New Books and My Ongoing Look at the Spy / Thriller Genre

Well, another Friday is upon us. Paid the property taxes this week and had a nice bonus of sorts, a further discount because I'll officially be a senior (by their standards) this year. Also sorted out the home insurance. I was planning to stop into my local used book store but there was a line-up to get in, so I'll go back and try again tomorrow. Why was there a line-up you ask? Well, under the Canadian reopening guidelines, the store is limiting 5 people at a time inside. I've no problems with that at all. It definitely makes me feel safer and I'm sure it makes the owners feel the same. So I'll check in again tomorrow, it's been nice to be inside a book store again.

My last two books on order arrived yesterday, one from England so that was also a good thing. I'll update those for you and also continue with my look at the Spy / Thriller genre.

New Books

1. Gideon's Night by J.J. Marric (aka John Creasey) (Commander Gideon #3 / 1957). I've enjoyed the first couple of books in this series and look forward to continuing it.

"On this particular night Commander George Gideon has to deal with a couple of psychopaths, who trail pain and blood in their wake. One targets infants, and the other young women on London’s foggy streets. There’s also an explosive gang war in the offing, and one way or another all of these cases are coming to their breathtaking conclusions at the same time. Can Scotland Yard’s finest deal with such a nightmarish scenario, with what would ordinarily be months of time consuming police work crammed into just one night?"

2. The Great Mortdecai Moustache Mystery by Kyril Bonfiglioli (Charlie Mortdecai #4). I read the first book in this series a couple of years ago and enjoyed it. I have the complete series now.

"The Hon. Charlie Mortdecai (and his intrepid moustache) is invited to Oxford to investigate the cruel and most definitely unusual death of a don who collided with an omnibus. Though her death appears accidental, one or two things don't add up - such as two pairs of thugs who'd been following her just before her death. With more spies than you could shoe horn into a stretch limo and the solving of the odd murder along the way, The Great Mortdecai Moustache Mystery is a criminally comic delight."

The Spy / Thriller Novel - Peter O'Donnell

Peter O'Donnell

Peter O'Donnell lived from 1920 - 2010. He was born in Lewisham and died in Brighton. He wrote thrillers and comic books and under the pseudonym, Madeleine Brent, wrote historic romances. He is best known for his stories featuring ex-criminal, now undercover agent who sometimes works for the British government, Modesty Blaise. I'm not sure where I discovered the series, probably listed in the back of one of my other books, but I've now read 4 in this entertaining, action filled thriller series. There are 13 books in the series and I have most of them. I'll check out the first 5 or so for your interest.

1. Modesty Blaise (1965).

"In her first adventure for British Intelligence Modesty Blaise with her loyal lieutenant, Willie Garvin, must foil a multi-million pound diamond heist. They travel from London to the South of France, across the Mediterranean to Cairo before battling, against impossible odds, a private army of professional killers."

My Review - "I've read two other books in this series but finally managed to snag a copy of the first book. It's an entertaining series. Modesty Blaise was a war-orphan who moved about and eventually, relying on strength of character and other factors, ended up running The Network, a successful 'crime' organization that operated in Europe and other locations. 

In this story, she has retired and is living in London, when the secret service asks her to come out retirement to help them stop a major robbery and prevent an international incident. She accepts and bringing along her friend and partner, Willie Garvin, begins an adventure that will take her through the Mediterranean, Egypt and other locations as she tracks down Gabriel and his gang who want to rob a ship of millions in diamonds. It's kind of James Bondish, Doc Savage, etc but with a heroine who is confident, successful and talented. Lots of fun and a good entertaining adventure. (3 stars)"

2. Sabre-Tooth (1966).

"Karz, a modern day Genghis Khan with an army of ruthless mercenaries, plans to take over Kuwait. Modesty Blaise and her loyal lieutenant, Willie Garvin, investigate Karz before an epic battle in the Hindu Kush mountains. Modesty must fight alone to prevent an invasion that will change the world."

My Review "Exactly what I expected and I wasn't disappointed. An interesting adventure/ thriller. Modesty Blaise and her partner Willie take on mercenaries to help out MI-6. Modesty is larger than life, competent, skilled, imaginative and able to think out of any problem. Willie is the perfect partner, what Modesty can't do, he can. Their lives are at risk, but they find ways to even the odd. A perfect Saturday afternoon serial type movie. I enjoyed very much. (3 stars)"

3. I, Lucifer (1967).

"This installment of the Modesty Blaise adventures finds Modesty and faithful friend Willie Garvin trying to get to the bottom of another of Seff's evil plots. When it is discovered that a disturbed young man named Lucifer has the ability to foresee the death of those around him, Seff recruits the boy into his gang and uses his powers of premonition to evil ends, extracting ransom from rich victims who have been told of their impending death. During the course of her investigation Modesty's cover is blown, and she finds herself trapped on Seff's island stronghold and must use all of her guile and brains to escape." (3 stars)

4. A Taste of Death (1969).

"The fourth Modesty Blaise title sees the rugged team of Modesty Blaise and Willie Garvin take on impossible odds, pitted against Simon Delicta, the man with a taste for death, and Swordmaster Wenczel in a duel to the death. As the adventure unfolds, travelling from London to Panama before reaching the depths of the Sahara desert, the pair will need all their skills to survive."

My Review - "A Taste for Death is the 4th book in the Modesty Blaise adventure / thriller series by Peter O'Donnell. I enjoyed this as much as the first three. Modesty is a strong, independent woman (think Lara Croft) who finds herself in many sticky situations and is helped to deal with them by her partner / best friend Willie Garvin. Both started out in the criminal world and have retired. Living in England and enjoying life they regularly help British spymaster, Tarrant, with various situations that need an independent, non-governmental hand.

In this story, Willie Garvin is on vacation in Panama, diving for pearls, when he comes across an attack on two women and saves one, her sister being murdered.

The enemies involved include Gabriel and McWhirter, who Modesty and Willie have battled previously. A new foe also is involved, one from Willie's past. The two, along with Modesty's beau, Stephen Collier, must travel to Algeria, to try and save blind Dinah Pilgrim and a group of archeologists from Gabriel and Delicata (one of the more vicious villains I've met yet), risking their lives in the process.

 

Like the others, this is an entertaining, page turner, with strong likeable characters who you find yourself rooting for. Most enjoyable (3.5 stars)"

5. The Impossible Virgin (1971).

"Mischa Novikov died trying to preserve his discovery of the Impossible Virgin, a secret that meant enormous wealth. But right at the last moment, he babbled. When Modesty makes a forced landing in Central Africa, she meets the man who possesses Novikov's secret without knowing it — Giles Pennyfeather, the guileless and blundering young doctor with a gift for healing. In saving Giles from Brunel, a dangerous killer, she buys yet another ticket to danger, for Brunel is determined to have the secret. Modesty and her lieutenant, Willie Garvin, take on Brunel and his partners in a fierce and devious battle, where Modesty is brought to the most shattering reverse she has ever suffered. How she fights back, and at last learns the truth of the Impossible Virgin and her ferocious guardians, brings this fifth tale in the saga of Modesty Blaise to an astonishing climax."

So there you go. It's an entertaining series so far. The complete listing of O'Donnell's books can be found at this link.

Have a great weekend and if you're celebrating a safe Independence Day weekend. Wear a mask!