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Modesty Blaise #8
Last Day in Limbo
"Modesty’s latest adventure takes place in the jungles of South America, where she and her loyal henchman, Willie Garvin, take on the evil Mistress of Limbo. The Mistress has enslaved the people of Limbo, including Modesty’s friend Danny. After a failed kidnapping, Modesty learns of her friend’s enslavement and sets out to rescue him and set Limbo free. In an adventure that spans London, Switzerland, and New York City, Modesty ends up in Guatemala, where the Mistress of Limbo has commanded that Modesty be sacrificed to the gods. With Willie at her side, Modesty must fight a Mayan priestess to free herself and the slaves on what will be the last day in Limbo."
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1977
1 person is currently reading
273 people want to read
About the author
Peter O'Donnell
373 books116 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Peter O'Donnell also wrote as Madeleine Brent.
http://www.cs.umu.se/~kenth/modesty.html
is an excellent resource on this author.
To help keep the novels and the adventure strip collections separate, here's some info about the Modesty Blaise works.
In 1963, O'Donnell began his 38-year run as writer of the Modesty Blaise adventure story strip, which appeared six days a week in English and Scottish newspapers. He retired the strip in 2001.
Each strip story took 18-20 weeks to complete. Several publishers over the years have attempted to collect these stories in large softcovers. Titan Publishing is currently in the process of bringing them all out in large-format softcover, with 2-3 stories in each books. These are called "graphic novels" in the Goodreads title.
Meanwhile, during those 38 years, O'Donnell also wrote 13 books about Modesty Blaise: 11 novels and 2 short story/novella collections. These stories are not related to the strip stories; they are not novelizations of strip stories. They are entirely new, though the characters and "lives" are the same. These have been labeled "series #0".
There is a large article on Peter O'Donnell on Wikipedia, with a complete bibliography.
Peter O'Donnell also wrote as Madeleine Brent.
http://www.cs.umu.se/~kenth/modesty.html
is an excellent resource on this author.
To help keep the novels and the adventure strip collections separate, here's some info about the Modesty Blaise works.
In 1963, O'Donnell began his 38-year run as writer of the Modesty Blaise adventure story strip, which appeared six days a week in English and Scottish newspapers. He retired the strip in 2001.
Each strip story took 18-20 weeks to complete. Several publishers over the years have attempted to collect these stories in large softcovers. Titan Publishing is currently in the process of bringing them all out in large-format softcover, with 2-3 stories in each books. These are called "graphic novels" in the Goodreads title.
Meanwhile, during those 38 years, O'Donnell also wrote 13 books about Modesty Blaise: 11 novels and 2 short story/novella collections. These stories are not related to the strip stories; they are not novelizations of strip stories. They are entirely new, though the characters and "lives" are the same. These have been labeled "series #0".
There is a large article on Peter O'Donnell on Wikipedia, with a complete bibliography.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
June 18, 2022
Although this is the eighth book in the author's trail-blazing (at the time it was written, action-oriented heroines were nowhere near as numerous in fiction as they are now) series, it's the third that I've read. (See below.) It was published in 1976; but in terms of the series' internal chronology, just a few years have passed since the series opener. So in the book, it would still be the late 1960s, and protagonist Modesty is now about 28 years old. As is often the case, I would advise readers NOT to read either the Goodreads description or the cover blurb. IMO, both disclose way too much information that's better learned as O'Donnell chooses to gradually unfold it.
When the tale opens, we find Modesty and one of her (to use a contemporary term) "friends with benefits," multimillionaire tycoon John Dall, enjoying a white-water canoeing excursion in the remote wilds of the Rocky Mountains, accompanied only by a 60-year-old Indian guide. It's indicated that Dall would be glad to have a more committed relationship; but while Modesty has a lot of admirable qualities and makes a devoted friend, her hellish formative years left her with too damaged a psyche for committed romantic love. O'Donnell never made that any part of her character arc, so readers shouldn't approach the books with that expectation (or hope!). Barely two pages into the story, though, their idyll is rudely interrupted by the appearance, seemingly out of nowhere, of two gun-toting thugs, who take the couple prisoner after brutally murdering their guide. This begins an adventure that will take us to more than one locale, but principally to the dense (and deftly-evoked) jungles of Guatemala, and which will involve mortal danger, intense mental and physical challenges, and a high body count.
