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This page lists novels, short story collections and non-fiction by John Gardner.

By John Gardner
- novels / story collections
- non-fiction

The Liquidator

John Gardner

1964

A Boysie Oakes novel.

"Paris, 1944. As the city is liberated, Sergeant Boysie Oaks kills two Germans attempting to assassinate an Intelligence Corps officer named Mostyn. Two decades later, the suave, sadistic Mostyn has become the Second-in-Command of British Special Security. He recruits the man he believes is a master assassin - Boysie Oakes - to quietly murder potential security risks. He is 'The Liquidator'. But is Boysie the right man for the job? He is preparing to take Mostyn's secretary to the Cote D'Azur for a weekend of romance. Yet what starts as a few days of seduction in the Mediterranean sun turns into a nightmare for Boysie as he becomes more and more embroiled in Operation Coronet. Captured, the tables are turned, and the assassin becomes the target. Boysie Oakes will need all his wits to stay alive."

Understrike

John Gardner

1965

A Boysie Oakes novel.

"At the height of the Cold War, Boysie is sent on a routine mission to America. In San Diego, he will be the official British observer for the test-fire of America’s latest nuclear missile: The Trepholite. But the Soviets have other plans. A double of Boysie has been sent into the field. And very soon Boysie is embroiled in a game of bluff and double-bluff involving a holocaustic missile, a slick con man - and Vladimir Solev, an deadly opponent and yet also a man in whom Boysie sees something of himself. Along the way, Boysie is mixed up with two gorgeous women - the sultry Priscilla Braddock Fairchild and the luscious Chicory Triplehouse. As he adventures across the United States, Boysie must dodge bullets, deadly predators and jealous women."

Amber Nine

John Gardner

1966

A Boysie Oakes novel.

"Just when Boysie Oakes thinks he is out of the liquidating business, he finds himself on the sunny shores of Lake Maggiore. His task? To make sure that a Member of Parliament breathes his last breath. But a straightforward mission start to go awry when his mark turns up dead without Boysie lifting a finger. Who killed him? And why? It is only when he is introduced to a sadistic finishing school, run by the mysterious and dangerous Doctor Klara Thirel, that the mystery starts to unravel. Surrounded by troubled girls galore, including a certain Petronella Witching, Boysie is pulled into the biggest espionage foul-up of the century. With the help of Petronella, as well as a handful of self-important, and at times incompetent secret agents, Boysie dives into the mysteries behind the dead Member of Parliament, the sexually charged finishing school, and – most of all – who and what is behind the top-secret Amber Nine."

Madrigal

John Gardner

1967

A Boysie Oakes novel.

"The Cold War is at its height. And Boysie Oakes is back in another terrifying adventure. The reluctant assassin has been sent to Berlin to make a kill 'in the cold' on the other side of the Wall. Trying to remember his own code-name, he is soon battling enemies that include Russian secret servicemen, psychotropic drugs and a silky Chinese stripper called Rosy Puberty. Both the Soviets and the Chinese want to track down his target, and Boysie is caught up in a deadly game of power politics. And despite his best efforts, Boysie finds himself drawn into a far more sinister conspiracy - a face-to-face confrontation with the legendary Soviet spymaster General Khavichev."

Hideaway

John Gardner

1968

A collection of short stories. Includes two Boysie Oakes stories.

Founder Member

John Gardner

1969

A Boysie Oakes novel.

"Deep in the heart of London a secret meeting is taking place. Drastic plans are being put into action. But Boysie Oakes, the suave, womanising special agent for British Intelligence, is unaware of the events unfolding around him - and is revelling in being free from the treacherous clutches of Special Security. Boysie, his former boss Mostyn and Charlie Griffin, have set up their own Security Service, GRIMOBO. Their first assignment has brought them to New York and Boysie has snatched a vacation at Cape Kennedy. Life is looking up. But, of course, something has to go wrong. It's just a small thing. Some light-fingered swine makes off with a Saturn V rocket. What's more, Boysie seems to have disappeared too. The same thieves that wanted the rocket want Boysie. For a change, though, they want him alive. Very much alive. And totally functional. Boysie’s holiday turns out to be the trip of a lifetime and he ends up travelling further than he ever expected. But all is not lost as of course a beautiful woman is also along for the ride. And Boysie Oakes is about to be plunged into the most dramatic adventure of his career."

A Complete State of Death

John Gardner

1969

A Derek Torry novel. Also published in the US as The Stone Killer.

