20 replies to this topic

[Von Hammerstein]

I found a few of spy novels I hadn't read since I was teenager. One was called SEASCRAPE it featured a secret agent for a nebulous agency known as INTERTRUST called Mark Hood. He was rather Connery-esque in description and mode, standard fare, hijacked nuclear submarine, evil mastermind, gorgeous easily had women. Good summer read, according to the jacket it cost an astounding 60 cents. I have another with same character called Assignment Tokyo, not to be confused with Sam Durrell, Edward S Aarons book by the same name. This one involved a self styled Japanese Shogun out to proclaim himself Emperor of Japan. Sexy woman named Toi in this one and real hard hitting torture scene involving driving bamboo shards under the finger nails that puts Fleming's carpet beater to shame.

Second character was British Naval Intelligence Officer named Commander Esmonde Shaw in REDCAP. This was the codename for a nuclear missile control system, much like US NORAD that the Soviets were attempting to control. Little boring but a good solid spy versus spy type book.

The last is a series of spy novels under the title of the Baroness. She was secret agent in the Modesty Blaise mode. But slight different, married rich playboy killed in racing accident, acquired his money and title. Co-opted by the NSA to spy for them as her name was Penelope her code name was coin. Lots of Bond like stuff, one novel called "Diamonds Are For Dying" (Hope Barbare Broccoli doesn't see that one) and great one called "Death Is A Ruby Light" about a Red Chinese
scientist downing american spy satellites with a laser. The character called Professor Thing is direct double of Doctor No. This one was a blast to read. Of course Penelope always ended up naked and tied up somewhere during the story, but always prevailed ending up in bed with handsome man as the novel closed.

So anyone remember these?

[Loomis]

Anyone here read "The Dolly Dolly Spy" or "The Great Spy Race", '60s spy novels by the British writer Adam Diment? They're great fun (long out of print - picked 'em up in the Charing Cross Road a while back, amused by the total Richard Chopping-ripoff covers), and concern the adventures of one Philip McAlpine, a randy, sarcastic and slightly overweight 20-something Londoner who gets busted for cannabis and blackmailed into using his skills as a pilot on behalf of the British secret service. More Austin Powers than Bond, but McAlpine is a great character and his "M" figure is an absolute hoot. Would have made (and would still make) terrific films in the right hands. I believe there's a third book called "The Bang Bang Girls". Whatever happened to Diment, I wonder?

Well worth picking up if you see 'em, these books.

[Blofeld's Cat]

I found a few of spy novels I hadn't read since I was teenager. One was called SEASCRAPE it featured a secret agent for a nebulous agency known as INTERTRUST called Mark Hood. He was rather Connery-esque in description and mode, standard fare, hijacked nuclear submarine, evil mastermind, gorgeous easily had women. Good summer read, according to the jacket it cost an astounding 60 cents.

Yeah, I've read all of John E. MacDonnell's Mark Hood books, although, for some reason, I can't locate the first one (Come Die With Me) or the 10th one (Operation Octopus) at the moment in my storage. SEASCAPE was the US title to one of his books under the pen name of John Dark.

Sorry about the large images, but I wanted everyone to be able to read all the blurbs on both covers of each book (back cover below the respective front cover)....

<click on images>

Hood #2-5


Hood #6-9


Hood #11-13

Second character was British Naval Intelligence Officer named Commander Esmonde Shaw in REDCAP. This was the codename for a nuclear missile control system, much like US NORAD that the Soviets were attempting to control. Little boring but a good solid spy versus spy type book.

I've read this and a couple of other Commander Shaw books by Philip McCutchan. I really want to get my hands on all of them.

The last is a series of spy novels under the title of the Baroness. She was secret agent in the Modesty Blaise mode. But slight different, married rich playboy killed in racing accident, acquired his money and title. Co-opted by the NSA to spy for them as her name was Penelope her code name was coin. Lots of Bond like stuff, one novel called "Diamonds Are For Dying" (Hope Barbare Broccoli doesn't see that one) and great one called "Death Is A Ruby Light" about a Red Chinese scientist downing american spy satellites with a laser. The character called Professor Thing is direct double of Doctor No. This one was a blast to read. Of course Penelope always ended up naked and tied up somewhere during the story, but always prevailed ending up in bed with handsome man as the novel closed.

This is new to me, and sounds quite interesting. I might track down the Baroness sometime.

Anyone here read "The Dolly Dolly Spy" or "The Great Spy Race", '60s spy novels by the British writer Adam Diment? They're great fun (long out of print - picked 'em up in the Charing Cross Road a while back, amused by the total Richard Chopping-ripoff covers), and concern the adventures of one Philip McAlpine, a randy, sarcastic and slightly overweight 20-something Londoner who gets busted for cannabis and blackmailed into using his skills as a pilot on behalf of the British secret service. More Austin Powers than Bond, but McAlpine is a great character and his "M" figure is an absolute hoot. Would have made (and would still make) terrific films in the right hands. I believe there's a third book called "The Bang Bang Girls". Whatever happened to Diment, I wonder?

Yep, I've read all 3 of these books, but I don't the ones with the Chopping rip-off covers, though. Are you refering to hardbacks or paperbacks, Loomis? Mine are Pan paperbacks.

Don't know why Diment only wrote 3 books.

[spynovelfan]

There's a review of Baroness stuff http://community-2.webtv.net/OurManHermes/spysex/index.html. I still have some MODESTY BLAISE adventures to read, so I'm waiting a while. I think Modesty Blaise is probably the greatest female character in the genre by a long distance, and anyone who hasn't read those books should - they're the equal and sometimes better than Fleming's books, in my opinion. Really? A Sixties series about some leather-clad female spy? Really. Deep characterisation, brilliant 'sweep', very exciting plots, in almost all cases carried off with verve, style, coherence and enormous skill.

I've got a few Durrels but have never gotten into them. Also a couple of Mark Hood adventures - they seemed quite good on the prose front, but the racism in THE TOKYO ASSIGNMENT was fairly vivid, and made it harder for me to read. Quite like the character, though. I think Diment was a brilliant writer, and the randy, sarcastic thing has precluded what were some very tightly-written and exciting thrillers, pretty similar in tone to early Len Deightons and very nearly as good. They look like they're Austin Powers stuff, true - but they're not, really.

Anyone interested in discussing this stuff should check my profile - I run a discussion group devoted to the subject, and there are lots of people who know about these kinds of books (some of them even wrote a few of them).

[JKD68]

I have Aaron's "Assignment Suicide" as well as "Lovers Are Losers" by E. Howard Hunt & "The Kremlin Plot" by Don Smith which is part of the Secret Mission series. Anybody heard of the latter 2 books? I've heard that Hunt was a pretty good writer.

[Loomis]

Yep, I've read all 3 of these books, but I don't the ones with the Chopping rip-off covers, though. Are you refering to hardbacks or paperbacks, Loomis? Mine are Pan paperbacks.

Hardbacks. Don't have 'em to hand right now, but when I do I'll follow up this post with the name of the publishing house, dates, etc. - any info in particular you're looking for, BC?

[Blofeld's Cat]

Yep, I've read all 3 of these books, but I don't the ones with the Chopping rip-off covers, though. Are you refering to hardbacks or paperbacks, Loomis? Mine are Pan paperbacks.

Hardbacks. Don't have 'em to hand right now, but when I do I'll follow up this post with the name of the publishing house, dates, etc. - any info in particular you're looking for, BC?

Sorry, I left out the words "know of" in my 1st sentence. I was just wondering if you were refering to hardbacksr paperbacks, Loomis. Never really realised that these sort of books would've ever been released in hardback. I guess, they're can't really be labled as "pulp fiction" then.

[Blofeld's Cat]

There's a review of Baroness stuff http://community-2.webtv.net/OurManHermes/spysex/index.html. I still have some MODESTY BLAISE adventures to read, so I'm waiting a while. I think Modesty Blaise is probably the greatest female character in the genre by a long distance, and anyone who hasn't read those books should - they're the equal and sometimes better than Fleming's books, in my opinion. Really? A Sixties series about some leather-clad female spy? Really. Deep characterisation, brilliant 'sweep', very exciting plots, in almost all cases carried off with verve, style, coherence and enormous skill.

I've actually never read any Modesty Blaise to date, but I've read a copule of novels by George McBeth about a sexy spy called Cadbury. I'll track down the books and scan them into this thread.

Anyone interested in discussing this stuff should check my profile - I run a discussion group devoted to the subject, and there are lots of people who know about these kinds of books (some of them even wrote a few of them).

Hey, Spy, I knew you were associated with this discussion group, but hadn't realised you actually run it.

[Triton]

Great thread! This give me some titles and authors to look for the next time in some used book shops. Really hard sometimes to differentiate the trash from the treasures.

[TheSaint]

There's a review of Baroness stuff http://community-2.webtv.net/OurManHermes/spysex/index.html. I still have some MODESTY BLAISE adventures to read, so I'm waiting a while. I think Modesty Blaise is probably the greatest female character in the genre by a long distance, and anyone who hasn't read those books should - they're the equal and sometimes better than Fleming's books, in my opinion. Really? A Sixties series about some leather-clad female spy? Really. Deep characterisation, brilliant 'sweep', very exciting plots, in almost all cases carried off with verve, style, coherence and enormous skill.

I've got a few Durrels but have never gotten into them. Also a couple of Mark Hood adventures - they seemed quite good on the prose front, but the racism in THE TOKYO ASSIGNMENT was fairly vivid, and made it harder for me to read. Quite like the character, though. I think Diment was a brilliant writer, and the randy, sarcastic thing has precluded what were some very tightly-written and exciting thrillers, pretty similar in tone to early Len Deightons and very nearly as good. They look like they're Austin Powers stuff, true - but they're not, really.

Anyone interested in discussing this stuff should check my profile - I run a discussion group devoted to the subject, and there are lots of people who know about these kinds of books (some of them even wrote a few of them).

The link doesn't seem to work, at least when I tried it Sunday night a 11pm.

I've read the whole run of Durell novels. Pretty good.

Another spy I'm familiar with is named Charles Hood. The books are very Flemingesque. I forget the author's name, though.

[Dr. Kananga]

Where Can you Find he mark hood books in the U.S.??

[Blofeld's Cat]

I've actually never read any Modesty Blaise to date, but I've read a copule of novels by George McBeth about a sexy spy called Cadbury. I'll track down the books and scan them into this thread.

As promised, let me introduce to you Cadbury, Agent 69 - licenced for licence....



She's a real sexy spy (almost of the soft pørn variety and probably along the lines of THE BARONESS, I guess) and I'm NOT going to detail here how she manages to subdue a guard dog while she's breaking into some premises.

I have not been able to track down the third book, CADBURY AND THE SEVEN WITCHES yet.

[Goldencobra]

Has anyone here read the Jonas Wilde novels by Andrew York?
There are 9 books in the series, these are the titles;

The Eliminator
The Captivator
The Infiltrator
The Predator
The Fascinator
The Expurgator
The Co-Ordinator
The Deviator
The Dominator

The first book "The Eliminator" was filmed in 1967 under the title "Danger Route" with Dr No bond contender Richard Johnson.
I have all 9 books and i highly recommend them if you can find them.

Another good spy novel i recommend is "Legacy of a spy" by Henry s Maxfield.
This book was written in the late 50's and was very losely adapted into a movie in 1967 under the title "The Double Man" with Yul Brynner.

[Goldencobra]

Anyone here read "The Dolly Dolly Spy" or "The Great Spy Race", '60s spy novels by the British writer Adam Diment? They're great fun (long out of print - picked 'em up in the Charing Cross Road a while back, amused by the total Richard Chopping-ripoff covers), and concern the adventures of one Philip McAlpine, a randy, sarcastic and slightly overweight 20-something Londoner who gets busted for cannabis and blackmailed into using his skills as a pilot on behalf of the British secret service. More Austin Powers than Bond, but McAlpine is a great character and his "M" figure is an absolute hoot. Would have made (and would still make) terrific films in the right hands. I believe there's a third book called "The Bang Bang Girls". Whatever happened to Diment, I wonder?

Well worth picking up if you see 'em, these books.

I absolutely love The Adam Diment Books. I actually finished reading the fourth and last in the McAlpine series "Think Inc" the other night.
I would also like to know what happened to Diment. On the first page of my Pan edition of "Think Inc" there's a mini bio on Diment and it says that he is currently (1971) living in Zurich and planning to write a fifth novel. As far as i know this novel never materialised and he just simply dissapeared. I find it strange that an author in his mid 20's would simply quit after writing only 4 books and these books as far as i know were popular back then. Could it be that he is infact still writing novels under a different name? who knows.
I tried a google search on him and came up with nothing only websites which sell his books second hand.

[spynovelfan]

I tried to track Mr Diment down a few years ago. Found someone listed in Essex under that name, but no luck. There was a website that had a more recent interview with him (from the 80s, I think) - I'll see if I can find it when I have time.

[Mark_Hazard]

The last is a series of spy novels under the title of the Baroness. She was secret agent in the Modesty Blaise mode. But slight different, married rich playboy killed in racing accident, acquired his money and title. Co-opted by the NSA to spy for them as her name was Penelope her code name was coin. Lots of Bond like stuff, one novel called "Diamonds Are For Dying" (Hope Barbare Broccoli doesn't see that one) and great one called "Death Is A Ruby Light" about a Red Chinese
scientist downing american spy satellites with a laser. The character called Professor Thing is direct double of Doctor No. This one was a blast to read. Of course Penelope always ended up naked and tied up somewhere during the story, but always prevailed ending up in bed with handsome man as the novel closed.

So anyone remember these?

I remember these very well, and besides those mentioned above and "The Ecstasy Connection" mentioned on the review site, there was also "Hard Core Murder" - as far as I know, there were only ever the four. They were all published in the UK in 1975 by Futura, and I still have my copies - which will be for sale at the Memorabelia show this weekend at the NEC, if anyone is interested.

[Goldencobra]

I tried to track Mr Diment down a few years ago. Found someone listed in Essex under that name, but no luck. There was a website that had a more recent interview with him (from the 80s, I think) - I'll see if I can find it when I have time.

Interesting.

Thanks for the info spynovelfan.

[spynovelfan]

The site on Diment seems to have been taken down, sadly. It was pretty interesting. Can't remember the address so I can't use the Wayback Machine to track down the cache. Shame.

[Blofeld's Cat]

That's a shame.

Google doesn't seem to come up with anything decent, either.

[Loomis]

Yep, I've read all 3 of these books, but I don't the ones with the Chopping rip-off covers, though. Are you refering to hardbacks or paperbacks, Loomis? Mine are Pan paperbacks.

Hardbacks. Don't have 'em to hand right now, but when I do I'll follow up this post with the name of the publishing house, dates, etc. - any info in particular you're looking for, BC?

Sorry, I left out the words "know of" in my 1st sentence. I was just wondering if you were refering to hardbacksr paperbacks, Loomis. Never really realised that these sort of books would've ever been released in hardback. I guess, they're can't really be labled as "pulp fiction" then.

Here we go:

"The Dolly Dolly Spy", Michael Joseph, 1967
"The Great Spy Race", Michael Joseph, 1968

Both covers by Broom Lynne - the one for "The Great Spy Race" is especially Chopping-esque, IMO: a handgun, a tie, a fly and a spider on a bamboo background.

[glidrose]

Anyone here read "The Dolly Dolly Spy" or "The Great Spy Race", '60s spy novels by the British writer Adam Diment? I believe there's a third book called "The Bang Bang Girls". Whatever happened to Diment, I wonder?

I would also like to know what happened to Diment. On the first page of my Pan edition of "Think Inc" there's a mini bio on Diment and it says that he is currently (1971) living in Zurich and planning to write a fifth novel. As far as i know this novel never materialised and he just simply dissapeared. I find it strange that an author in his mid 20's would simply quit after writing only 4 books and these books as far as i know were popular back then. Could it be that he is infact still writing novels under a different name? who knows.
I tried a google search on him and came up with nothing only websites which sell his books second hand.

Everybody and his uncle and his uncle's charwoman's third cousin wonders what became of Diment. "The Disappearance of the Author Adam Diment."