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John Sand #2
Live Fast, Spy Hard
AN INTERNATIONAL PULP THRILLER PACKED WITH ACTION ADVENTURE. John Sand, the former MI6 agent upon whom a certain fictional spy was based, is keeping a secret from his new bride Stacey – he has been tracking the supposedly dead Jake Lonestarr, her Texas oil tycoon father's traitorous business partner. When Stacey disappears, is Lonestarr responsible or Las Vegas godfather Anthony Morello – a man with a big grudge – or is it the shadowy figures behind the slaughter at the new international spy agency trying to recruit John Sand? The search for the beautiful Mrs. Sand – who has her own deadly charms – crosses continents, as Sand navigates a death trap in Berlin, an attack in a neon graveyard, and an earthquake in Mexico, with an army of assassins everywhere he turns...leading to a most dangerous game in the jungles of Curacoa. “John Sand wows in this exciting spy adventure!”
270 pages, Paperback
Published March 11, 2021
146 people are currently reading
36 people want to read
About the author
Max Allan Collins
803 books1,321 followersReceived the Shamus Award, "The Eye" (Lifetime achievment award) in 2006.
He has also published under the name Patrick Culhane. He and his wife, Barbara Collins, have written several books together. Some of them are published under the name Barbara Allan.
Book Awards
Shamus Awards Best Novel winner (1984) : True Detective
Shamus Awards Best Novel winner (1992) : Stolen Away
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1995) : Carnal Hours
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1997) : Damned in Paradise
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1999) : Flying Blind: A Novel about Amelia Earhart
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (2002) : Angel in Black
Japanese: マックス・アラン・コリンズ
or マックス・アラン コリンズ
He has also published under the name Patrick Culhane. He and his wife, Barbara Collins, have written several books together. Some of them are published under the name Barbara Allan.
Book Awards
Shamus Awards Best Novel winner (1984) : True Detective
Shamus Awards Best Novel winner (1992) : Stolen Away
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1995) : Carnal Hours
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1997) : Damned in Paradise
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1999) : Flying Blind: A Novel about Amelia Earhart
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (2002) : Angel in Black
Japanese: マックス・アラン・コリンズ
or マックス・アラン コリンズ
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
May 11, 2021
Collins and Clemens’s latest tag team effort is an espionage thriller (actually second in the series) that is set in 1959 and 1962 and harks back to that great era of action-packed espionage fiction. In fact, the novel pays homage to Bond in that our hero, John Sands, is British agent 777 and there is a series of novels written about his exploits and alludes to various things from the Bond series. Indeed, our team of authors not only set this novel in the 1959-1962 era, but it feels like a paperback original adventure out of the era.
Although this novel pays homage to Fleming’s Bond series, it is not filled with high-tech gadgets. Rather, it offers the reader exotic settings from Cold War Berlin to the Texas ranch lands to Acapulco to Curaçao. The writing leans more towards action than toward background.
Chronologically this novel sandwiches the events of the first novel, "Come Spy with Me." It begins with the story of how the Sands meet, which comprises only a page or so of background in the first novel. Then, it focuses on events a couple of years later.
Although this novel pays homage to Fleming’s Bond series, it is not filled with high-tech gadgets. Rather, it offers the reader exotic settings from Cold War Berlin to the Texas ranch lands to Acapulco to Curaçao. The writing leans more towards action than toward background.
Chronologically this novel sandwiches the events of the first novel, "Come Spy with Me." It begins with the story of how the Sands meet, which comprises only a page or so of background in the first novel. Then, it focuses on events a couple of years later.
April 30, 2021
A book about the guy Ian Fleming based James Bond upon.
With James Bond so well known, John Sand's career as a secret agent is just about over. On his final mission, he goes to Texas to foil a billionaire megalo-maniac, and along the way meets his wife.
Now retired Sand and his wife are doing their thing, when an enemy resurfaces, and the wife disappears. Sand goes on the hunt, and is recruited into a super secret agency.
Very good. A little lighter than the Bond novels, but very much in the 60's secret agent swing of things.
With James Bond so well known, John Sand's career as a secret agent is just about over. On his final mission, he goes to Texas to foil a billionaire megalo-maniac, and along the way meets his wife.
Now retired Sand and his wife are doing their thing, when an enemy resurfaces, and the wife disappears. Sand goes on the hunt, and is recruited into a super secret agency.
Very good. A little lighter than the Bond novels, but very much in the 60's secret agent swing of things.
December 18, 2021
The second of the three John Sand novels (so far…fingers crossed that there will be more) opens in a nice flash-back that takes place in 1959 where John Sand’s mission is to investigate an oil tycoon named Noah Boldt in Texas. During that mission he meets the man’s daughter, Stacey, who we all know from the first book, Come Spy With Me . The sequence sets up the main story and bulk of the novel, taking place in 1962, after the events chronicled in the first book.
