Closest Novels to Bond

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• Willie Garvin Posts: 1,412MI6 Agent

  August 2008 edited September 2008

  Decades before he because the first official James Bond continuation author,John Gardner wrote a best-selling and critically praised series of thrillers about a character named "Boysie" Oakes.Oakes works directly for the head of British Intelligence as a top secret assassin.He's code named,L:for 'Liquidator'.
  The Boysie Oakes books began appearing in 1964, at the start of "Bondmania" and continued until 1976.
  
  Long story short,the head of MI6 is inspired to create his own 007-type of agent after seeing(it's clearly implied)some James Bond movies.And the big,tough-looking Boysie Oakes seems to pefectly suit the role of a special executioner.However,all is not as it appears....
  
  The Boysie Oakes novels are suspenseful, colorful and even satirical--featuring colorful villains and exotic femme fatales similar to those in Ian Fleming's stories.John Gardner really seemed to have enjoyed writing these books.Probably because he was writing about his own creations,they have an excitement, energy and enthusiasm his later 007 books often lacked.These are the books that won Gardner his latter position as a 007 author.You might want to give a few of the Boysie Oakes adventures a try.
  
  The first book in the series is The Liquidator( there is a movie based on this one), and the second novel is Understrike.The remaining titles in the series are: Amber Nine,Madrigal,Founder Member,Air Apparent(aka The Airline Pirates),Traitor's Exit and Killer for a Song.A good library would probably have some of these books in their collection.
  
  You might also like James Leasor's Dr.Jason Love
  series.The first book is titled Passport to Oblivion.These were written in the late 1960s.Again,a large library might have them.
  
  Hope this is helpful.:)
• Son Of Barbel Posts: 227MI6 Agent

  September 2008

  I think Amber Nine was the 4th book in the Boysie series. Understrike came 2nd, then Madrigal. At least thats the order my dads got them in.
• Willie Garvin Posts: 1,412MI6 Agent

  September 2008 edited September 2008

  Son Of Barbel wrote:

  I think Amber Nine was the 4th book in the Boysie series. Understrike came 2nd, then Madrigal. At least thats the order my dads got them in.

  
  Thanks very much!Your dad's absolutely right .Understrike is definitely the 2nd book.I was naming titles from memory rather than by checking any of the Boysie Oakes books on my bookshelf(and that's never a good idea).I've since corrected my mistake.;)