Friday, May 29, 2020

The Silver Mistress by Peter O’Donnell: A Review by Warren Bull





Image from Goodreads dot com

The Silver Mistress was published in 1973. It is the sixth novel of eleven about the heroine Modesty Blaise. Two short story collections were also published. Like the Phantom, the character started in a comic strip. She first appeared in 1963.  The first novel came from a screenplay and became a best-seller.
I was impressed that the story grabbed my attention and held it throughout the book. The climactic battle is between Modesty and a martial arts phenomenon who had defeated her and her best friend earlier. It was believable and compelling. Before Katniss Everdeen and Emma Peel, Modesty was a sexy and highly competent woman who could more than hold her own.
I was interested enough to seek out earlier books in the series. For a quick and easy read that is well written and engrossing, I recommend The Silver Mistress. I plan to read more in the series.


4 comments:

  1. Wow, Modesty Blaise. She was an icon of the 1960s. In an era when most women aspired to an apron, Modesty suggested that women were so much more. What a fun look back!

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  2. I remember Modesty Blaise! When I was a teen wrestling with thoughts of my future, she seemed an impossible dream.

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  3. Where was I? I don't remember her at all, but then I guess I didn't get into mystery until later in my life. Where do you find these books, Warren?

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