60 replies to this topic

[FLEMINGFAN]

[quote name='spynovelfan' date='18 August 2005 - 09:09']
Nice picks, FLEMINGFAN, and I could add a few more in that vein. I somehow get the feeling that Welshcat's looking for very up-to-date stuff, though - he says he finds Clancy dated. The Hood adventures may not feature Cold War politics overtly in the plots, but they were written during the Cold War and are absolutely a *part* of the Cold War, in that they feature a ruthless and suave British agent driving fast cars, bedding beautiful women and battling nasty foreign baddies. I seem to remember HAMMERHEAD features some kind of religious cult and bevies of beautiful women. I'm quite interested in Mayo, because he was apparently a friend of Fleming's. I think you could fairly easily change the name 'Charles Hood' to 'James Bond' and a few minor details in some of those novels and you'd think you were reading Fleming, or at least a pretty damn good continuation. He knows his art, and all that. LET SLEEPING GIRLS LIE opens with a very Flemingesque scene, in which a woman laughs herself to death in a hotel lobby. And, of course, he titled one of the books SHAMELADY, which as I'm sure you know was Fleming's original name for Goldeneye.

-------------------

I quite agree about Mayo's writing style. he would have made an excellent successor to Fleming. The opening of SHAMELADY has some wonderful writing regarding New York in the winter.

[Bond_Bishop]

I am looking for a spy novel which has all the spy elements. It should have a intriguing story not too much political stuff in it. A couple of action sequences. Cool descriptions of weapons and so. Could you give me any good suggestions?

Could I get some good suggestions on books please

[Hitch]

Calling spynovelfan...

[Bond_Bishop]

Great!

[spynovelfan]

I am looking for a spy novel which has all the spy elements. It should have a intriguing story not too much political stuff in it. A couple of action sequences. Cool descriptions of weapons and so. Could you give me any good suggestions?

Could I get some good suggestions on books please

I'm desperately trying to think of something that fits with all that. Especially the weapons bit. Really the best I can think of is the Quiller series by Adam Hall - although Quiller doesn't actually carry a gun (!), he does use one. Perhaps try THE NINTH DIRECTIVE, which was written in 1966 but still feels very modern. It predates THE DAY OF THE JACKAL by five years, but is better, I think. British intelligence learns that a member of the British royal family may be about to be assassinated on an official visit to Bangkok, probably by an assassin called Kuo. They send their agent Quiller in to assassinate the assassin. That's it, but it's gripping all the way. It doesn't have any politics in it at all - the member of the royal family isn't even named, and Quiller isn't told (and doesn't want to know) about the wider politics of the problem. It's just a mission. It has all the spy elements, from losing tags to dead drops and all that. It has plenty of descriptions of sniper rifles and so on. It's pretty much action all the way. May take some getting used to the style, which is staccato and doesn't explain everything. And you'll probably have to buy it second-hand, as I'm pretty sure it's out of print. But if you find it and like it, there are 18 more in the series. The novel opens like this:

'The place was halfway along Soi Suek 3 and I walked there from the main road where the trishaw had dropped me. It was a narrow street of shop-houses, roofed at this moment by the twilight.

There was no one in the gem shop except the small old Thai at the workbench behind the counter; he did not hear me come in because of the noise of the gem tumbler that churned at the back of the shop. There was no air conditioner and the heat was as bad as in the street. From the room above came the weird notes of a pinai...'

Are you there yet?

Other books that might fit this include the aforementioned THE DAY OF THE JACKAL by Frederick Forsyth. I'm presuming you've read it, but perhaps you haven't. Lots of weaponry, and how to forge your identity, and action - a bit of politics. Or THE EYE OF THE NEEDLE by Ken Follett, which is another classic of the genre, about a German agent in Britain in World War Two trying to make it to Germany to spill the secrets of D-Day. Not much weaponry, but all the rest is there. I have a few other thoughts, but those are the first that spring to mind, and the last two will be easy to find.

Hope that helps.

[Bond_Bishop]

Thank you so much. I've got to check them

[WC]

Does anyone know if the Harry Palmer movies "Bullet to Beijing" and "Midnight in St Petersburg" are actually Len Deighton novels, or are they simply original movies just based on the character?

And does anyone know if either of those two cities are featured in any Spy novels at all?

Thanks

[spynovelfan]

The films weren't based on any Deighton novels, and are apparently pretty dire. Caine has played a laconic British agent in several films outside the Palmer series - see BLUE ICE, for example - and Deighton's character didn't even have a name in the series. So I think they're basically just lousy TV movies with Caine playing an older British spy, and they somehow got permission to call him Palmer and adjust it accordingly.

For locations, try THE PEKIN TARGET by Adam Hall and THE MAN FROM ST PETERSBURG by Ken Follett.