Once again Max Allan Collins and Matthew Clemens have provided a rip-roaring spy adventure story. As the real-life model upon which James Bond was fashioned, the character of John Sand is intriguing to be sure. Paired up with his lovely and capable wife Stacey, the pair make for a formidable couple in any setting. The bulk of the novel centers around Stacey’s disappearance during a business meeting and potential kidnapping to Mexico. Sand may be a retired spy, but his skills remain razor sharp and he brings them all to bear during his hunt for whoever may be behind the disappearance. It may be mafia kingpin “Fat Tony” from their previous adventure in book one or it may be Stacey’s deceased father’s traitorous business partner who might not be as dead as Sand thought. Or it may be something entirely different, related perhaps to a warning Sand received regarding “The Dutchman”.
Sand’s adventures include being potentially recruited to a new international spy ring, visits to Houston, Las Vegas, Acapulco, Caracas and more, and captivating meetings with John F. Kennedy, John Wayne, as well as a certain author who has purloined John Sand's life of espionage into a set of best-selling spy novels. The action is exciting to be sure and often bloody with one memorable scene where John Sand really brings out his inner Mack Bolan.
I really hope there are more John Sand novels to come. Three of them hardly scratch the surface of what this series could be.
Once again Max Allan Collins and Matthew Clemens have provided a rip-roaring spy adventure story. As the real-life model upon which James Bond was fashioned, the character of John Sand is intriguing to be sure. Paired up with his lovely and capable wife Stacey, the pair make for a formidable couple in any setting. The bulk of the novel centers around Stacey’s disappearance during a business meeting and potential kidnapping to Mexico. Sand may be a retired spy, but his skills remain razor sharp and he brings them all to bear during his hunt for whoever may be behind the disappearance. It may be mafia kingpin “Fat Tony” from their previous adventure in book one or it may be Stacey’s deceased father’s traitorous business partner who might not be as dead as Sand thought. Or it may be something entirely different, related perhaps to a warning Sand received regarding “The Dutchman”.
Sand’s adventures include being potentially recruited to a new international spy ring, visits to Houston, Las Vegas, Acapulco, Caracas and more, and captivating meetings with John F. Kennedy, John Wayne, as well as a certain author who has purloined John Sand's life of espionage into a set of best-selling spy novels. The action is exciting to be sure and often bloody with one memorable scene where John Sand really brings out his inner Mack Bolan.
I really hope there are more John Sand novels to come. Three of them hardly scratch the surface of what this series could be.
August 7, 2025
I can't even finish this beige excrement masquerading as Ian Fleming-adjacent. It's awful, American-centric tripe of the lowest and most imbecilic order. Embarrassing. People read his books, and he has written rather a lot of them, so there must be something going for this author's writing, but I can't for the life of me imagine what it might be. I guess an overwhelming number of people just don't have very high standards, or indeed any standards at all. Don't waste your time and money on this series unless you're a brainless mollusk, of which there seem to a tremendous number in the human population, all of which are quite happy to read things like this.
July 20, 2022
Stacey Sand, John Sand’s wife, goes missing on a business trip. John goes globetrotting in search of Stacey, all the while encountering JFK, Ian Fleming, and Duke. Everything you expect from a spy novel and more!
July 25, 2022
A captivating read which manages to spend the whole story balancing being tongue in cheek about it’s Bond flavored influences, and maintaining a story on it’s own two feet.
September 27, 2021
The second John Sand spy thriller takes elements of the first, Come Spy With Me, to follow up on the concept of marital secrets. Sand has been searching for the treacherous business partner of his wife Tracy's late father without telling her. This hunt matters little when Tracy disappears and John must find her. This book allows for even more globetrotting spy thrills. I also like the use of JFK as spymaster but I'm not sure this is a good idea long-term for historical reasons. Overall a fun spy story with plenty of exotic locales.
February 16, 2023
We now have more of the back story on how Sands meets his wife and how they both develop their relationship as more issues arise forcing both into Sand's old life style. We get a bit of the Man From Uncle plot addition and Pres. Kennedy is a major character.
January 29, 2022
Max Allan Collins is like a certain potato chip: You can't just eat (read) one. He takes characters from history and historic events and weaves them into stories that keep my attention with every turn of the page. I his spy series, John Sand is a real life 007, who is 777, a fictionalized version of an already fictional character. Just as James Bond was an improbably capable agent, John Sand, and his wife, Stacy Sand, nee Boldt, burst from one adventure to another. The first book started off poorly for me, with Sand's sexual exploits taking up too much time, and too much writer's hubris, but soon settled into a rip snortin' adventure, worthy of Mr. Collins. If you like this book you will love his books starring Nathan Heller. They are classics. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, as well as Book 1 of the series--looking forward to book 3).
