In another classic adventure in the Modesty Blaise pulp fiction series, Modesty and her partner, Willie Garvin, are up against the nefarious Karz, a modern Genghis Khan, and his army of ruthless mercenaries. After orchestrating an audacious theft to attract Karz's attention, Modesty and Willie find themselves on the run through London, Paris, and Lisbon, and finally to Karz's remote fortress in the Hindu Kush. Once captured by his army, only Modesty can break Karz's hold, fighting his terrifying executioners, the Twins. A battle ensues that brings the adventure to its thrilling climax.
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
edition.
| |||||||||||||||
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
"Modesty Blaise is the ultimate super-spy girl and the precursor to all female action heroes." -- Los Angeles Features Syndicate
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
edition.
About the Author
Peter O'Donnell created Modesty Blaise as a strip cartoon that was syndicated in more than 42 countries. The strip led to a series of novels about Modesty and her faithful lieutenant, Willie Garvin.
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
edition.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"All right, Princess, let's go an' win it.",
By
This review is from: Sabre-Tooth (Modesty Blaise series) (Paperback)
Willie Garvin, Modesty's loyal partner, makes the above statement just as he and Modesty are about to set out on what becomes an incredibly harrowing and dangerous caper. Willie makes this statement to Modesty (who he calls "Princess") at a time when he and Modesty have already been dealt a severe blow - they have just discovered that they are not only fighting for themselves and the need to save the world, but must fight for the life of an innocent child who is dear to them. This makes it of utmost importance that they have to defeat the bad guys.
"Sabre-Tooth" is the second book in the Modesty Blaise series of books and was written by Peter O'Donnell in 1966. It is a direct sequel to the first book, with Sir Gerald Tarrant of the British Foreign Service sending Modesty and Willie out on another dangerous mission. As usual for a Modesty Blaise adventure the bad guys are bigger than life and extremely nasty. Karz, the huge Mongol who has assembled an army of mercenaries in northern Afghanistan, is totally ruthless, but still not the most fascinating of the villains. That honor must go to "The Twins", a grotesque pair of killers who hate each other's guts but must endure each other's constant proximity to avoid insanity. This is because The Twins were once Siamese twins, and even though they were successfully separated, the separation was not viable due to a mutual psychological dependency. Now The Twins wear a harness that joins them at the shoulders, and they spend every minute of their lives linked together. The high point of "Sabre-Tooth" is the fight to the death between Modesty and The Twins. How can Modesty, completely unarmed, survive in a fight against a four-legged, four-armed, two-headed killing machine? The plot of "Sabre-Tooth" is fascinating, especially seen in retrospect after Saddam Hussein's 1990 invasion of Kuwait. Peter O'Donnell's premise was that oil-rich Kuwait was a plum for the taking, and that in 1966 Kuwait's military defenses were such that they could not withstand a surprise attack by an army of ruthless mercenaries with the amazing firepower of modern weapons. The story of how Modesty and Willie infiltrate Karz' army of mercenaries and their attempts to derail the attack on Kuwait is developed with a sure hand. Peter O'Donnell shows himself once again to be a master storyteller. In this book we are introduced to the American businessman John Dall, a recurring figure in many of the later Modesty books. Willie Garvin's fondness for obscure English words is also presented, another recurring element in the series. In my opinion "Sabre-Tooth" is one of the best books in the Modesty Blaise series, and well worth five stars. The unique and powerful relationship between Modesty and Willie is presented in a wonderful way, and their forcefulness and drive in the face of huge odds is also great. If I had to mention a couple of negative factors it would have to be the minor inconsistencies that a good editor should have caught. For example, Mr. Vaubois, head of the French secret service, is referred to as Léon Vaubois in the first half of the book and as René Vaubois in the last half. Similarly, one of the bad guys is referred to as both "Chief Recruiting Officer" and "Chief Security Officer" - on the same page, no less. A few more negatives: Modesty and Willie spend so much time smoking that they come across as nicotine addicts. And the book, like all of the Modesty books, is too short. Highly recommended; both this book in particular and the Modesty Blaise series in general, especially the first six or seven books in the series. Incidentally, you may wish to take a look at my "So You'd Like To" guide about books by Peter O'Donnell. It includes a link to my MSN group about Modesty Blaise where you can find more information about this whole series of books and an article entitled "Why I love the Modesty Blaise books". Rennie Petersen
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent read...,
By Handee Books, LLC (Santa Clara, CA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Sabre-Tooth (Modesty Blaise series) (Paperback)
Peter O'Donnell's Modesty Blaise books are, in their way, elegant. They are, of course, thrilling, but the real attraction for me is the relationship between Modesty and Willie Garvin. Some might call Willie Modesty's right-hand man, but that description's not entirely accurate. They are equals who work extremely well together (the escape from the villa in Lisbon in this novel is a suspenseful example) and who care for eachother deeply, but not in a romantic way.
Sabre-Tooth is the second in the series. In it, many of the world's most notable mercenaries have disappeared off British Intelligence's radar. Modesty and Willie are enlisted to infiltrate and destroy the organization which has employed the mercenaries. First, though, they have to make it seem as if the master criminal Modesty Blaise has fallen, lost her fortune and is desperate for work. There are several great action set-pieces, some great banter between the leads and more of the exploration of Modesty's past, before she was a free-lance secret agent. In all an excellent read, and I'm looking forward to getting caught up to the four or five I haven't read.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Super Reader,
By Blue Tyson "- Research Finished" (Legion clubhouse) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Sabre-Tooth (Modesty Blaise series) (Paperback)
Reading Modesty Blaise can be a dreamy experience, then you end up immersed in what you could call close combat porn, almost, with am amazing descriptive level of detail. O'Donnell is the master of this, easily, I think. Modesty and Willie are looking for an angel to help destabilise a small army looking to take over Kuwait, when things get nasty and personal. This Kuwait Liberation Army wants them as section commanders, and to this end, kidnaps their ward as leverage.
They have no option but to go along, and things get nasty.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product).
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
