#spynovels — Public Fediverse posts

Castle Minerva, a 1955 psychological spy novel by Victor Canning. A British ex-spy has to babysit a prince. Lots of moral murkiness. Bad guys doing things for comprehensible motives. Gritty realism in the Graham Greene-Eric Ambler style.Superb.

My review: https://vintagepopfictions.blogspot.com/2024/10/victor-cannings-castle-minerva.html

#vintagethriller #vintagethrillers #spies #spynovel #spynovels #spyfiction #spythriller ##spythrillers #VictorCanning

The Ambushers, published in 1963, Donald Hamilton’s sixth Matt Helm spy thriller. Helm has to assassinate a rebel leader and rescue an American agent. Lots of double-crosses and moral murkiness and some scores to settle. Superb spy fiction.

My review: https://vintagepopfictions.blogspot.com/2024/09/donald-hamiltons-ambushers.html

#vintagethriller #vintagethrillers #spies #spynovel #spynovels #spyfiction #DonaldHamilton #MattHelm

Philip Atlee's The Irish Beauty Contract is a routine 1966 Joe Gall spy novel. Embittered ex-CIA man Joe Gall is now a US Government hitman. This time he has to watch someone but not kill him. The background is good but the book lacks energy.

My review: https://vintagepopfictions.blogspot.com/2024/08/philip-atlees-irish-beauty-contract.html

#spyfiction #spies #spynovel #spynovels #vintagethriller #vintagethrillers #spythriller #spythrillers

Peter O’Donnell’s The Impossible Virgin starts when a Soviet spy dies in a bush hospital in Tanzania. Modesty Blaise is the temporary nurse. There's an impossible virgin who must remain a virgin, and a gorilla. A fine 1971 Modesty Blaise novel.

My review: https://vintagepopfictions.blogspot.com/2024/08/peter-odonnells-impossible-virgin.html

#vintagethrillers #vintagethriller #spies #spyfiction #spynovel #spynovels #spythriller spythrillers #PeterODonnell #ModestyBlaise

West of Jerusalem, from 1967, one of a handful of Gérard de Villiers Malko spy novels translated into English. Austrian prince and CIA agent Malko has to impersonate the Director of the CIA who has jumped to his death. Fine action and suspense.

My review: https://vintagepopfictions.blogspot.com/2024/08/malko-west-of-jerusalem.html

#vintagethrillers #vintagethriller #spies #spyfiction #spynovel #spynovels #spythriller spythrillers #malko #GerarddeVilliers

Jimmy Sangster was a hugely successful screenwriter. His 1968 novel Touchfeather slots neatly into the “glamorous sexy lady spy” genre. A glamorous airline stewardess is really a spy. Cynical, and has some real punch. A great sexy spy thriller.

My review: https://vintagepopfictions.blogspot.com/2024/06/jimmy-sangsters-touchfeather.html

#vintagethrillers #vintagethriller #spies #spyfiction #spynovel #spynovels #spythriller spythrillers #JimmySangster

The Dragon’s Eye is a 1969 spy novel by Scott C.S. Stone. A reporter is forced to aid the defection of a high Chinese official. Makes good use of exotic settings. Captures the severely paranoid flavour of the Cold War. A good pulp spy thriller.

My review: https://vintagepopfictions.blogspot.com/2024/05/scott-cs-stones-dragons-eye.html

#vintagethrillers #vintagethriller #spies #spyfiction #spynovel #spynovels #spythriller spythrillers

Desmond Cory’s Trieste, published in 1954, a Johnny Fedora spy thriller. Johnny's girlfriend, a freelance spy captured by the Soviets, is part of an exchange of captured spies. A good solid tough Cold War spy thriller with some nice twists and a femme fatale.

My review: https://vintagepopfictions.blogspot.com/2024/05/desmond-corys-trieste-aka-intrigue.html

#vintagethrillers #vintagethriller #spies #spyfiction #spynovel #spynovels #spythriller spythrillers #DesmondCory #JohnnyFedora

James Eastwood’s Seduce and Destroy, from 1968. His Anna Zordan sexy spy thrillers have a bit more depth than you expect from that sub-genre. Anna is ruthless but by no means an infallible unstoppable killing machine. Clever plot. Enjoyable.

My review: https://vintagepopfictions.blogspot.com/2024/03/james-eastwoods-seduce-and-destroy.html

#spies #spynovel #spies #spynovels #vintagethriller #vintagethrillers #spythriller #spythrillers #AnnaZordan

E. Howard Hunt, Watergate conspirator and CIA agent, wrote many excellent hardboiled crime and spy novels. As David St John he wrote Diabolus in 1971. A hugely enjoyable lurid occult/spy thriller featuring drugs, satanic cults and sex orgies.

My review: https://vintagepopfictions.blogspot.com/2023/05/e-howard-hunts-diabolus.html

#spynovel #spynovels #spies #spyfiction #occultthriller #occultthrillers #EHowardHunt #pulpfiction