May 7, 2021
The second John Sand adventure takes the series to a new level. In the first book, we were introduced to Sand and his wife Stacey and the conceit of the series – that Sand is the inspiration for a certain famous secret agent. In Live Fast, Spy Hard, Collins & Clemens lean in to the James Bond influence to great effect. These are not spy spoofs, though. Collins and Clemens clearly have a great love for the Bond series and frequent touches and references back to the original books are handled deftly.
The first book was good, but this second entry shows that the character has the potential to be a classic.
The first book was good, but this second entry shows that the character has the potential to be a classic.
March 25, 2021
John Sand is back and looking for his wife, Stacey who has turned up missing.
Enlisted in his retirement to another organization he puts that off, until he
finds his wife. When an old nemesis, thought dead, raises his head, can John
extract his vengenance?
Great sequel and am glad this series will continue! Max Allan Collins is still
at the top of his game, as the action keeps you turning the pages wondering
what is going to happen next. Can't wait until the next installement.
Enlisted in his retirement to another organization he puts that off, until he
finds his wife. When an old nemesis, thought dead, raises his head, can John
extract his vengenance?
Great sequel and am glad this series will continue! Max Allan Collins is still
at the top of his game, as the action keeps you turning the pages wondering
what is going to happen next. Can't wait until the next installement.
May 7, 2021
Great Spy Fun!
John Sand's wife, Stacey goes missing, and Sand gets thrown back into the business he retired from in order to find her. Is an old nemesis behind Stacey's disappearance?
Fun intrigue, interesting villains, exotic locations--what more do we need for a great spy yarn?
This is the second in the John Sand series and just as much fun to read as the first.
Highly recommended--looking forward to book #3!
John Sand's wife, Stacey goes missing, and Sand gets thrown back into the business he retired from in order to find her. Is an old nemesis behind Stacey's disappearance?
Fun intrigue, interesting villains, exotic locations--what more do we need for a great spy yarn?
This is the second in the John Sand series and just as much fun to read as the first.
Highly recommended--looking forward to book #3!
March 17, 2021
Some of the Best Spy Takes Ever!
Fellow readers, don't begin reading unless you're willing to ignore time as it slips away into this page-turner, action-packed thriller loaded with tons of surprises! Very entertaining!
Fellow readers, don't begin reading unless you're willing to ignore time as it slips away into this page-turner, action-packed thriller loaded with tons of surprises! Very entertaining!
April 23, 2021
A spy-thriller that is not to be missed
The second John Sand thriller is even better than the first! I sincerely hope this series continues for years to come
The second John Sand thriller is even better than the first! I sincerely hope this series continues for years to come
May 21, 2021
It great
This book pushed believably past the line. It kept me reading but the ending was obviously a set up for a b movie.
This book pushed believably past the line. It kept me reading but the ending was obviously a set up for a b movie.
July 2, 2021
Enjoyed this book
Easy, fun read! I have enjoyed the books I have read so far from this author. Can’t wait for the next book.
Easy, fun read! I have enjoyed the books I have read so far from this author. Can’t wait for the next book.
July 18, 2021
Dated Suspense, But Enjoyable
The story has the characteristic of a spy tale from the 1960's or 1970's. The personnel are appealing but not complex.
The story has the characteristic of a spy tale from the 1960's or 1970's. The personnel are appealing but not complex.
May 30, 2023
Another interesting read that, unfortunately, contains: Profanity and sexual situations intimately described. Narration is, as usual, clear and pleasant.
June 18, 2024
A tongue-in-cheek spy adventure with a Bond-like hero and lots of dead bodies
August 9, 2021
I like Max Allan Collins books. This one is another solid tale in Collins repertoire. It is the second John Sand novel and it is fun. He also knows how to write a tight fast paced action story. I think it is great that he can write a fun espionage novel too. He is a solid writer. I love his Quarry and Nolan novels. He is just a solid writer. This is a good example. Check it out.
October 6, 2021
Old School Spy Thriller Delivers!
Max Allan Collins is one of my favorite authors. His John Sand series is a fun, action-packed throwback to the spy thrillers of the '60s and '70s. Lots of action, thrills, sex, quips, and stone-cold killer villains. A fast-paced gem of a book, it's like reading a worn and weathered paperback on the beach with a cold beer no matter where you are.
Max Allan Collins is one of my favorite authors. His John Sand series is a fun, action-packed throwback to the spy thrillers of the '60s and '70s. Lots of action, thrills, sex, quips, and stone-cold killer villains. A fast-paced gem of a book, it's like reading a worn and weathered paperback on the beach with a cold beer no matter where you are.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews