September 2013 – Top Fiction

The freedom trap

Another novel by Desmond Bagley, author of The Vivero Letter, one of my all time favourite writers. I only wish I could have met him.

The Freedom Trap was first published in 1971 and is said to be loosely based on the escape of, spy, double agent and traitor depending on your point of view, George Blake from prison five years earlier. It was made into a film in 1973, called The Mackintosh Man, starring Paul Newman.

The fiction story starts with Joseph Rearden who is a villain from South Africa . He meets an agent of MI5 in London called Mackintosh, who recruits him for an assignment. It is a dangerous task and is to trap The Scarperers who are a well known gang of criminals who gaol-breaking long-term prisoners. He is also to catch Slade who is a Russian double agent whom they recently helped to escape. Rearden is told to rob a postman with a packet of uncut diamonds. He is then ‘caught’ and sent to jail in hopes that he can contact the Scarperers. It is a clever and exciting plot which races to Malta and beyond……well worth a read.

In the mid 20th century, British writers such as Hammond Innes, Alistair MacLean, Desmond Bagley set out the conventions of the thriller genre. Their heroes were a resilient and resourceful ordinary individuals facing tremendous odds. The villains were utterly ruthless in pursuit of their goals.

Desmond Bagleyren beste nobela bat, The Vivero Letter-en egilea, nire idazle gogokoenetako bat. Ezagutzea bakarrik nahi nuke.

Freedom Trap 1971n argitaratu zen lehen aldiz, eta bost urte lehenago George Blake kartzelatik zetorren, espioiaren, agente bikoitzaren eta traidorearen ihesean oinarrituta omen dago. 1973an film bat egin zuten, The Mackintosh Man izenekoa, Paul Newman protagonista zuela.

Fikzio istorioa Hegoafrikako gaiztoa den Joseph Reardenekin hasten da. MI5 agenteko agente bat ezagutuko du Londresen Mackintosh izenekoa, eta honek zeregin baterako kontratatuko du. Zeregin arriskutsua da eta epe luzeko presoak hausten dituzten gaizkile talde ezaguna diren Scarperers harrapatzea da. Gainera, duela gutxi ihes egiten lagundu zioten agente biko errusiarra den Slade harrapatzekoa da. Reardenek postari bati ebaki gabeko diamante pakete batekin lapurreta egiteko esan dio. Gero “harrapatu” eta espetxera bidali dute Scarperers-ekin harremanetan jartzeko itxaropenarekin. Trama argia eta zirraragarria da, Maltara eta haratago lasterketetan ibiltzen dena … irakurtzea merezi du.

Mendearen erdialdean, Hammond Innes, Alistair MacLean, Desmond Bagley bezalako idazle britainiarrek thriller generoaren konbentzioak zehaztu zituzten. Haien heroiak izugarrizko probabilitateak zituzten gizabanako arrunt erresilienteak eta aberatsak ziren. Gaizkileak erabat gupidagabeak ziren helburuak lortzeko.

Photo by Carla Anne on Unsplash

The gold of Malabar

The Gold of Malabar was written by British author, Berkely Mather, in 1967 Berkely Mather was a Nom de Plume for thriller writer John Evan Weston-Davies, whose family emigrated to Australia shortly before World War I.

He published fifteen novels and a book of short stories whilst also writing for radio, television and for films. Mather enlisted in the Royal Horse Artillery but failing to gain a commission he next joined the Indian Army where he became a sergeant at the outbreak of World War II. Serving under Slim in the Iraq campaign he finally ended the war as an acting lieutenant-colonel. After Indian independence in 1947, he rejoined the British Army, entering the Royal Artillery and eventually retiring in 1959. The Achilles Affair Mather’s first novel, was published in 1959 and was a minor best-seller. His second novel ‘The Pass Beyond Kashmir’ written in 1960 received high praise from Ian Fleming and Erle Stanley Gardner and it did even better. It is said that Ernest Hemingway owned copies of these two novels

A desperate adventure starting with a prison escape in search of gold. A thoroughly exciting novel which traces its way across India. While banged up in a prison in Goa Mike O’Reilly speaks with a dying Dutch prisoner called Rokkjer. He gives O’Reilly a gold medal asking him to bring it to a Buddhist monk called Nu Pau in Bombay and to say, “Rokkjer said to keep faith.” Rokkjer also gives a mysterious quote of, “Pythagoras, northeast, and the word is try, try, try…” O’Reilly escapes into a dangerous world of greedy looters all looking for the secret map that will bring them to the hidden cache of gold………………

This is a classic action & adventure novel written by a skilled author who clearly knew India. Unputdownable…..if that’s a word!

The Gold of Malabar is geskryf deur die Britse skrywer, Berkely Mather, in 1967 Berkely Mather was ‘n Nom de Plume vir die riller John Evan Weston-Davies, wie se familie kort voor die Eerste Wêreldoorlog na Australië geëmigreer het.

Hy publiseer vyftien romans en ‘n boek met kortverhale, terwyl hy ook vir radio, televisie en films skryf. Mather het by die Royal Horse Artillery aangesluit, maar sonder om ‘n kommissie te kry, het hy daarna by die Indiese leër aangesluit, waar hy sersant geword het by die uitbreek van die Tweede Wêreldoorlog. Hy dien onder Slim in die Irak-veldtog en eindig uiteindelik die oorlog as waarnemende luitenant-kolonel. Na die onafhanklikheid van Indië in 1947, het hy weer by die Britse leër aangesluit, die Koninklike Artillerie binnegegaan en uiteindelik in 1959 afgetree. Die eerste roman van die Achilles Affair Mather verskyn in 1959 en was ‘n klein topverkoper. Sy tweede roman ‘The Pass Beyond Kashmir’ wat in 1960 geskryf is, het groot lof gekry van Ian Fleming en Erle Stanley Gardner en dit het nog beter gevaar. Daar word gesê dat Ernest Hemingway kopieë van hierdie twee romans besit

‘N Wanhopige avontuur wat begin met ‘n ontsnapping uit die tronk op soek na goud. ‘N Uiters opwindende roman wat in Indië spoor. Terwyl hy in ‘n gevangenis in Goa gevang is, praat Mike O’Reilly met ‘n sterwende Nederlandse gevangene genaamd Rokkjer. Hy gee O’Reilly ‘n goue medalje waarin hy hom vra om dit na ‘n Boeddhistiese monnik genaamd Nu Pau in Bombay te bring en te sê: “Rokkjer het gesê om geloof te behou.” Rokkjer gee ook ‘n geheimsinnige aanhaling van: “Pythagoras, noordoos, en die woord is probeer, probeer, probeer …” O’Reilly ontsnap in ‘n gevaarlike wêreld van gulsige plunderaars wat almal op soek is na die geheime kaart wat hulle na die verborge sal bring goudkas ………………

Dit is ‘n klassieke aksie- en avontuurroman geskryf deur ‘n bekwame skrywer wat Indië duidelik geken het. ‘N Roman wat onafwendbaar is ….. as dit ‘n woord is!

Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash