent Quiller. He's a cynical loner, but the only man capable of tracking down the would-be killer. The tale is complex, set at a breathless pace!"
"The fly fell down." Quiller sent the message off to London as requested. He had just seen a supersonic jet plunge 60,000 feet to its destruction. It was the 36th crash, and more were to come--unless Quiller finds out who is to blame.
That meant entering the deadly shadow world between East and West, where the name of the game was betrayal and the stakes were sky-high."
NB. As a matter of interest, The Quiller Memorandum was adapted as a movie in 1966 with George Segal as the erstwhile Quiller. There was also a TV series developed in 1975 with Michael Jayston playing Quiller. (I haven't seen either).
5. J Sydney Jones. American author Jones has written a number of historical thrillers. I've searched for his books and found one WWI spy novel. It looks quite interesting.
"A ruthless German spy is torn between love and duty in this powerful espionage thriller"
February, 1917. A lone German agent is dispatched to Washington to prevent the British delivering a telegram to President Woodrow Wilson by any means possible. For this is the Zimmermann telegram: it contains a devastating piece of news which is sure to bring the USA into the war on the side of Britain and her allies.
Having fought in the trenches himself, Max Volkman knows that America s involvement will only prolong the slaughter of innocents and is implacable in his determination to kill the British envoy carrying the telegram. But when his pursuit of the Englishman leads him to the home of American heiress Catherine Fitzgerald, wife to one of Washington s most powerful politicians, he is presented with a terrible choice: loyalty to his comrades in the trenches or the loss of the one woman he has ever truly loved.
His decision will determine the outcome of the First World War."
NB. Historian Barbara Tuchman, author of The Guns of August, wrote a book about the Zimmerman Telegram that is well worth reading.
6. Joseph Kanon. Joseph Kanon is an American writer of thrillers and spy novels set just after WWI. I discovered Kanon when I read and enjoyed Istanbul Passage back in 2016. Kanon has written 8 novels between 1997 and 2017. I'll highlight the one mentioned above and another sitting on my bookshelf.
"I enjoyed my first attempt at the work of Joseph Kanon. It was an excellent post-WWII spy novel. The setting was Istanbul and appropriately exotic. The city becomes another character in this story. The main character, Leon Bauer, is an American exporter, working for Reynolds Cigarettes. He also gets involved occasionally working for the local American spy guy, Tommy. His last mission goes awry, to help smuggle a potential war criminal into the city and pass him to the Americans. His handler is killed and Leon now finds himself in the position of trying to sort out the mess. Who is the traitor, why was Tommy killed and more. Leon is an excellent character, torn between giving up Alexei or helping him. The book contains an excellent cast of characters, Leon; his friend Mihai, who is working to try and help Jews get to the Palestine and also helping Leon; and three strong female characters; Kay, Lily and Marina, each with their own unique strengths. The spy craft and how Leon tries to get around both American and Russian intelligence and Turkish intelligence, in the person of Altan, another excellent, pragmatic character, makes for a taut, exciting story. I look forward to trying more Joseph Kanon books; Stardust currently sits on my bookshelf. (4 stars)"
"Berlin, 1948. Almost four years after the war’s end, the city is still in ruins, a physical wasteland and a political symbol about to rupture. In the West, a defiant, blockaded city is barely surviving on airlifted supplies; in the East, the heady early days of political reconstruction are being undermined by the murky compromises of the Cold War. Espionage, like the black market, is a fact of life. Even culture has become a battleground, with German intellectuals being lured back from exile to add credibility to the competing sectors.
Alex Meier, a young Jewish writer, fled the Nazis for America before the war. But the politics of his youth have now put him in the cross-hairs of the McCarthy witch-hunts. Faced with deportation and the loss of his family, he makes a desperate bargain with the fledgling CIA: he will earn his way back to America by acting as their agent in his native Berlin. But almost from the start things go fatally wrong. A kidnapping misfires, an East German agent is killed, and Alex finds himself a wanted man. Worse, he discovers his real assignment—to spy on the woman he left behind, the only woman he has ever loved. Changing sides in Berlin is as easy as crossing a sector border. But where do we draw the lines of our moral boundaries? At betrayal? Survival? Murder?"
Kanon's other books are -
-- Los Alamos (1997)
-- The Prodigal Spy (1998)
-- The Good German (2001)
-- Alibi (2005)
-- Stardust (2009)
-- Defectors (2017)
7. James Leasor. English writer, Leasor is a new author for me. He lived from 1923 - 2007. I discovered his name at the back of the Adam Diment spy stories. I decided to get his Passport to Oblivion (1964) spy novel, the first book in his Jason Love series. (It's on order)
"Passport to Oblivion is the first case book of Dr. Jason Love . . . country doctor turned secret agent. Multi-million selling, published in 19 languages around the world and filmed as Where the Spies Are starring David Niven."
There were nine books in the Jason Love series. I'm looking forward to getting the first book and trying it.
8. Helen MacInnes. MacInnes was a Scottish - American author of spy novels. She lived from 1907 - 1985. From 1941 - 1984 she wrote 22 novels. 4 were turned into movies. I've only read one of her stories thus far but I found it to be quite excellent.
"I don't believe I've ever read anything by Helen MacInnes before but after The Snare of the Hunter, I know I will search for more of her work. This was such a well-written, nail-biting thriller. Basically, the premise is that, set in the Cold War period, a Czech national is smuggled out of Communist Czechoslovakia with the help of a group of amateurs. Her father, a renowned writer, had left many years ago and she wanted to be with him. Starting in Vienna they must get her safely to Switzerland, all the while being hunted by Czech spies, who don't want to leave any witnesses behind. There plans seem to be known in advance so we must wonder if there is a traitor in their midst. I won't ruin this by telling you how it all turns out. The characters, from Irina to her rescuers, David, Jo and Krieger and to the shadowy people following them are all well-crafted. I liked all the team and Irina very much and wanted so much for them to be successful. There is so much tension created and I readily admit as the story draws to its conclusion, I was sitting on the edge of my seat waiting to see how it would end. Wonderful writing and excellent story-telling."
9. James Mayo. Born Stephen Coulter, this English author also wrote under the name James Mayo. I was particularly interested in his Charles Hood spy series of 5 books, written from 1964 - 1969. I've so far read the first novel and have the 2nd sitting on my bookshelf. Charles Hood is a James Bond clone, an art loving British spy.
"Hammerhead by James Mayo is the first book in his Charles Hood spy series. Mayo is a pseudonym for Stephen Coulter and he wrote a number of novels under both names. There were 5 books in the Charles Hood series. I became interested in trying it when I saw Mayo's name listed at the back of another 60's spy novel I'd read, The Dolly Dolly Spy by Adam Diment. Since I started re-reading the James Bond books, I've become interested in this whole genre; the larger than life spy set in the 50's and 60's.
Charles Hood is a cultured man, specialist in the arts (Paintings especially) who works for the Center, a group of powerful men who are based in London. As well, he has an arrangement to work for the British government, Special Intelligence Service. This story starts with a bang and never lets up.
Hood is asked to investigate Espiritu Lobar, a secretive billionaire, who is suspected of trying to infiltrate secret NATO war plans for the enemy. This journey leads Hood from Paris to Nice where Lobar has a yacht on which there may be secret communication, spy and engineering equipment.
As well, Hood has been trying to help a man he met in Paris, right at the beginning, a cat burglar named 'Tookey' Arthur Tate, who disappears before Hood can help him.
The story is light on plot but heavy on action, kind of a poor man's James Bond. Hood moves from one crisis to another, his life often in danger, and leaving a trail of bodies behind him as he tries to solve the mystery of what Lobar wants and keep the free world safe. Definitely of its time, an entertaining, action-packed spy thriller. I will be trying to find the other books in the series (3 stars)."
"Charles Hood, dynamic hero of Hammerhead, tackles another breathtaking assignment. At the request of Lord Claymore, head of the City's secret consortium The Circle, he trails a lovely blonde with a Bentley across Europe."
The other books in the series are -
-- Shamelady (1966)
-- Once in a Lifetime (1968)
-- The Man Above Suspicion (1969)
10. George Revelli. Revelli lived from 1923 - 1983 and was the pen-name of British author Geoffrey Boca. After writing books on royalty and travel, he began to write about espionage. I found one of his books, Commander Amanda Nightingale in ABC Books in Courtenay and found it to be quite a unique book. Nightingale is an English spy who often drops between enemy lines during WWII and finds herself being tortured and abused by Nazis, Fascists, etc. Not your typical spy stories. I've managed to find 3 of the 5 books so far. The books in the series are -
b. Resort to War (1970)
c. Amanda's Castle (1972)*
d. Amanda in Spain (1975)*
e. Amanda in Berlin (1978)
So there you go. Feel like a good spy story? Maybe one of the authors above or in my previous entries might interest you? Have a great weekend!!
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