Contact Mr. Delgado [Audiobook] [Audio Cassette]

James Pattinson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 30, 2004

English adventurer Harvey Landon agrees to help his old Oxford friend, Don Vargas, who is plotting the overthrow of a South American government. However, the Revolutionaries are without aircraft, and to obtain their supply, Landon volunteers to take a letter out of the country to a mysterious Mr. Delgado in New York. Complications begin as Landon is stalked on board the New York-bound oil-tanker by two agents intent on killing him and stealing the letter. How the adventurer thwarts his enemies makes a powerful and gripping tale.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

James Pattinson (1915-2009) wrote many successful of mystery thrillers. Contact Mr. Delgado was first published in 1959 --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From AudioFile

Listeners can enjoy classic suspense in this action-packed, but somewhat predictable, story of soldier of fortune Harvey Landon. Harvey's assignment is to get a letter out of a Latin American country to a Mr. Delgado in New York. Much danger ensues and many setbacks occur, all dramatized effectively by narrator Howard Morse. A variety of characters--though stereotypical--is given dimension in Morse's interpretations. The hero, as dramatized by Morse, is decent, wily, and lucky. While this is not a great story, the vibrant performance will keep listeners' attention. D.L.G. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Soundings Ltd; Unabridged edition (November 30, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1842838202
• ISBN-13: 978-1842838204
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Book One of a Three Book Series. Readable but Better Pattinson Books Out There, October 15, 2011

By 

James N Simpson (Gold Coast, QLD Australia) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Contact Mr. Delgado. James Pattinson (Hardcover)

Contact Mr Delgado was the first book published with Harvey Landon as the lead character. There were two more published with the last of the three appearing about ten years after this 1959 written adventure. Most of Pattinson's male lead characters are fairly similar, so you may not have even noticed if you were reading them between different Pattinson books. There's nothing wrong with the story, it'll pass the time adamantly, as most Pattinson books will. You pretty much know what you're going to get when you open one up if you've read others. Basically if you haven't they are either set at sea on a ship crossing a large part of ocean, a Richard Stark style crime novel, either that or a basic espionage novel usually set in South America or Cold War era Eastern Europe.

With Contact Mr Delgado we've got a combination of initially a South American espionage tale, which for the second half turns into a survival onboard a ship tale as Harvey Landon hopes to survive a trip from Argentina to Philadelphia. He's a carrying a letter of vital importance (this was written in the days before telephones and e-mail) that will change a civil war and net him $5000 once he hands it to Mr Delgado in New York. However he'd made a few mistakes before working out how he would get to the USA, and those mistakes may have followed him onboard. He's also infuriated a war criminal who is also his supervisor on the ship. Nothing new at all, but Pattinson was a pretty decent quality author, even though you pretty much know what you're going to get, it's still enjoyable enough to get to where you know the story is going to end up. Although the book is nothing that you'll be telling everyone you meet in the days ahead that they must read this.

I'd rate Contact Mr Delgado at three and a half stars, a worthwhile read if you've read the better stuff first. The best Pattinson novels in my opinion are Ocean Prize, Feast of the Scorpion, Avenger of Blood, Blind Date, Homecoming, The Silent Voyage, Skeleton Island, The Time of Your Life, Away With Murder, The Murmansk Assignment, Obituary for Howard Grey, Crane, The Animal Gang, Spoilers, The Golden Reef, A Car for Mr Bradley, Bavarian Sunset, The Sinister Stars, Fat Man from Colombia, the Spayde Conspiracy and Life Preserver.