Into the Volcano: A Mallory & Morse Novel of Espionage

by Forrest Devoe Jr.

The year is 1962. John Glenn is in orbit, Audrey Hepburn is breakfasting outside Tiffany's, and Elvis is recording "Bossa Nova Baby." The Gibson and Détente are both in fashion, and both are served icy cold. And in the Foreigners' Quarter of Istanbul, a middle-aged Dutch spy has just met a fiery death. Enter Mallory and Morse. Jack Mallory is a laconic ex-soldier from the oilfields of CorpusChristi. Laura Morse is a frostily beautiful Boston Brahmin adept at Floating Hand karate. Both are top operatives for the Consultancy, a shadowy covert-services network run by the enigmatic British ex-commando known as Gray. The Consultancy exists to execute those missions too dangerous or too dirty for the world's conventional intelligence agencies. The murdered man was their friend and colleague, and Gray has ordered them to take revenge. It won't be easy. All signs point to athlete-turned-arms-dealer Anton Rauth, a man of vast means, refined tastes, and questionable sanity, currently holed up in his HQ inside an extinct South Seas volcano. His minions include two battle-hardened ex-GRU the dour Sasha Kurski and the genially murderous Piotr Nemerov, both rigorously trained and utterly remorseless. It's Mallory's job to let himself be captured. It's Laura's job to help him fight his way free again. With what they learn, they must penetrate the "nightclub" called Club Europa and then -- armed with little but scuba gear and nerve -- Rauth's island fortress itself. But as they know all too well, Rauth is expecting them. He may even have factored them into his plans. And his plans -- for both Mallory and America -- are literally earthshaking ... Into the Volcano is an homage to James Bond, Modesty Blaise, and the golden age of the spy thriller, a time when America was more innocent and its enemies possessed a dash of Space Age style. It takes the reader from bustling New York to steamy Istanbul, from Cannes' balmy breezes to the island known as the Dragon's Throne, and at last into the molten heart of the Cold War.

Genres: Thriller, Espionage

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Forrest DeVoe Jr. is the pen name of Max Phillips. In addition to cofounding the pulp revival imprint Hard Case Crime, he has authored one of its debut titles, Fade to Blonde, as well as the literary novels The Artist's Wife and Snakebite Sonnet. He is married and lives in New York City.

Reviews

[Will Byrnes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Max Phillips - image from TypeCon.com

Devoe, Forrest Devoe Jr. (real name Max Phillips)  has written an homage to Ian Fleming and the books and films of the Bond series. Jack Mallory is 007's stand-in, this time with a very deadly and efficient Emma Peal variant, Laura Morse. They are drawn into a web of intrigue when an operative of their organization, The Consultancy, is very dramatically done in while on assignment in Istanbul. They are to locate the evil-doers and return the favor as a way of telling the world that the Consultancy cannot, with impunity, be messed with. Adventures in Instanbul lead to adventures in the Indian Ocean and a very Doctor No-like private island, inhabited by a madman. And so it goes. This is a fun read, winking at Fleming the whole way. Enjoy.

[Holly · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love a good mystery and I love spy thrillers so I was pretty excited to find this on the discount table of my local bookstore. It started out good and grabbed me pretty quick. However, I had trouble getting past the third chapter when he describes his Japanese girlfriend as looking “childlike, except for the central delta of black hair.” The whole chapter has a weird Asian fetish vibe to it that turned me off and I really struggled to continue reading afterwards. I ended up tossing it in the end.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

James Bond move over. Mallory and Morse are two spies for the Consultancy who team up to exact revenge on the men responsible for the murder of a fellow colleague. Jack Mallory, who has a gift with the women, is a skilled and straightforward man that no one would want to mess with. His partner, Laura Morse is not only beautiful, but is a master in the marital arts. Together, the two are a nearly impossible team to beat. In a story that begins in New York and takes the reader to Istanbul, the Cannes, and the South Seas, Forrest DeVoe Jr. has put together an action packed adventure that would match any James Bond movie.

This was not a book I would have picked up on my own while browsing through a bookstore, however, I thought I would at least put my name in to see if I would be picked as an early reviewer through HarperCollins Publishing’s First Look program. While at moments in the book my attention waned, overall, I found the book enjoyable and interesting. At times it was a bit unbelievable and a challenge to keep disbelief at bay. I possibly would be interested in reading the next book in the series when it becomes available. Besides, I found a kindred spirit in Laura who keeps a paperback novel in her purse much like I do.

[Christian · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book cover promises people who like James Bond and the Avengers (the real ones not the ones from Marvel) would love this book. I didn't, I really like the genre, I like strong and capable women sixties settings can be great, but this book didn't work for me.

The spy team made up by Jake Mallory (replacement Bond) and Laura Morse (replacement Emma Peel) were introduced without any real flair, the book hints on previous team ups, but this is the first book they appear in. The villain is as cliche a Bond villain as you could ever imagine, including the volcano lair and evil designs for the world.
If this was supposed to be a persiflage on spy thrillers I didn't get it, if it was meant to be a serious effort it failed miserably.

If you want a flamboyant spy thriller, read Ian Fleming, if you want them cold and gritty John LeCarre is your man.
I also couldn't decide when the book was written the copyright places it at 2004 and a Author's note is dated at 1967.

[DonKelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the book jacket says, this is a homage to all that was good about James Bond back in the 60's spy era. Max Philips writing as Forrest DeVoe does a bang up job. Jack Mallory is everything a spy should be and his partner Laura Morse is much more.

[Jeff J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun pastiche of adventures by James Bond, Modesty Blaise, and the Avengers. I wish the writer had taken better advantage of the 1962 setting, nevertheless I look forward to reading further stories of Mallory and Morse.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

A playful and fun take on the classic spy novels of old, with solidly paced action and sufficient thrills and pretty girls to make Fleming proud.

[Chuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice Homage to Cold War spy movies in book form. Heroes are a male and female team and the women is definitely the deadlier of the two. Lots of fun.

[Reuben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reads like a cross between James Bond and Kill Bill, this is pulpy awesomeness.