Understrike

Boysie Oakes #2

by John Gardner

Boysie Oakes is back. The suave, womanising special agent for British Intelligence returns in his second thrilling adventure. 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 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. And as he arrives in San Diego the clock is ticking and Operation Understrike is under way. ‘Understrike’ is the second in the series of highly acclaimed spy novels featuring cowardly secret agent, Boysie Oakes. It is perfect for fans of classic British spy fiction, including Ian Fleming, Len Deighton, and Desmond Bagley. Before coming an author of fiction in the early 1960’s John Gardner was variously a stage magician, a Royal Marine officer and a journalist. In all Gardner has fifty-four novels to his credit, including Maestro, which was the New York Times book of the year. He was also invited by Ian Fleming’s literary copyright holders to write a series of continuation James Bond novels, which proved to be so successful that instead of the contracted three books he went on to publish some fourteen titles, including Licence Renewed and Icebreaker. Having lived in the Republic of Ireland, the United States and the UK, John Gardner sadly died in August of 2007 having just completed his third novel in the Moriarty trilogy, Conan Doyle’s eponymous villain of the Sherlock Holmes series. 'Cool polished story-telling with all the sexy sidelines in the best James Bond tradition' Evening Standard

Genres: Espionage, Thriller, Fiction, Adventure

155 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 1965

About the author

Before coming an author of fiction in the early 1960s, John Gardner was variously a stage magician, a Royal Marine officer and a journalist. In all, Gardner has fifty-four novels to his credit, including Maestro, which was the New York Times book of the year. He was also invited by Ian Fleming’s literary copyright holders to write a series of continuation James Bond novels, which proved to be so successful that instead of the contracted three books he went on to publish some fourteen titles, including Licence Renewed and Icebreaker.

Having lived in the Republic of Ireland, the United States and the UK, John Gardner sadly died in August of 2007 having just completed his third novel in the Moriarty trilogy, Conan Doyle’s eponymous villain of the Sherlock Holmes series.

Reviews

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another spy parody. This involves the old, hoary tale of the double. Some Russian is the spitting image of Boysie Oakes, and the Russians plan to use him in their nefarious schemes. Unfortunately for them, the double takes after Boysie in more than just looks.

Somewhat amusing.

[Kevin Findley · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good take on the spy thrillers of the 60s, but Understrike is not quite as good as Liquidator, the previous novel. Here, our man Oakes find himself playing errand boy and then being sent to attend a weapons demonstration his boss doesn't want to bother with. Of course, this being Boysie, everything goes sideways, gets upended, and that is only the beginning.

The author gives all of Fleming's ideas on what a spy should be a really hard tweak. This spy is afraid to fly, faints at the sight of too much blood, and is not a man to depend on in any situation. Like Flashman though, he winds up on top of the situation and even receives a medal and accolades.

I think that might be part of the description to use for Boysie. A cross between Flashman and David Niven's portrayal of Bond in the original Casino Royale. If you take the character in this vein, Oakes is more fun to read and you'll do more laughing than cringing.

It's a fun way to spend an hour or two, pick it up at your nearest used bookstore.

Read it!

[Kally Sheng · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very entertaining

It’s quite a modest James Bond like story, nothing too fantastic, Boysie is just like an ordinary mortal human being like you and me. Storyline and twists are believable. Not a bad read.

[Paul Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A poor man's Bond. A rip roaring tale of daring don't. The story cracks along at a pace. The humour comes thick and fast. Its never going to win a Booker prize but for anyone who is a fan of spy novels there is very little not to like.

[Steve Mitchell · Rating 3 out of 5]

A (sort of) cross between James Bond and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, this second volume of Boysie Oakes series makes an interesting diversion and a fairly enjoyable read

[Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really liked it , nice short self contained book

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two Boysie for the price of one

Double the fun with Oakes and a imposter who is his double. The double is a Russian agent who surprise has the same fears as the original.

[Robert M. Galbraith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun read with good characters and an unusual story line. Light humor coupled with great villains make for a great mix.

[Jorn Barger · Rating 1 out of 5]

The premise is lame: a manufactured double. Boysie's cowardice never interferes with his heroics. The plot twists are lazy and affectless. It fails as parody and as thriller.

[Alan Carlson · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok. Not up to the standard of Fleming, or even Gardner's later works, but not repellant either. (I have discontinued reading another of Gardner's books partway through annoyance.)

[Courtenay Young · Rating 2 out of 5]

Poor and unbelievable

Ian Fleming’s ‘Bond’ books were better written with more believable plots. These are worse and very dated. A waste of time to read.

[Eero · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another Kindle freebie.

Boysie Oakes travels to the USA to observe a missile system test. Russian agents try to mess things up by killing him and replacing him with a double - which obviously does not succeed.

This is definitely the book I read as a kid. I must have been too young and genre-naive then to get the satiricat tone. For instance, the New York gangsters working for the Russians are pretty much caricatures of genre stereotypes, and the author is constantly poking fun at the tropes he uses (like the villain speech at the end) by lampshading them.

I have to say Vladimir Solev, Boysie's double from a tractor factory, is used rather poorly. As soon as he becomes a character in his own right, he is killed in a case of mistaken identity because Boysie switches rooms with him to have sex with one of the "Boysie girls" in this story.