[spynovelfan]

Well I guess you could still list some of those spy thrillers here. Are they mostly Cold War though? Is that why you say they're not what I'm looking for? I guess I wouldn't mind trying to read them if the plot in itself was good, regardless of Cold War elements. Don't get me wrong - I do love Cold War stuff, but I'm trying to look at some modern day stuff at the moment (which has good writing and isn't purely technobabble).

It really depends on what you're looking for, Welshcat. Something with an extremely exciting plot? SEVENTEEN MOMENTS OF SPRING by Julyan Semyonov, also known as THE HIMMLER PLOY and with the surname spelled Semenov, is one of the most exciting spy thrillers I've read. It's set in the last couple of weeks of World War Two, following a Russian agent who's infiltrated the Nazi regime. Not strictly speaking espionage, but extremely exciting and suspenseful, is the Austrian writer Johannes Mario Simmel. I especially recommend THE BERLIN CONNECTION, which is like reading a Ludlum thriller written by Alfred Hitchcock. Then there's THE MAN WHO RAISED HELL by Richard Sale, which was retitled (rather weakly, in my view) FOR THE PRESIDENT'S EYES ONLY in the US. Gripping, black, quite often very funny, kind of like a cross between Fleming and Trevanian.

All of these are out of print, but should be easily found online. They all have great plots and the first two in particular should have the sweat pouring off you by the end. If they don't, my opinion's not worth much!

[Trident]

Has David Mason already been mentioned? If not, I'll do it now. I have only read one book of him, "Shadow over Babylon" but that was pretty gripping. It kind of varies the Jackal-theme, to kill an extremely well protected person. Only the setting is in 1992 after the first gulf war. The target is Saddam Hussein and the mission is carried out by a team of former soldiers now working for a security company. And they are not officialy sanctioned, meaning they have to work under deep cover so as not to stirr up the police and secret services.

The novel holds many fine moments and descriptions such as the way the team works under cover in GB while preparing for the mission, the planning of the stunt itself, the pursuit of the MI5 and police. Another highlight is the way the sniper and his weapon are smuggled into the Irak, while the MI6, having uncovered the plot, desperately tries to stop them.

You can learn very much about the work of precision snipers and the ammo and weapons they use. Similarly the weapons and equipment of the team-members are described in detail. But this is not mere showing off, as other writers sometimes tend to when they know a lot about a certain field. Nor are the facts the reader gets unimportant for the yarn as one sometimes has the feeling with Clancy (who, judging by his knowledge, could easily run any branch of the CIA/the MI6 alone by now). Instead all the information really blends into the plot and doesn't interfere with its pace. Mason delivered a real page-turner and constantly manages to include unexpected twists and turns to make the reader uncertain, whether the team survives and can accomplish its mission. I can only recommend the book.

Edited by Trident, 23 August 2005 - 03:16 PM.

[Bond_Bishop]

Books with unexpected plot twists are good I might check that out as well

[Trident]

I just checked at amazon. 523 results for David Mason. Seems the guy was pretty busy during the last 10 years. No, most of the results are probably not by the Mason I mean. But I'm pretty sure he wrote at least one more book. "Shadow" is the only one I'm sure he wrote and is even available:
http://www.amazon.co...=glance&s=books.

You won't be disappointed.

Edited by Trident, 23 August 2005 - 03:52 PM.

[WC]

So I've read a few of these suggested books now. The Company by Robert Littell was pretty cool - a fascinating read. Tom Clancy's Cardinal of the Kremlin was a little dry. The most interesting part was the Russian character Svetlana who was in that sensory deprivation tank being broken. I wish they followed up a bit more on that.

Anyone read any of the other Robert Littell books? I'm thinking of looking at "The Sisters", but am not sure if it's any good. Or any other works of his.

What do people think?

[terminus]

I know they're not spy novels per se, but I found some of the NUMA and Dirk Pitt books particularly Bondian - especially Fire Ice.

Serpent looks like it might be pretty Bondian too.

[ACE]

CANAL DREAMS by IAIN BANKS http://www.iainbanks.net/f05.htm

Really inventive action (Banksie was a MacLean/Fleming fan), very brutal violence and an elegant heroine.

Not typical Banksie or a typical spy novel - but anyone on this thread would love this book.

ACE

[spynovelfan]

Must read that. After I have read all of Fleming, though.

Incidentally, ever read any Toby Litt? I've read bits and bobs, but see that Jack Davenport is in a short making the rounds of the festivals based on a Litt short story. Soudns a bit Banksish to me. More here:

http://www.ahigheragency.com

[ACE]

Must read that. After I have read all of Fleming, though.