While I normally try to read series books in order, I read this one out of order because it was a sort of "loose end;" I'd begun reading it one afternoon in the early 90s, passing time in a public library in another county. Its set-up intrigued me enough that I never forgot it, and always wanted to get back to it and learn "what happens next?" This month, I finally got an unexpected chance to do so! :-) An obvious question readers might ask is, does this result in "spoilers" for the earlier books? I would say no, because Modesty's adventures are each episodic and self-contained; and she and sidekick Willie don't significantly change, either in their life circumstances or in terms of character growth. Some characters here do appear in earlier books: Sir Gerald Tarrant, for instance, is already introduced in the first book, and Steve and Dinah Collier are in the story "A Perfect Night to Break Your Neck," which is included in the story collection Pieces of Modesty (which I did read previously), though that's not their first appearance in the canon. The madman who calls himself (and actually believes that he is!) "Lucifer" is, I'm guessing, the title character of the third novel, I, Lucifer, and both Dall and British spy Maude Tiller have also apparently shown up before. But while having read about them earlier would make them more familiar, all of these were depicted here with enough clarity and depth that I felt I knew them fully well as people. And while occasional references are made to previous adventures, the significance is explained in each case, and for me the effect was simply to whet curiosity, not spoil it. (Of course, it's clear that Modesty emerged from these triumphant; but that's a "spoiler" only if you don't grasp the idea of the word "series...." :-) ) I'd recommend reading the first book before this one, to get a basic idea of who Modesty is, what her early life was like, and the Modesty-Willie dynamic; but otherwise, I don't think it's essential to read the earlier books first.
In terms of style and literary vision, this book felt, to me, very much of a piece with the two I'd read earlier. While he doesn't write with the elaborate diction of his 18th-century Romantic predecessors, O'Donnell's solidly in their literary camp with his use of exotic locales, extreme situations, and above all, frank appeals to the whole range of readers' emotions. (In one revealing exchange, Dall tells Modesty she's a "romantic," whereupon she replies, "Of course I'm a romantic, dum-dum! And proud of it. There's not enough of it about these days.") His plotting is taut and well-constructed, with a good deal of suspense, a steady pace interspersed with frequent jeopardies and vivid action scenes. Modesty has to display her planning acuity and ingenuity as well as her fighting skill; and surviving and taking down the baddies here won't be a cake-walk, since while she's highly competent and a born leader, she's not Superwoman. On the contrary, she's very much a flesh-and-blood woman, who can bleed and cry (though she doesn't like to do the latter in front of others); and she'll do both before we close the book.
In contrast to the cynicism of much modern literature, despite the gritty milieu we find ourselves in here, O'Donnell's vision is a solidly moral one. Our heroine (and Modesty is a heroine, not an anti-heroine) is pitted against villains who are radically evil, and while she, Willie and their friends have foibles, they basically have a solid and instinctive orientation towards the good. And O'Donnell knows that the basic dividing line between the two separates those who care about others and try to treat them decently, vs. those who care only about self and consider all other humans as things to be used. The author's social message here isn't loudly delivered; but we do get a clear look at both the misery the downtrodden in the Third World have suffered (and still do), and the reality that a fixation on vengeance rather than justice can make the oppressed a mirror image of the oppressors.
Content issues here aren't too problematic, given the literary genre that this is. There's some swearing and religious profanity (but no obscenity). There are no sex scenes, but there is reference to sexual activity, and it's made clear that two of the principal villains are into kinky sex that involves inflicting extreme humiliation on women (though O'Donnell spares us any specifics). That such behavior exists in the world should (and does!) offend every decent human; that it's depicted at all in a book will offend some readers. In the author's defense on that score, I would say only that a mentality which freaks out on wielding power over other humans is realistically apt to also be reflected in warped sexuality; it warps every aspect of the personality. The language and sexual attitudes/behavior of most of the characters here are what would realistically be expected of secular folk who move in these kinds of circles. Indeed, while some readers would roll their eyes over using the term here, because of the unusual and extreme situation ("unusual," though, is not the same thing as "impossible!"), I would say that O"Donnell depicts a wide range of life-like characters with very convincing realism, and that his characterizations are a strong point of the series.
