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Agentti OSS 117
Trouble In Tokyo
SWIFT AND DEADLY AS THE RAW EDGE OF LIGHTNING
That was Agent OSS-117. To the unwary, the tall, suave American with the improbable name of Hubert Bonisseur de la Bath seemed just another playboy. But Danger was his real playmate and the blue eyes which could melt a blonde on contact could be as merciless as the steel-trap mind behind them.
Trouble had brought him to Tokyo. Big trouble, It had to be big. No minor assignments for Agent OSS-117. That would be like wasting a cannon on a mosquito.
Only this time Hubert met his match -- an adversary whose tactics were as deadly and devious as his own. And somewhere behind the smiling face of a friend lurked the evil grin of sudden death.
That was Agent OSS-117. To the unwary, the tall, suave American with the improbable name of Hubert Bonisseur de la Bath seemed just another playboy. But Danger was his real playmate and the blue eyes which could melt a blonde on contact could be as merciless as the steel-trap mind behind them.
Trouble had brought him to Tokyo. Big trouble, It had to be big. No minor assignments for Agent OSS-117. That would be like wasting a cannon on a mosquito.
Only this time Hubert met his match -- an adversary whose tactics were as deadly and devious as his own. And somewhere behind the smiling face of a friend lurked the evil grin of sudden death.
128 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1958
2 people are currently reading
30 people want to read
About the author
Jean Bruce
320 books11 followersJean Bruce born Jean Brochet on 22 March 1921 was a prolific French popular writer who died in 26 March 1963 in a car accident. He also wrote under the pseudonyms of Jean Alexandre, Jean Alexandre Brochet, Jean-Martin Rouan, and Joyce Lindsay.
He is particularly known for the adventures of secret agent Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath, aka OSS 117, of which many novels have been adapted for the screen in the 1960s. Bruce's first OSS 117 novel appeared in 1949. He wrote prolifically with 91 OSS 117 novels and many others before his death in a Jaguar sports car crash.
After his death, his wife Josette Bruce (who died in 1996) continued to write 143 new titles for the OSS 117 character beginning in 1966 until her death. After her death their son and daughter François and Martine Bruce wrote 24 books up until 1992.
He is particularly known for the adventures of secret agent Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath, aka OSS 117, of which many novels have been adapted for the screen in the 1960s. Bruce's first OSS 117 novel appeared in 1949. He wrote prolifically with 91 OSS 117 novels and many others before his death in a Jaguar sports car crash.
After his death, his wife Josette Bruce (who died in 1996) continued to write 143 new titles for the OSS 117 character beginning in 1966 until her death. After her death their son and daughter François and Martine Bruce wrote 24 books up until 1992.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 2, 2014
Agent OSS-117, an American with the name Hubert Bonisseur de la Bath lands in Tokyo after another job in Asia and looks forward to some rest and relaxation. Of course there will be a mild case of espionage, murder and beautiful women before the book can be closed. It is about double-agents and espionage in the Japan of the fifties, where the hero of this tale finds himself. While the story never becomes really spectacular it buzzes along and has its entertainment value. It is one of three books that were translated into the English language as the books are originally written in French. Based upon this book I can understand that folks did not pick up the series, even if it is fairly pro-American.
Jean Bruce wrote quite a few OSS-117 novels (91 before his early death in 1963), his wife did continue the books with 143 novels and their son and daughter wrote another 24 books until 1992. While this character was well read in the more francophone orientated parts of the world, and quite a few were translated in Dutch too, the rest of the world were never really enchanted by the character. The character has also appeared in a few movies of which the last two this century did do an excellent parody on the James Bond movies of the sixties with Jean Dujardin as the leading man. Like the spy books written by Gérard de Villiers concerning a CIA agent Malko Linge of royal blood it seems that the Anglophile countries seem to have little interest in the French spythrillers. Even if Villiers does get two of his books published in English this year. Vintage Books is publishing The Madmen of Benghazi and Chaos in Kabul in 2014. Both were translated by William Rodarmor.
OSS-117 is a series that is well worth your time, I am not sure if this particular book is a great entrance for the series as it lacks the skills of an Ian Fleming to make the Japanese culture look exciting and interesting. This book could have taken place almost anywhere post WWII where the US had a military presence.
Jean Bruce wrote quite a few OSS-117 novels (91 before his early death in 1963), his wife did continue the books with 143 novels and their son and daughter wrote another 24 books until 1992. While this character was well read in the more francophone orientated parts of the world, and quite a few were translated in Dutch too, the rest of the world were never really enchanted by the character. The character has also appeared in a few movies of which the last two this century did do an excellent parody on the James Bond movies of the sixties with Jean Dujardin as the leading man. Like the spy books written by Gérard de Villiers concerning a CIA agent Malko Linge of royal blood it seems that the Anglophile countries seem to have little interest in the French spythrillers. Even if Villiers does get two of his books published in English this year. Vintage Books is publishing The Madmen of Benghazi and Chaos in Kabul in 2014. Both were translated by William Rodarmor.
OSS-117 is a series that is well worth your time, I am not sure if this particular book is a great entrance for the series as it lacks the skills of an Ian Fleming to make the Japanese culture look exciting and interesting. This book could have taken place almost anywhere post WWII where the US had a military presence.
January 25, 2017
Agent OSS 117 #9 (#60 in France): “Trouble In Tokyo” (French title “A Tout Coeur A Tokyo”) by Jean Bruce. Agent OSS 117 is American CIA agent, Hubert Bonisseur de la Bath, stops in Tokyo after leaving Hong Kong, Sitting the Tokyo office of his company, the local boss asked him to wait while he interviews one of his secretaries. Eva Davidson has reported to her boss that a Japanese spy is blackmailing her to obtain secret information on the American military in Japan. His boss, Henry Babcock, wants secret agent Hubert to work on the case while he’s in Tokyo. It’s obvious that all his agents are known already, so Hubert should be able to uncover the spy. So pretending to be Eva Davidson’s husband just arrived from America, he tags along with her on supposed meetings. Unfortunately, everything seems to be going wrong. Well, really, this was a fun read, with an interesting plot and mystery. If we didn’t know it by his name, reading the story will quickly identify the author as French. We read that he swims in the girl’s eyes; he kisses her fingers; licks her palms. He is a black belt in judo and karate, so we do get some martial arts in this yarn. The reader won’t have much problem tagging the killer and spy, and solving the case, something a good intelligence agent would do, if he wasn’t “swimming in the girl’s eyes” all the time. This Fawcett Crest edition was released in the U.S. in 1965, but the French edition was published in 1958, which means this novel takes place about the same time as Earl Norman’s “Kill Me In Tokyo”. Very odd, but I doubt if either author knew the other. The series ran for 255 issues in France, but only 16 were translated into English and published in the U.S. They were short and fast reads, as well as fun. A shame more were not released in English.
June 7, 2021
Great spy book.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews