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The Man from U.N.C.L.E. #10
The Assassination Affair
A routine assignment that led to world disaster!
Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin were bored with the seemingly useless tip they were checking out: they had to find a man named Dundee, but they didn't know who he was or how he could be important. But obviously he must be...for suddenly THRUSH declared war on all U.N.C.L.E. agents, trying to keep them away from the mysterious Dundee.
Even as they fought to stay alive, Solo and Illya's minds were leaping head: Was Dundee aminion of THRUSH? Or was he working on his own, with THRUSH closing in on him? Either way, what deadly secret was the man hiding?
Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin were bored with the seemingly useless tip they were checking out: they had to find a man named Dundee, but they didn't know who he was or how he could be important. But obviously he must be...for suddenly THRUSH declared war on all U.N.C.L.E. agents, trying to keep them away from the mysterious Dundee.
Even as they fought to stay alive, Solo and Illya's minds were leaping head: Was Dundee aminion of THRUSH? Or was he working on his own, with THRUSH closing in on him? Either way, what deadly secret was the man hiding?
158 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1967
About the author
J. Hunter Holly
22 books17 followersJoan Carol Holly was a science fiction author who wrote under the pseudonym J. Hunter Holly in the late 1950s until the mid-1970s. Joan Holly also contributed stories for Roger Elwood's series of books and sci-fi magazines, under both her real name(Joan C. Holly) and her pseudonym (Joan Hunter Holly).
Joan died of lung cancer in 1982.
Joan died of lung cancer in 1982.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 7, 2016
This is a pretty good Uncle novel, lots of twists and turns, diabolical villains aplenty. It's nice to see Napoleon's vulnerable side and the bond between him and Illya coming through clear and strong.
June 25, 2024
It is perhaps ironic that the most brutal, the most violent and the most nightmarish outing in this U.N.C.L.E. series so far was written by a woman; namely, the science fiction author J. Hunter Holly, nee Joan Carol Holly. This was Holly's only contribution to the series, although I believe she does have an unpublished manuscript for something called "The Wolves and the Lambs Affair" that may be found online. Her novel here cleaves into two discrete sections. In the first, a maniacal Thrush botanist with the unlikely Biblical handle Abel Cain Adams tries to make a, uh, name for himself by declaring war on U.N.C.L.E.'s top enforcement agents. Thus, no fewer than three assassination attempts are made on Napoleon Solo, following which he is captured and forced to undergo a gruesome torture. In the book's second half, Solo and Illya Kuryakin wind up in rural Michigan (Holly had been born in Lansing, Michigan), searching for the lab that has been manufacturing Thrush's latest deadly chemical; one that will wither all plants and produce. (It should be noted that the small town of Riverview in the novel is probably not meant to be the Riverview that sits near Detroit in real life.)
Highlights of this memorable affair are the three assassination attempts made on Solo, two on the mean streets of NYC and one in his apartment; the plight of Illya being trapped in a tethered hot-air balloon 50 feet up in the air while Thrush goons await him below; and the final showdown in that Thrush lab. And then there are the two showstopper sequences that have apparently been giving many fans nightmares for years now. In the first, a blindfolded and trussed Solo is forced to navigate his way through a room with tumbled furniture sporting knives, hatchets, ice picks and other killing instruments. In the second, Kuryakin is made into a human scarecrow after receiving a vicious pummeling, and hung up in an empty field under the 98-degree July sun. As inferred up top, it is a very tough outing for our two favorite agents, with Solo cut up and psychologically damaged in the first section, and then getting some of that new Thrush chemical painfully thrown onto his torso in the second. And as for Illya, the poor dude not only gets shot in the arm in part 1, but is on the receiving end of that brutal treatment in part 2. No fewer than a quartet of lovelies is featured in this novel: Solo's pretty blonde neighbor Lainy Michaels; U.N.C.L.E. file clerk Mada Adams, the niece of madman Adams; the voluptuous Michigan farmgirl Gloryanna Piper; and Thrush agent Galaxy Talbot. As for the bad guys, this novel dishes out a rogues' gallery, including Adams' henchmen Louie, Robard and (the 6'6" monstrosity) Julius, and, in the second section, the Thrush baddies Dr. Saturn, Barber, and the head of this particular botanical operation, Dundee. Holly, it must be said, writes simply but compellingly, with a highly readable style that does not depend on the tech talk and gadget mentions of the previous novels; don't look for makes of guns and cars here. This book, apparently, is deemed one of the best of the series that was not written by David McDaniel, and for good reason: It is at once fast moving, grim and very memorable. Still, some minor problems do crop up.
Holly employs the word "careen" a few times too often, and uses the word "tirade" incorrectly at one point. The characters of Lainy and Mada disappear completely after the first section, never to be mentioned again, and the fate of the minor villain Barber is left up in the air as well. Still, these are relatively minor matters in an U.N.C.L.E. novel so very terrific. This reader looks forward now to reading more of Holly's work, especially her 1962 novel "The Flying Eyes," with its famous cover in the Ace edition. Wish me luck as I endeavor to track a copy down....
(By the way, this review originally appeared on the FanLit website at https://fantasyliterature.com/ ....)