J Dubya Pepper-ishly:
"Tobeh, Tobeh, I got mahself a regular Ben Hurr downhere. He just done postin' the furniest Garddang thang ah evah did read an nah I fine out he ain't even read any John Gardiner [Er, actually, he has! - Ed.]. Or even all the Flemin's!"

Incidentally, ever read any Toby Litt? I've read bits and bobs, but see that Jack Davenport is in a short making the rounds of the festivals based on a Litt short story. Soudns a bit Banksish to me. More here:

http://www.ahigheragency.com

Interesting. Heard of him, but never read any of his stuff...

ACE

[spynovelfan]

Very good, ACE! Presumably this Pepper fellow is in the Bond films or something?

Joking, joking, joking.

And I am working on reading all of Fleming, I promises ya! I'm easily distracted, you know.

I've read a few of Litt's short stories, which I enjoyed. A bit like Will Self without the need to show off just how wide his vocabulary is.

[spynovelfan]

I quite agree about Mayo's writing style.  he would have made an excellent successor to Fleming.  The opening of SHAMELADY has some wonderful writing regarding New York in the winter.

Here's the scene I was talking about earlier in this thread. It's the first chapter of LET SLEEPING GIRLS LIE. I think it gives a good idea of Mayo's style. There are a few clumsy bits, but it's very much along the lines of Fleming, I reckon.



'She did not look as if she were going to die. She was bubbling with laughter.

She seemed, as she came up the steps of the hotel in her blue Lanvin suit, to be enjoying a sophisticated joke. She was red-haired and pretty - unsteady on her feet. But that, the passers-by told themselves, was the laughter.

The square was bright with sun. The edges of the sun blinds stirred in the breeze. It was Sunday; the Place was empty and looked rich. Robert, the hall porter, came from behind his desk and greeted the girl by name. He was pleased to see her looking so happy.

It was eleven-thirty in the morning and the hall was becoming busy.

'Who is she, d'you say?'

'Lord Undermere's daughter.

[ACE]

Cor, that scanner's working overtime!

[LoneWolf]

Man, if you guys haven't read anything by David Morrell you need to stop what you're doing and buy one of his books. This guy is my favorite fiction author of all time and is rightly credited the "Master of Thrillers." What else would you expect from the creator of Rambo?

Here are my recommendations:

1) Extreme Denial
2) The Protector
3) The Brotherhood of the Rose
4) First Blood

All of these are "spy novels" with the exception of First Blood, which is extremely dark. Other spy books he has written that you might want to check out are "The Fifth Profession" and "Assumed Identity."

David Morrell.net

Edited by LoneWolf, 27 June 2009 - 04:58 AM.

[Greene Planet]

The Faithful Spy, by Alex Berenson. A very good read, I believe it won the Edgar award.

MIDASGOLD, by Harry Fawkes
THE MOMENT BEFORE YOU DIE, by Harry Fawkes

Edited by Greene Planet, 07 July 2009 - 03:39 AM.

[volante]

Geoffery (NOT Jeffery) Archer, intelegent series with MI6 agent Sam Packer

[DAN LIGHTER]

Charles Cumming - A Spy by Nature/The Spanish Game/The Hidden Man/Typhoon

They are all very good.

Not sure of any other modern spy novels set outside the cold war other than these.

[OmarB]

Great stuff, Charles Cumming should be the next Bond writer.

[agentjamesbond007]

Can anyone recommend any non-Bond spy fiction that is would be a good read?

The Hardy Boys!

[Matt_13]

Ludlum.

[DAN LIGHTER]

Indeed, Ludlum novels are very good. Although I have only read the Bourne books, they were brilliant.

Has anyone read the continuation novels by Eric Van?

[OmarB]

Ludlum is awesome! The first book of his I read was "The Apocalypse Watch" which was a great spy story set all over Europe but centered in France about 2 brothers who are CIA spies, one in deep cover with Neo-nazis (and then discovered) and his less experienced (but strong, brutish ex hokey player) brother. Great investigation, great fighting, really gritty stuff.

After that I expand out and started reading his other works. He's not as tech savy as Clancy, but his plots move quite well (maybe an artifact of his previously being an actor). All of his novels have a great gripping plot, some are even quite funny.

I'm really into the Covert One series he created. He plotted out like 5 books from the series before he died and other people finished them and the series continues, but amazing stuff.

[DAN LIGHTER]

I think Ludlum's fight scenes with Bourne were electric. I had never read such pounding quick fight scenes before. Something I felt the films captured, if nothing else.

Plus I felt sorry for David Webb at the end of each book after he went through so much crap. Dam good books, dam good!
Heart ponding stuff!

I could not see where Bourne could go after the third novel. Surley he went though enough, and deserved a rest? Did Ludlum ever plan to do a forth Bourne book?