Traitor's Exit

John Gardner

1970

A Boysie Oakes novel.

"Rex Upsdale is a spent, washed-out spy writer. His trade has worn him down to the bone, and he sits alone, rejected and punch-drunk and full of self-pity. Reality and fiction have become mixed in his mind. In increasing financial trouble, he is offered some semblance of security if he will take on just one journalistic assignment behind the Iron Curtain. All that’s required is an interview with Kit Styles, the most notorious of all defectors from West to East. But it’s not as straightforward as he thinks. He hasn’t reckoned with the eternally incompetent and feckless Boysie Oakes; his puppet master, Mostyn; a neatly curved companion, Miss Hester Havisham; exploits, escapes and escapades in a tank and a helicopter and an outrageous group calling themselves the International Travelling Circus. And if he is not careful, the Traitor's Exit might also be his own."

The Airline Pirates

John Gardner

1970

A Boysie Oakes novel. Published in the US as Air Apparent.

"Boysie Oakes, ex anguished agent, ex defective private eye, and greying horrifically at the temples, is facing the wilderness of middle-age supported only by the Welfare State. At long last Boysie Oakes has reached seedy maturity - and he plans to grow old quietly without any more dangerous missions. Until, like an evil genie, up pops his oily old boss, Mostyn, offering a life of renewed luxury. Boysie is to become the sole British Director of Air Apparent, an airline which operates from one office, has no aircraft, yet, by juggling with officialdom and illegally chartering aeroplanes, manages to transfer its customers to their destinations at half the scheduled fares and still makes a vast profit. But when Boysie discovers that Air Apparent is being used for more nefarious purposes, such as the shipment of arms to third world nations, he is forced to call in his old shooting partner, Charlie Griffin. Events crowd in, culminating in a hijacking, hilarity and, naturally, hectic hedonism."

The Censor

John Gardner

1970

"It is the late 1960s and David Askelon, an American writer, has written a best-seller - a book that is popular for its graphic and violent sexual scenes. And now an English publisher has paid a great deal to publish in the UK. But they have decided they want to heavily censor the book. Looking of the list of changes, Askelon puts his foot down. The whole point of his novel was to portray the world realistically, in all its gritty, sordid and disturbing glory. So he decides to head to London to put his point across in person. He manages to persuade the publishers that the book needs to stay as it is, but how will the ‘powers that be’ react? Could he - or his publishers - face a fine, or even prosecution? As the publication date looms ever nearer he finds himself caught up in a whirlwind of publicity - not all of it good… How will the English public react to the novel? Will it receive critical acclaim - or should he have listened to The Censor?"

Every Night's a Bullfight

John Gardner

1971

An abridged version was published in the US as Every Night's a Festival.

"It is the opening night of the Shireston Festival Company's new season. A season which began for Douglas Silver way back in the summer when the trustees responsible for the Festival appointed him Director with a free hand and a generous budget. This was also when he met and seduced the beautiful Carol Evans, a very talented actress... Convinced that the Shakespearian dramas mirror the problems that beset modern society, Douglas feels sure that by presenting Shakespeare in a radically new light he will rescue Shireston from the obscurity into which it has gradually sunk over the years. Slowly he recruits his ideal actors to put on a unique and stunning set of Shakespearean shows with the leery night club entertainer Joe Thomas in the role of Othello and a casting the Capulets as a black family. And meanwhile, emotions are running high in the theatre and several new relationships are forming. Conflicts are inevitable as Douglas casts both his wife, Jennifer and his mistress, Carol in leading roles… And with setbacks like Joe Thomas getting caught in the airport with pot, Douglas starts to worry if they’ll make opening night at all. Will the audience accept his radical interpretation of Romeo and Juliet? Will they accept a celebrated black night-club singer as Othello? Or will they dismiss it all as a cheap gimmick? It is their reaction on this opening night which will decide the entire future of the Shireston - and the career of Douglas Silver."

The Return Of Moriarty

John Gardner

1974

A Professor Moriarty novel.

"The London mists dissipate one morning on the shadowy streets of Limehouse to reveal that Professor James Moriarty, archrival of Sherlock Holmes, has returned. Their dramatic encounter at Reichenbach Falls three years earlier, it seems, was not the fateful confrontation the world had been led to believe--and now, with his nefarious energies undiminished, Moriarty is back in England to resume his control over the criminal netherworld. But what really did happen in Switzerland in 1891 between the Professor and the Great Detective? Why is the scrupulous Holmes, now back at 221B Baker Street, being curiously uncooperative with Scotland Yard? And what is behind Moriarty's plan to meet with the major crime organizations from America and the Continent?"