Highlights of this memorable affair are the three assassination attempts made on Solo, two on the mean streets of NYC and one in his apartment; the plight of Illya being trapped in a tethered hot-air balloon 50 feet up in the air while Thrush goons await him below; and the final showdown in that Thrush lab. And then there are the two showstopper sequences that have apparently been giving many fans nightmares for years now. In the first, a blindfolded and trussed Solo is forced to navigate his way through a room with tumbled furniture sporting knives, hatchets, ice picks and other killing instruments. In the second, Kuryakin is made into a human scarecrow after receiving a vicious pummeling, and hung up in an empty field under the 98-degree July sun. As inferred up top, it is a very tough outing for our two favorite agents, with Solo cut up and psychologically damaged in the first section, and then getting some of that new Thrush chemical painfully thrown onto his torso in the second. And as for Illya, the poor dude not only gets shot in the arm in part 1, but is on the receiving end of that brutal treatment in part 2. No fewer than a quartet of lovelies is featured in this novel: Solo's pretty blonde neighbor Lainy Michaels; U.N.C.L.E. file clerk Mada Adams, the niece of madman Adams; the voluptuous Michigan farmgirl Gloryanna Piper; and Thrush agent Galaxy Talbot. As for the bad guys, this novel dishes out a rogues' gallery, including Adams' henchmen Louie, Robard and (the 6'6" monstrosity) Julius, and, in the second section, the Thrush baddies Dr. Saturn, Barber, and the head of this particular botanical operation, Dundee. Holly, it must be said, writes simply but compellingly, with a highly readable style that does not depend on the tech talk and gadget mentions of the previous novels; don't look for makes of guns and cars here. This book, apparently, is deemed one of the best of the series that was not written by David McDaniel, and for good reason: It is at once fast moving, grim and very memorable. Still, some minor problems do crop up.
Holly employs the word "careen" a few times too often, and uses the word "tirade" incorrectly at one point. The characters of Lainy and Mada disappear completely after the first section, never to be mentioned again, and the fate of the minor villain Barber is left up in the air as well. Still, these are relatively minor matters in an U.N.C.L.E. novel so very terrific. This reader looks forward now to reading more of Holly's work, especially her 1962 novel "The Flying Eyes," with its famous cover in the Ace edition. Wish me luck as I endeavor to track a copy down....
(By the way, this review originally appeared on the FanLit website at https://fantasyliterature.com/ ....)
May 13, 2026
This is the only UNCLE book written by J.Hunter Holly, a science fiction writer whose real name was Joan Carol Hunter. She does quite a good job.
The novel can be read as two linked novellas. It begins with several attempts on Solo's life, orchestrated by a minor THRUSH scientist who has gone nuts and is now acting on his own. There's a really intense scene in which Solo is captured. His hands are tied in such a way that if he tries to raise them above his waist, it will tighten a noose around his neck. He's then blindfolded and made to walk through a room in which the walls and furniture all have sharp blades sticking out of them.
After this situation is resolved, UNCLE is left with a clue about THRUSH activities in the Midwest, where they are testing a new chemical that destroys crops. Solo and Illya are sent to investigate.
The two stories are linked by the danger of the psychological effects of Solo's experience in the blade-room causing him to panic when he's back in the field. Other than that, it is two separate stories with two separate pretty girls getting involved.
Both are good stories. Holly catches the personalities of both Solo and Illya, writes great action scenes and moves the plots along swifty. It's an open question as to whether the chronically unflappable Napoleon Solo should suffer from realistic PTSD, but if you go with it, it's also handled well.
It's too bad Holly didn't get another shot at writing an entry in the series. She does quite well with this one.
The novel can be read as two linked novellas. It begins with several attempts on Solo's life, orchestrated by a minor THRUSH scientist who has gone nuts and is now acting on his own. There's a really intense scene in which Solo is captured. His hands are tied in such a way that if he tries to raise them above his waist, it will tighten a noose around his neck. He's then blindfolded and made to walk through a room in which the walls and furniture all have sharp blades sticking out of them.
After this situation is resolved, UNCLE is left with a clue about THRUSH activities in the Midwest, where they are testing a new chemical that destroys crops. Solo and Illya are sent to investigate.
The two stories are linked by the danger of the psychological effects of Solo's experience in the blade-room causing him to panic when he's back in the field. Other than that, it is two separate stories with two separate pretty girls getting involved.
Both are good stories. Holly catches the personalities of both Solo and Illya, writes great action scenes and moves the plots along swifty. It's an open question as to whether the chronically unflappable Napoleon Solo should suffer from realistic PTSD, but if you go with it, it's also handled well.
It's too bad Holly didn't get another shot at writing an entry in the series. She does quite well with this one.
April 9, 2026
another quick read and a fun fast paced story by another new author for me. In this one Napoleon and Illya must once again stop THRUSH and their evil plan for total world domination and this time they just might pull it off. How? but decimating crops and farm land pastures by withering every growing thing. Once again Illya and Napoleon are caught in the middle and must make an escape and a save for the fate of the world this time. Good Book.
January 3, 2019
Once again, Napoleon and Illya take on the bad guys. Mad scientists, THRUSH and a fiendish plot to take over the world.Nothing new but a fun nostalgic read
June 1, 2023
Not my favorite, but it was ok
October 21, 2007
Napoleon gets locked in a dark room with a lot of sharp pointy knives attached to the walls and furniture. Oh noes!
Read
May 20, 2010standard television novel
April 29, 2015
Excellent book adaptation of the TV series. Great spy adventure book. This is how the CIA and FBI should operate. Recommended
September 12, 2016
Love these collectibles
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews