A Taste for Death (1969)

The story kind of takes a while to get going, and I think Collier is particularly annoying in this one, but there's great Modesty and Willie interaction, plus the fabulous pearl necklace!
Just read the whole series, I promise these are the most fun books ever. ( )

These 1960s action romps suffered badly at the hands of Austin Powers and might be doomed to be read forever through a pair of ironically ‘swinging’ glasses. And in fact most of the elements of the genre are present and correct.

1. Delightfully retro high technology.
2. Stylised action:
3. Comic opera bad guys (led by the gorilla-like Delicata – the man with a taste for death, no sense of pain, and superhuman strength)
4. Globe-trotting plot

Modesty Blaise’s partner-in-crime Willie Garvin is pearl-diving off a remote island in Panama when he witnesses the murder of one young woman and the kidnap of another. He is too late to prevent the murder, but foils the kidnap with brutal finality before escaping with the girl. Garvin also sees the man in charge of the operation, an old enemy named Gabriel.The girl, Dinah Pilgrim, is brave, beautiful – and blind. Gabriel wants her alive, but she has no idea why. Trapped in Panama, Garvin calls in Blaise to get him and the girl out in one piece, which she does in fine style. Improbably, the action then moves to the Sahara Desert… sword-fights ensue.

So, it’s all good fun. But there’s more here.A surprising, but very winning feature of the book (and presumably the series) is the strong sense of family. Cockney action-man Willie Garvin is basically Blaise’s soul-mate, despite the fact that he hooks up with Dinah Pilgrim and she is with the elegant mathematician Collier. Blaise’s boss Sir Gerald Tarrant, who seems to work in British Intelligence, is the father-figure. Genuine bonds of affection, loyalty and occasionally poignant humour exist between them all. O’Donnell clearly loved his characters and that really comes across.

Full review at
http://pastoffences.wordpress.com/2012/11/24/peter-odonnell-a-taste-for-death-modesty-blaise/ ( )

These 1960s action romps suffered badly at the hands of Austin Powers and might be doomed to be read forever through a pair of ironically ‘swinging’ glasses. And in fact most of the elements of the genre are present and correct.

1. Delightfully retro high technology.
2. Stylised action:
3. Comic opera bad guys (led by the gorilla-like Delicata – the man with a taste for death, no sense of pain, and superhuman strength)
4. Globe-trotting plot

Modesty Blaise’s partner-in-crime Willie Garvin is pearl-diving off a remote island in Panama when he witnesses the murder of one young woman and the kidnap of another. He is too late to prevent the murder, but foils the kidnap with brutal finality before escaping with the girl. Garvin also sees the man in charge of the operation, an old enemy named Gabriel.The girl, Dinah Pilgrim, is brave, beautiful – and blind. Gabriel wants her alive, but she has no idea why. Trapped in Panama, Garvin calls in Blaise to get him and the girl out in one piece, which she does in fine style. Improbably, the action then moves to the Sahara Desert… sword-fights ensue.

So, it’s all good fun. But there’s more here.A surprising, but very winning feature of the book (and presumably the series) is the strong sense of family. Cockney action-man Willie Garvin is basically Blaise’s soul-mate, despite the fact that he hooks up with Dinah Pilgrim and she is with the elegant mathematician Collier. Blaise’s boss Sir Gerald Tarrant, who seems to work in British Intelligence, is the father-figure. Genuine bonds of affection, loyalty and occasionally poignant humour exist between them all. O’Donnell clearly loved his characters and that really comes across.

Full review at
http://pastoffences.wordpress.com/2012/11/24/peter-odonnell-a-taste-for-death-modesty-blaise/ ( )

Entertaining adventure, if dated, this is my first Modesty novel - having read a number of the newspaper strips. Fleshes out the main characters and despite a familiar plot it holds a charm that is hard to resist. ( )

One of the best Modesty Blaise novels, with many different elements skillfully blended into a tense and satisfying adventure. The book introduces Dinah Pilgrim (later Collier), one of O'Donnell's best characters, and Steve Collier, another great character, is included. Tarrant, of course, plays a major part, and there are not one but three unique and formidable villains, and that's not including the fencing master that Modesty must duel for her life against as part of a fantastic and complex getaway scheme. The book touches upon a rare vulnerability of Willie's, and his climactic struggle at the end to face the immensely strong Simon Delicata, who has already once defeated Willie crushingly. A fine humor runs through the book, and excellent glimpses into the private lives of Willie and Modesty. A must-read for the Modesty Blaise fan. ( )