The Corner Men

John Gardner

1974

A Derek Torry novel.

The Assassination File

John Gardner

1974

A collection of short stories. Includes two Boysie Oakes stories.

A Killer for a Song

John Gardner

1975

A Boysie Oakes novel.

"Secret agent Boysie Oakes feels completely alone. He is on the run and terrified, travelling from Paris, across France, and down to his old stamping ground, the Cote d'Azur. But who is chasing him? And why? Nobody escapes the past, and Boysie is no exception - events are catching up with him like hounds descending upon a screeching hare. A nemesis comes first in the shape of his former boss in the Department - the oily James George Mostyn. Sought out by Mostyn, Boysie finds himself back on active service and forced to sit on SEAT - Special Executive for Anti-Terrorism. A routine conference in Paris, however, reveals the truth. Both Mostyn and Boysie are being set up at the wrong end of a series of ruthless liquidations, and somebody has to lose. Before he can shout for a lifebuoy, Boysie finds himself on the run - both from the French police and security organisations, who want him for murder; and from the shadows of the past, who want him dead."

The Revenge Of Moriarty

John Gardner

1975

A Professor Moriarty novel.

"When foggy mists lift in San Francisco in 1896, they reveal a new underworld alliance in the Barbary Coast alleyways. A soft-spoken man known as Jacques Meunier has come to wield immense influence. On the street, Meunier's voice has a French accent. In private, he appears to be an Englishman. To readers familiar to this classic bestselling crime series by John Gardner, this notorious figure is, of course, Professor James Moriarty. But upon discovering that Inspector Angus MacCready Crow is tracking his movements, the Professor slips swiftly and secretly back to the familiar streets of London. A superb master of disguise a brilliantly twisted tactician, Moriarty maneuvers his army of lurkers, pickpockets, punishers, and mobsters, trapping his enemies all across Europe. In this vivid novel of London underworld crime, John Gardner has crafted another novel in his brilliant series pitting the Napoleon of Crime, James Moriarty, against mystery fiction's great detective, Sherlock Holmes"

Moriarty

John Gardner

1976

A Professor Moriarty novel.

"It is the turn of the century and, having survived the struggle with Sherlock Holmes at the Reichenbach Falls, Professor James Moriarty is alive and well and about to realize his plans to establish crime syndicates in the major cities of the United States. But suddenly he is called back to London, where his vast criminal society has been overrun by a rival concern led by the shadowy Sir Jordan 'Mad Jack' de Levant supposed gentleman hoodlum acting on behalf of criminal elements in France, Italy, Spain, and Germany. As Moriarty fights back against both the unruly crime families and the forces of law and order ….. Moriarty lives again and revolts against those who attempt to oust him from his rightful place as king."

To Run a Little Faster

John Gardner

1976

"London, 1938. Europe is on the brink of war. And in England Anthony Eden’s resignation as Prime Minister has rocked the tottering foundations of the country. So not much attention is paid when Michael Hensman, Member of Parliament for Crayshott East, leaves Westminster for a short holiday with his wife — and vanishes without trace. But Fleet Street journalist Simon Darrell is sent to investigate. His unorthodox methods get him taken off the case. But he decides to do some unofficial investigating of his own… After people connected with Hensman are found dead, it is clear that something sinister is going on. And before long Simon finds a disturbing connection between the murders and the threat of Nazi Germany. He is soon caught up in an ugly conspiracy that involves political intrigue, corruption, blackmail, death — and the fate of an entire nation.... And he must Run A Little Faster to stay alive."

The Werewolf Trace

John Gardner

1977

"The final desperate hours of the Third Reich. Adolf Hitler emerges from his bunker and singles out for special decoration one of the uniformed boys who were the last defenders of Berlin… In 1977, Hitler’s ‘last hope’ is now a respectable British businessman, suspected by British Intelligence of being the key to a Nazi revival. Vincent Cooling is coerced into investigating, and discovers that the man code-named ‘Werewolf’ has now moved into a house in his mother’s sleepy village – a house that, according to local gossip, was the site of a grisly death several years before. Cooling soon discovers that ‘Werewolf’ is haunted by his past, and his family are beginning to believe themselves haunted by something far more terrifying… Was a boy smuggled out of the Führer’s bunker? What did he grow into? And what kind of political threat does he pose?"

The Dancing Dodo

John Gardner

1978

"June, 1976. The wreckage of World War Two plane The Dancing Dodo is found in remote British marshland. Inside are the remains of six bodies. When Wing Commander David Dobson is called in to investigate, he thinks it will just be a routine case, with some dull paperwork to complete. But things soon start to take a sinister turn when it emerges there is no record of the Dodo having gone missing - and the men apparently identified inside are all still alive. Dobson teams up with Colonel Bud Hackstead, the American officer in charge of the investigation, yet things only get more baffling. Just what was Dodo’s original mission? Why are the bodies it has hidden for so many years not who they say they are? Why do so many people Dobson and Hackstead talk to end up dead? When Dobson’s search for answers starts to turn up top secret letters from The Third Reich, he begins to suspect the mystery runs much deeper than he originally suspected... Is The Dancing Dodo Hitler’s final weapon?"

The Nostradamus Traitor

John Gardner

1979

A Herbie Kruger novel.

"Into the cauldron of war went the Nostradamus operation . . . out of it came an even deadlier threat than the Nazis: The Nostradamus Traitor. Britain’s psychological warfare executive knew all about the Nazi belief in the occult. They hatched up a top secret plot to drive a rift between Himmler’s SS and the Wehrmacht by infilitrating phony Nostradamus quatrains into Germany. Thirty years later then unbelievable truth began to trickle out: Herbie Kruger of British Intelligence was given the delicate task of keeping the past well and truly buried."

The Garden of Weapons

John Gardner

1980

A Herbie Kruger novel.

"'In our world we live on lies.' When Big Herbie Kruger used those words to break the KGB defector, he didn’t realize just how much his own life had been built on a lie. In his world, though, where love is just another conduit for information, it could be no other way. Now the lies planted when Herbie created his network in East Berlin have borne their bitter fruit. The lives of men and women who trusted him are in danger and his masters in British Intelligence won’t let him go back to Berlin to help them. Herbie Kruger has no choice, then. He must tell what may be his final lie."

Golgotha

John Gardner

1980

Published in the US as The Last Trump.

"A world engulfed by war.... The collapse of Yugoslavia has led to a Europe-wide Russian invasion, with Britain no more than a puppet Russian state. Locked away by the US intelligence forces, British agent Paul Fadden is unexpectedly told he must play a role that will be critical for the survival of the western world. His assignment involves a UK and US-driven plan hatched long ago. Its aim was to protect Europe through hidden nuclear weapons. A trail of clues were embedded by hypnosis in a group of sleeper agents who never knew of the part they were to play in this tense drama. The clues were hidden to ensure that no one agent knew the full picture. A lead that Fadden follows provides him with a further part of the puzzle along with the identity and contact details of two other agents which he must locate. But, when Fadden discovers all too late that one agent's identity has been assumed by a Russian sympathiser, the Russian authorities now also hold the key to discovering the western authorities' secret weapon. Can Fadden unlock the tangled web of clues?"

Licence Renewed

John Gardner

1981

A James Bond novel.

"Bond has been assigned to investigate one Dr. Anton Murik, a brilliant nuclear physicist who is thought to have been meeting with a terrorist known as Franco. Together they plan to hijack six nuclear power plants around the world and start a global meltdown, unless Bond can stop them."

For Special Services

John Gardner

1982

A James Bond novel.

"In this second instalment of John Gardner's Bond series, Bond teams up with CIA agent Cedar Leiter, daughter of his old friend Felix Leiter, to investigate Markus Bismaquer, who is suspected of reviving the notorious criminal organisation SPECTRE."

The Quiet Dogs

John Gardner

1982

A Herbie Kruger novel.

"Is this Herbie Kruger’s final stand? He has a chance for redemption. But time is running out; the Quiet Dogs are stirring . . . After his humiliation in The Garden of Weapons, Big Herbie is still under suspicion. Worse, he has endangered Britain’s top agent in the Kremlin, Stentor. Herbie must make amends. He must manoeuvre Stentor’s rescue form the grasp of the Quiet Dogs . . . And exact revenge, in the final confrontation, on his old enemy General Jacob Vascovsky."

The Director

John Gardner

1982

Flamingo

John Gardner

1983

Icebreaker

John Gardner

1983

A James Bond novel.

"Bond reluctantly finds himself recruited into a dangerous mission involving an equally dangerous and treacherous alliance of agents from the CIA, the KGB and Israel's Mossad. The team dubbed 'Icebreaker' waste no time double crossing each other, as they try to root out the leader of the murderous National Socialist Action Army, Count Konrad von Gloda, a one time SS officer, who now perceives himself as the New Adolf Hitler."

Role of Honour

John Gardner

1984

A James Bond novel.

"Following scandal and his shock resignation from Britain's Secret Intelligence Service James Bond becomes a gun for hire; able, and willing, to sell his lethal skills to the highest bidder. And SPECTRE, it seems, are eager to have the disgraced British super spy on their payroll. But before he can be fully embraced by his new employer - and deadliest enemy - 007 must first prove his loyalty. And in doing so he must threaten with nuclear annihilation everything he has fought his whole life to defend. Until honour is fully restored."

The Secret Generations

John Gardner

1985

A Railton family novel.

"May, 1910 The world is on the eve of a war set to ruin the lives of a whole generation. The Railton family are intimately involved in the world of espionage, which will become so crucial to the conflict’s outcome. With the death of General Sir William Railton, the family patriarch and hero of Balaclava, the family is thrown into a world of violence and intrigue. Manipulated by the new head of the family, the ruthless arch-intriguer Giles Railton, each member of the dynasty comes to play their part in the ‘Great Game’ of Intelligence. Through the story of one family, whose lives become caught up in some of the greatest struggles of the twentieth century, John Gardner traces the birth, the successes and the failures of the organizations now known as MI5, MI6 and GCHQ. From the battlefields of the Western Front to Russia on the eve of revolution, this epic work of fiction tells the story of the dramatic history of Britain’s intelligence and security services."

Nobody Lives for Ever

John Gardner

1986

A James Bond novel.

"Bond was supposed to be on leave. But SPECTRE leader Tamil Rahani, dying from injuries suffered at Bond's hand, is determined to make it the holiday to die for. With a price on his head, Bond must evade the world's greatest assassins in a ruthless game of cat-and-mouse across Europe, while trying to save the lives of the two women who matter to him most, his housekeeper May and Miss Moneypenny. But Bond has been a target before. And when it comes to staying alive, nobody does it better than 007."

No Deals, Mr. Bond

John Gardner

1987

A James Bond novel.

"Two female agents of Operation Cream Cake - double agents and honey traps against the KGB - are murdered. Bond must find the others and conduct them to safety before they meet a similar fate. In a race against time, Bond travels to Ireland and the KGB is soon on the scene. But all is not as it seems and soon Bond finds he needs all his wits to negotiate a labyrinth of double-crossing that is to lead him to a bewildering showdown in a remote corner of the Kowloon province of Hong Kong, where, weaponless, he is hunted by four assassins."

Scorpius

John Gardner

1988

A James Bond novel.

"When the body of a mysterious woman is found to be carrying the phone number of James Bond, Bond is called in by M to help the investigation. But before he can even reach headquarters he is nearly run off the road in a high-speed motorway chase. Someone wants Bond dead. Then Bond discovers that the woman was a member of a cult society known as "The Meek Ones", with murky links to a wealthy arms dealer. Soon, hideous acts of terrorism begin to roll out across Britain and Bond finds himself in a race against time to track down the faceless criminal behind the horror."

The Secret Houses

John Gardner

1988

A Railton family novel. Herbie Kruger appears in this novel.

"Two families - the Railtons in Britain and the Farthings in America - are at the heart of a titanic political struggle, their fates intertwined in the secret world of Intelligence by blood, love, loyalty and betrayal. The British Secret Intelligence Service and the American Office of Strategic Services are locked in a desperate struggle to destroy the war machine that threatens the future of the world - and once again the Railtons and the Farthings are drawn into the secret struggle. Both families are intimately concerned in the fate of the Tarot resistance network, operated by Caspar Railton under the nose of the ruthless SS officer Hans-Dieter Klaubert, known as the Devil of Orléans. Caspar has recruited his nieces Caroline and Jo-Jo as undercover agents in France, and their disappearance coincided with the break-up of Tarot. The truth about Tarot and the fate of Caroline and Jo-Jo is at the heart of this enthralling installment of an Intelligence saga that has been hailed on both sides of the Atlantic as a classic of espionage fiction."

The Secret Families

John Gardner

1989

A Railton family novel. Herbie Kruger appears in this novel.

