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Private I
This is Jimmy Sangster's first novel.
A spy novel.
A spy novel.
183 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1967
11 people want to read
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May 1, 2020
James Henry Kinmel Sangster, screenwriter, producer, director and novelist was born 2 December 1927 and died 19 August 2011.
Jimmy Sangster was a key figure in the revival of Hammer Films in the late 1950s and through the 1960s; he wrote The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), Dracula (1958), The Mummy (1959) and two dozen other Hammer horror films before moving to America. There he wrote for The Six Million Dollar Man, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, Ironside, Wonder Woman and other American TV shows.
Sangster wrote eight novels, and a couple of novelisations of his own screenplays, besides his film and television work. Three books were murder mysteries published from 1986–88 starring former Scotland Yard investigator James Reed. One standalone thriller/farce published in 1971 starring gun-running adventurer Anthony Bridges plus two spy thrillers published from 1968–70 starring British Intelligence agent Katy Touchfeather. Last but not least he wrote two half-spy/half-mystery novels, one published in 1967 the other in 1968, starring ex-British Intelligence operative turned private investigator John Smith, the first is this book "private i". The second and final John Smith spy thriller is titled "Foreign Exchange".
"private i" was adapted as an American TV movie titled "The Spy Killer" in 1969.
I really enjoyed reading this book.
Merged review:
in "The Spy Killer" a re-titling of "Private I" ex-British spy John Smith, now a lowly private-eye struggling to fulfill financial obligations to his creditors. To his surprise he obtains a paying client in the opening chapter – his ex-wife. She hires Smith to track down her new husband, Dunning, whom she fears may be having an affair with a man named Alworthy. Smith, giddy to receive money while relishing in his ex's misfortune, agrees to tail her husband in hopes of photographing him and a lover.
Smith learns that Dunning is Principal Under-Secretary for Britain's Foreign Office and during a rather clever exercise, stumbles on the whereabouts of a meeting between both Dunning and his suspected lover, Alworthy. Arrriving at the residence with a camera, Smith is greeted by Alworthy as he bursts out of the couple's front door. Thanking Smith for arriving so quickly, the two hastily rush inside where Alworthy shows Smith the bloody dead corpse of Dunning! Alworthy, thinking Smith is a police officer, excuses himself to the kitchen while Smith awaits the police's arrival. Once there, all fingers point to Smith as they surprisingly confirm that there is no Alworthy in the house.
In jail, Smith fears that someone has blackmailed him. Through some backstory segments, we experience Smith's violent past, including the grim slaughter of a household of youths. It's a valued effort on the author's part to transcend the novel from sleuth private-eye into the international spy novel it aspires to be. As the novel moves into espionage, we learn that Smith has stumbled onto a plot by the Chinese to uncover American spies in their red state. Facing criminal charges for murdering Dunning, Smith is forced out of retirement by his notorious boss, Max. Temporarily freeing him, Max instructs Smith to find Alworthy, locate a stolen notebook and return it to Max. If the mission is a failure, Smith will either be killed or face a one-sided murder trial.
Jimmy Sangster was a key figure in the revival of Hammer Films in the late 1950s and through the 1960s; he wrote The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), Dracula (1958), The Mummy (1959) and two dozen other Hammer horror films before moving to America. There he wrote for The Six Million Dollar Man, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, Ironside, Wonder Woman and other American TV shows.
Sangster wrote eight novels, and a couple of novelisations of his own screenplays, besides his film and television work. Three books were murder mysteries published from 1986–88 starring former Scotland Yard investigator James Reed. One standalone thriller/farce published in 1971 starring gun-running adventurer Anthony Bridges plus two spy thrillers published from 1968–70 starring British Intelligence agent Katy Touchfeather. Last but not least he wrote two half-spy/half-mystery novels, one published in 1967 the other in 1968, starring ex-British Intelligence operative turned private investigator John Smith, the first is this book "private i". The second and final John Smith spy thriller is titled "Foreign Exchange".
"private i" was adapted as an American TV movie titled "The Spy Killer" in 1969.
I really enjoyed reading this book.
Merged review:
in "The Spy Killer" a re-titling of "Private I" ex-British spy John Smith, now a lowly private-eye struggling to fulfill financial obligations to his creditors. To his surprise he obtains a paying client in the opening chapter – his ex-wife. She hires Smith to track down her new husband, Dunning, whom she fears may be having an affair with a man named Alworthy. Smith, giddy to receive money while relishing in his ex's misfortune, agrees to tail her husband in hopes of photographing him and a lover.
Smith learns that Dunning is Principal Under-Secretary for Britain's Foreign Office and during a rather clever exercise, stumbles on the whereabouts of a meeting between both Dunning and his suspected lover, Alworthy. Arrriving at the residence with a camera, Smith is greeted by Alworthy as he bursts out of the couple's front door. Thanking Smith for arriving so quickly, the two hastily rush inside where Alworthy shows Smith the bloody dead corpse of Dunning! Alworthy, thinking Smith is a police officer, excuses himself to the kitchen while Smith awaits the police's arrival. Once there, all fingers point to Smith as they surprisingly confirm that there is no Alworthy in the house.
In jail, Smith fears that someone has blackmailed him. Through some backstory segments, we experience Smith's violent past, including the grim slaughter of a household of youths. It's a valued effort on the author's part to transcend the novel from sleuth private-eye into the international spy novel it aspires to be. As the novel moves into espionage, we learn that Smith has stumbled onto a plot by the Chinese to uncover American spies in their red state. Facing criminal charges for murdering Dunning, Smith is forced out of retirement by his notorious boss, Max. Temporarily freeing him, Max instructs Smith to find Alworthy, locate a stolen notebook and return it to Max. If the mission is a failure, Smith will either be killed or face a one-sided murder trial.
January 24, 2026
Private I av Jimmy Sangster (svensk titel lurad på bytet). Manhattan pocket nummer 194 från 1967 översatt av Emil Bourin. Författaren levde 1927 till 2011 och var manusförfattare till skräckfilmer samt författare. Känd för exempelvis Dracula filmen från 1958 där Christopher Lee spelade Count Dracula. Därmed mästare inom skräck/Deckare/spion/thriller genre. Denna bok handlar om en privatdetektiv vid namn John Smith. Han tar sig an mindre uppdrag så som att spionera på anklade äktenskapsförbrytare. Plötsligt dyker ett uppdrag upp, som visar sig leda till hans förflutna. Han var nämligen hemlig agent i brittiska underättelsetjänsten. En viktig anteckningsbok hamnar i Smiths händer som båda sidor av lagen vill ha. Han blir jagad både av byrån samt lejda kriminella från andra sidan järnridån. Boken utspelar sig i London men även på kontinenten (Frankrike/Schweiz). Förutom John har byråchefen Max en stor roll, hans vän Gunther, konstapeln Diaman, yrkesbrottslingen/maffiabossen Igor, sekreteraren Miss Roberts, kärleksintresset Mary,eller hans före detta fru Danielle.
En måttligt spännande lättläst bok. Påminner om James Hadley Chase. Med tidstypiska drag (ordet Orientaler om människor från asiatiska länder, klappa kvinnor på del av kroppen som komplimang likt James bond, badande istället för dusch, telefonkiosker, dagstidningarnas status, alkoholkonsumtionen). Författaren tar mig som läsare till en annan tid. Fann referens till Goethe samt två referenser till Shakespeare. Vissa drar sig tillbaka när det hettar till-men lockelsen av pengar eller spänning kan vara svår att motstå.
”Halv fyra kom min klient för att ta del av rapporten om hustruns eskapader under veckoslutet. Jag studerade noga hans ansikte, medan han läste igenom den. När han var färdig, hade han tårar i ögonen. Han lyckades hålla dem tillbaka som den man han inte var.”
”Frankrike var ju ändå ett västeuropeiskt land lika mycket som England, även om de Gaulle inte ansåg det. Det hade ju varit självaste Napoleon som sagt: >Låt Kina sova, ty när det vaknar, kommer hela världen att skälva.< Men gangsters har ingen nationalitet – och utan nationalitet ingen patriotism.”
”Fem timmar därpå var jag tillbaka i London. Under de där fem timmarna hade jag skaffat mig ett Lady Macbeth-komplex. Jag kunde inte låta bli att jämt tvätta händerna. Psykiatern sa mig, att det skulle gå över efter ett par månader och att jag borde be Max att under den tiden få ett skrivbordsjobb i stället för ett ute på fältet. Jag bad honom inte om ett jävla dugg.”
En måttligt spännande lättläst bok. Påminner om James Hadley Chase. Med tidstypiska drag (ordet Orientaler om människor från asiatiska länder, klappa kvinnor på del av kroppen som komplimang likt James bond, badande istället för dusch, telefonkiosker, dagstidningarnas status, alkoholkonsumtionen). Författaren tar mig som läsare till en annan tid. Fann referens till Goethe samt två referenser till Shakespeare. Vissa drar sig tillbaka när det hettar till-men lockelsen av pengar eller spänning kan vara svår att motstå.
”Halv fyra kom min klient för att ta del av rapporten om hustruns eskapader under veckoslutet. Jag studerade noga hans ansikte, medan han läste igenom den. När han var färdig, hade han tårar i ögonen. Han lyckades hålla dem tillbaka som den man han inte var.”
”Frankrike var ju ändå ett västeuropeiskt land lika mycket som England, även om de Gaulle inte ansåg det. Det hade ju varit självaste Napoleon som sagt: >Låt Kina sova, ty när det vaknar, kommer hela världen att skälva.< Men gangsters har ingen nationalitet – och utan nationalitet ingen patriotism.”
”Fem timmar därpå var jag tillbaka i London. Under de där fem timmarna hade jag skaffat mig ett Lady Macbeth-komplex. Jag kunde inte låta bli att jämt tvätta händerna. Psykiatern sa mig, att det skulle gå över efter ett par månader och att jag borde be Max att under den tiden få ett skrivbordsjobb i stället för ett ute på fältet. Jag bad honom inte om ett jävla dugg.”
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews