The novel Modesty Blaise (1965) was O’Donnell’s novelization of his (mostly ignored) screenplay for Joseph Losey’s 1966 film of the same name. The warm critical and popular response to Modesty in novel form led to a long-running series. Modesty rarely engaged in Cold War themes, but in The Impossible Virgin she does.
The spymaster-as-hero is gone, replaced by the whistle-blower, the outsider who retains enough of his heart to be appalled by the slaughter of strays. In Cairo they’re the young trash collectors living on the city’s edge, but in Gibraltar they’re even more insignificant: one mother and her child, around whom the whole novel rotates, and for whom le Carre’s rage simmers. By the end of A Delicate Truth, you either share his anger at the injustices between its covers, or you don’t. If you do, then you’re one of le Carre’s people. If not, you’re one of Smiley’s. It’s up to you to decide which one is more worthy.
I confess I haven’t read a Le Carre book since, what, The Secret Pilgrim? But perhaps I should give him another try …
Great timing for this weeks Coffee & Markets podcast. Pejman Yousefzadeh and I were joined by one of my favorite authors, Olen Steinhauer. …
With An American Spy Olen Steinhauer continues to explore both the mechanics of spy craft and the moral tension inherent in the …
Classic Steinhauer: engrossing and full of suspense even as it is thought provoking with a literary flair.
Black Ghosts struck me as quintessential airport reading; the type of book you would pick up at the airport because you need something to read on a long flight and forgot to bring anything. A rather mindless espionage thriller – something to occupy your time rather than fully engage with or explore.
Cynics will enjoy the portrayal of all FBI administrators as butt-covering careerists, but Vail, equal parts Sherlock Holmes and Dirty Harry, strains credulity. Not as strong as The Bricklayer, but fans won’t want to give up on the series yet.
Steinhauer’s adept characterization of a morally conflicted spy makes this an emotionally powerful read.
When it comes to espionage fiction I am usually in the cold dark and gray camp. LeCarre (early not late), Deighton, etc. …
Red Star Rising: A Thriller by Brian Freemantle Publishers Weekly Last seen in 2002′s Kings of Many Castles, working-class British spy Charlie …
Moscow Sting by Alex Dryden Booklist Dryden follows up his superb debut, Red to Black (2009), with a riveting sequel. British spy …
Intelligence: A Novel of the CIA by Susan Hasler Publishers Weekly A 21-year veteran of the CIA, Hasler charts the day-to-day efforts …