"The year is 1964. The Cold War is at its height and Caspar Railton, the 'wounded lion' of the Railton clan, which for decades has dominated British Intelligence, is dead. Even worse, evidence has emerged suggesting Caspar was a traitor and suspicion surrounds not only the Railtons but also the Farthings, the American family of spymasters connected by marriage to their British counterparts. Yet Naldo refuses to accept his uncle's guilt and is determined to clear both families' names. With his cousin Arnold Farthing he embarks on a quest to uncover Caspar's past, a mission which takes both men deep into some of the most dangerous territory any agent can enter. The Secret Families completes John Gardner's The Secret Generations trilogy, which is a giant work of fiction drawn from the dramatic history of Britain’s intelligence and security services."

Win, Lose or Die

John Gardner

1989

A James Bond novel.

"When M receives word that a known terrorist organisation is planning to infiltrate and destroy a top-secret British Royal Navy aircraft carrier-based summit of world leaders, James Bond is returned to active duty in the Royal Navy. Promoted from Commander to Captain, Bond is expected to infiltrate the aircraft carrier HMS Invincible and identify potential sleeper agents. As he struggles to complete his mission, a massive war game is being carried out between the American, British, and Soviet Navies. And when Bond gets caught up in a murder investigation the safety of the most powerful leaders on the planet hangs in the balance."

Licence to Kill

John Gardner

1989

A James Bond novel. This book is a novelisation of the film Licence To Kill.

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Brokenclaw

John Gardner

1990

A James Bond novel.

"On holiday in Victoria, British Columbia, Bond becomes intrigued Lee Fu-Chu, a half-Blackfoot, half-Chinese philanthropist who is known as "Brokenclaw" because of a deformed hand. On his return to the UK Bond is tasked to investigate the kidnapping of several scientists who have been working on a new submarine detection system. It becomes clear that Brokenclaw is behind the kidnapping and worse, he has a devastating plan to cause economic meltdown through the collapse of the dollar. Bond has no choice but to enter his lair."

The Man from Barbarossa

John Gardner

1991

A James Bond novel.

"James Bond has been partnered with an Israeli Mossad agent, Pete Natkowitz, and assigned to work with the KGB to infiltrate a terrorist group. The group, The Scales of Justice, are demanding the trial of a suspected Nazi war criminal and each day of delay brings another death. Posing as a TV crew, Bond and the other agents attempt to discover the group's real motive. When Bond realises that the real aim is to supply Iraq with nuclear weapons just before the United Nations-led coalition invades he faces the most crucial mission of his life."

Death is Forever

John Gardner

1992

A James Bond novel.

"The Cold War is over. After two British agents die under mysterious and strangely old-fashioned circumstances in Germany, Bond is paired up with beautiful CIA agent 'Easy' St John. He's been assigned to track down the surviving members of "Cabal", a Cold War-era intelligence network that received a mysterious and unauthorised signal to disband. It's not long before Bond and Easy find themselves playing a life-or-death game as they try to figure out who they can trust. All the while, Cabal agents are dying one by one."

Blood of the Fathers

Edmund McCoy

1992

Subsequently published in 2004 with the title Unknown Fears with writing credits John Gardner.

"When Phillip Tarpin is summoned from London to take up a top executive position at a New York publishing house, fortune seems to be smiling on him. But he is soon to be a victim of past history and past secrets. When his mother dies suddenly, he begins to discover disturbing facts about the father he never knew. Then two unrelated projects land on his desk: a book with startling new evidence about the murderous career of Jack the Ripper, and a hard-hitting investigation into the British Government's alleged "shoot-to-kill" policy. Incredibly, both seem linked to the puzzle of his family's bloodstained past and the chilling, century-old arm of vengeance that is now reaching out for him."

Never Send Flowers

John Gardner

1993

A James Bond novel.

"In different corners of the world four high-profile figures are assassinated in less than a week. Nobody links the deaths but one thing is certain: each of them has been stalked, sought out and killed with care and preparation. Then a sinister connection is established: a single, blood-tipped rose is sent to each funeral and an unremarkable female agent is murdered in Switzerland. When MI5 come to MI6 to ask for help M brings in his best. At first, a weekend abroad seems tempting to James Bond: especially when he's paired with Flicka von Grusse, a gorgeous Swiss intelligence officer. But this is a perilous assignment that starts with the mysterious actor David Dragonpol and leads them to Athens, Milan and on to EuroDisney ... and an explosive climax."

Maestro

John Gardner

1993

A Herbie Kruger novel.

"Louis Passau is America’s greatest living orchestral conductor, a legendary, world-acclaimed artist whose ninetieth birthday will be marked by a glittering celebratory concert at New York’s Lincoln Center. But a double shadow hangs over the event: Passau has recently been accused of spying for Hitler and, worse, the British Secret Intelligence Service have now linked his name to KGB clandestine operations in the USA during the Cold War. The Maestro agrees to be interrogated, but only after the concert. British Intelligence call in Big Herbie Kruger to question the Maestro, and thanks to the once-famous agent-runner Passau survives an assassination attempt in his moment of glory. Still a target, he now insists on dealing only with Kruger, who desperately seeks a safe-house to conduct the debriefing. As he grapples with the elusive truth about the conductor – from the man’s first memories of his Bavarian village, to his adventures as a young immigrant in New York, his experiences in Capone’s Chicago and his ruthless rise to fame and fortune – Herbie Kruger finds himself ensnared in the Maestro’s dangerous secrets and deceits."

SeaFire

John Gardner

1994

A James Bond novel.

"James Bond is back in action, with the stunning Flicka von Grusse at his side and his licence to kill renewed once more. His target is Sir Maxwell Tarn: a businessman whose legitimate empire spans the globe, whose wealth is uncountable, who also deals in illegal weapons on a breathtaking scale. But even Bond is unprepared for the speed of events, as a sting operation in a Cambridge hotel leads rapidly to an assassination in Spain, a fugitive in Israel and neo-Nazi plotters in Germany. Bond finally catches up with Tarn in Puerto Rico where his prey becomes his captor. Can he escape in time to stop Tarn?."

GoldenEye

John Gardner

1995

A James Bond novel. The book is a novelization of the film GoldenEye.

"She is beautiful. She is Russian. And she is very, very dangerous. Once Xenia worked for the KGB. But her new master is Janus, a powerful and ambitious Russian leader who no longer cares about ideology. Janus's ambitions are money and power: his normal business methods include theft and murder. And he has just acquired Goldeneye, a piece of high-tech space technology with the power to destroy or corrupt the West's financial markets. But Janus has underestimated his most determined enemy: James Bond."

Confessor

John Gardner

1995

A Herbie Kruger novel.

"A terrorist car bomb, and death comes quickly to The Confessor, aka Gus Keene, the best interrogator the Secret Intelligence Service ever had. But he becomes infinitely more mysterious in death when Big Herbie Kruger, torn from self-inflicted retirement, is summoned to delve into the dead man’s past. As he begins to peel back the layers of Keen’s life, he uncovers a man of hidden depths, a man who knew more than he should about Government secrets. Soon the trail leads Kruger to the unholy alliance of a renegade IRA cell and a vicious Middle Eastern terrorist group intent upon wreaking havoc across Europe. Somewhere in their razed scenario lie the clues to Keene’s death. But Kruger must pick his way through the chaos of treachery and violence to find them."

COLD

John Gardner

1996

A James Bond novel. Published in the US as Cold Fall.

"James Bond is on a mission that will become an obsession. It starts the night Flight 229 is torn apart at Washington airport, killing 435 passengers. But the victim who matters to Bond is the Principessa Sukie Tempesta: once his lover, still his friend. The search for Sukie's killers will turn out to be the most complex and demanding assignment of Bond's career. Across continents and through ever-changing labyrinths of evil, he follows the traces of clues into the centre of a fanatical society more deadly than any terrorist army. Its code name is COLD."

Day of Absolution

John Gardner

2000

"Charlie Gauntlet has just retired from a long career in espionage and married a young cop who specializes in anti-terrorism. While Charlie's wife heads to Ireland on the trail of the notorious assassin called Alchemist, Charlie finds himself embarking on a perilous journey of his own. Britain's most infamous traitor, Kit Palfrey, has inexplicably turned up on his doorstep, claiming to possess a cache of ancient scrolls written by a prostitute who knew Jesus. If they're authentic, they are certain to undermine the central tenets of Christianity. With parallel plots that race to an astonishing climax, John Gardner's latest work will take readers' breath away."

Bottled Spider

John Gardner

2002

A Detective Sergeant Suzie Mountford novel.

"Two-faced Golly Goldfinch likes his victims young, female and unsuspecting. Armed with piano wire and the ability to go unnoticed despite a facial deformity, Golly hears voices telling him who to target. After the mutilated body of a popular BBC announcer, Jo Benton, is discovered in her London home, inexperienced Woman Detective Sergeant Susannah Mountford finds herself hopelessly out of her depth in charge of the investigation. It quickly becomes clear that Jo Benton has intimate connections across London society and it is WDS Mountford’s job to untangle the sordid web of her personal life. But, as the number of similar corpses mounts, the question must be asked — are these killings the frenzied work of a madman, or is something altogether more organised going on? With bombs dropping every night and death all around, WDS Mountford must fight the general prejudice against women in the police force to be taken seriously. Then Golly hears her name... "

The Streets of Town

John Gardner

2003

A Detective Sergeant Suzie Mountford novel.

"September, 1940. After a local restaurant owner, Carlo Falconetti, has his fingers broken mysteriously and a local punter, Buller Belcher, is found dead, supposedly murdered by a group of drunk military men, WDS Suzie Mountford is assigned the case. But something doesn’t add up and Mountford’s attention is turned to the Balvak twins, Connie and Conrad, who appear more and more suspicious and lethal than ever. Camford’s bars and clubs are run by the notorious gangster twins and their criminal activities have given them a dangerous reputation. Their notable cronies are just as deadly; Shady Porky Pine, Matthew 'Newcastle' Brown and the Trinity Building Co. trio , Dave, Dick and Derek, are causing a storm. The Balvak’s cut throat justice and mob rules apply to even their closest companions. When they discover that their right hand man and accountant Little Nell is stealing money from them, his life is in serious danger… Mountford must navigate her way through a web of corruption and misleading evidence while protecting and hiding a witness of the murder, a terrified waitress named Sybil. With the help of her lover Tommy Livermore, Suzie must uncover the truth and bring the Balvak twins to justice."

Angels Dining at the Ritz

John Gardner

2004

A Detective Sergeant Suzie Mountford novel.

"The year is 1942 and the B17 Flying Fortresses have just lifted into the air, bound for Nazi-occupied Europe. But the small town of Long Taddmarten has more to worry about than Hitler, Nazis, or bombs. Someone has ruthlessly slaughtered barrister Max Ascoli, his wife, and eight-year-old son by blasting their faces off with a shotgun. For D.S. Suzie Mountford, along with her boss and lover D.C.S. Tommy Livermore, the death of Ascoli brings back best-forgotten memories. Two years earlier, murderous lunatic Golly Goldfinch nearly killed Suzie, and though Golly is locked away now, Ascoli was responsible for his reprieve from hanging. Now, the deeper they dig, the more horrors and history Suzie and Tommy uncover…"

Troubled Midnight

John Gardner

2005

A Detective Sergeant Suzie Mountford novel.

"The year is 1943. Preparations for the greatest invasion in history, the assault on Hitler’s Fortress Europe, are underway in the United Kingdom. With fresh bloodshed on the horizon, the coming Christmas preparations seem even more poignant. But with just ten days to go the seasonal mood is shattered in the quiet market town of Wantage in Berkshire when Detective Chief Superintendent Tommy Livermore and DS Suzie Mountford, Tommy’s right-hand woman and secret lover, are called to investigate the discovery of two tortured and beaten bodies. When the bodies are identified as Lieutenant-Colonel Tim Weaving, a commanding officer stationed at a nearby airfield and Emily Bascombe, wife of the town’s hero, Tommy and Suzie are joined by Curry Shepherd, a representative of the Intelligence Services. It is possible that an enemy agent has interrogated Tim Weaving whilst he was in possession of highly confidential information. Things become urgent as Suzie finds herself seconded to War Office Intelligence Liaison and so enters the secret world."

No Human Enemy

John Gardner

2007

A Detective Sergeant Suzie Mountford novel.

"Soon after the D-Day landings, Hitler launches the V-1 flying bomb, bringing death and destruction to England. One of the targets is a Camberwell convent. The Reserve Squad, led by colleagues and lovers Tommy Livermore and Suzie Mountford, investigate the suspicious nature of the deaths. Feeling strongly connected to the victims at Camberwell Convent, because she was herself taught by nuns at St Helen’s school, Suzie is determined to find out the truth. But the team is split when the murder of housewife Doris Butler leads to questions about her marriage and the character of those on the force. Doris married at seventeen and continued to see other men while her husband was away at war... He was killed four years later by a D2 bomb. Nothing conclusive comes to light and the force are at a loss as to who was responsible for Doris’ death. With politics, war and secrets clouding the investigations, Tommy and Suzie must uncover the truth before someone else gets hurt."

Spin the Bottle: The Autobiography Of An Alcoholic

John Gardner

1964