Again, I'd recommend reading the series opener before reading this installment; but otherwise, I'd have no hesitation in recommending it to any reader who enjoyed the first book.
When the tale opens, we find Modesty and one of her (to use a contemporary term) "friends with benefits," multimillionaire tycoon John Dall, enjoying a white-water canoeing excursion in the remote wilds of the Rocky Mountains, accompanied only by a 60-year-old Indian guide. It's indicated that Dall would be glad to have a more committed relationship; but while Modesty has a lot of admirable qualities and makes a devoted friend, her hellish formative years left her with too damaged a psyche for committed romantic love. O'Donnell never made that any part of her character arc, so readers shouldn't approach the books with that expectation (or hope!). Barely two pages into the story, though, their idyll is rudely interrupted by the appearance, seemingly out of nowhere, of two gun-toting thugs, who take the couple prisoner after brutally murdering their guide. This begins an adventure that will take us to more than one locale, but principally to the dense (and deftly-evoked) jungles of Guatemala, and which will involve mortal danger, intense mental and physical challenges, and a high body count.
While I normally try to read series books in order, I read this one out of order because it was a sort of "loose end;" I'd begun reading it one afternoon in the early 90s, passing time in a public library in another county. Its set-up intrigued me enough that I never forgot it, and always wanted to get back to it and learn "what happens next?" This month, I finally got an unexpected chance to do so! :-) An obvious question readers might ask is, does this result in "spoilers" for the earlier books? I would say no, because Modesty's adventures are each episodic and self-contained; and she and sidekick Willie don't significantly change, either in their life circumstances or in terms of character growth. Some characters here do appear in earlier books: Sir Gerald Tarrant, for instance, is already introduced in the first book, and Steve and Dinah Collier are in the story "A Perfect Night to Break Your Neck," which is included in the story collection Pieces of Modesty (which I did read previously), though that's not their first appearance in the canon. The madman who calls himself (and actually believes that he is!) "Lucifer" is, I'm guessing, the title character of the third novel, I, Lucifer, and both Dall and British spy Maude Tiller have also apparently shown up before. But while having read about them earlier would make them more familiar, all of these were depicted here with enough clarity and depth that I felt I knew them fully well as people. And while occasional references are made to previous adventures, the significance is explained in each case, and for me the effect was simply to whet curiosity, not spoil it. (Of course, it's clear that Modesty emerged from these triumphant; but that's a "spoiler" only if you don't grasp the idea of the word "series...." :-) ) I'd recommend reading the first book before this one, to get a basic idea of who Modesty is, what her early life was like, and the Modesty-Willie dynamic; but otherwise, I don't think it's essential to read the earlier books first.
In terms of style and literary vision, this book felt, to me, very much of a piece with the two I'd read earlier. While he doesn't write with the elaborate diction of his 18th-century Romantic predecessors, O'Donnell's solidly in their literary camp with his use of exotic locales, extreme situations, and above all, frank appeals to the whole range of readers' emotions. (In one revealing exchange, Dall tells Modesty she's a "romantic," whereupon she replies, "Of course I'm a romantic, dum-dum! And proud of it. There's not enough of it about these days.") His plotting is taut and well-constructed, with a good deal of suspense, a steady pace interspersed with frequent jeopardies and vivid action scenes. Modesty has to display her planning acuity and ingenuity as well as her fighting skill; and surviving and taking down the baddies here won't be a cake-walk, since while she's highly competent and a born leader, she's not Superwoman. On the contrary, she's very much a flesh-and-blood woman, who can bleed and cry (though she doesn't like to do the latter in front of others); and she'll do both before we close the book.
In contrast to the cynicism of much modern literature, despite the gritty milieu we find ourselves in here, O'Donnell's vision is a solidly moral one. Our heroine (and Modesty is a heroine, not an anti-heroine) is pitted against villains who are radically evil, and while she, Willie and their friends have foibles, they basically have a solid and instinctive orientation towards the good. And O'Donnell knows that the basic dividing line between the two separates those who care about others and try to treat them decently, vs. those who care only about self and consider all other humans as things to be used. The author's social message here isn't loudly delivered; but we do get a clear look at both the misery the downtrodden in the Third World have suffered (and still do), and the reality that a fixation on vengeance rather than justice can make the oppressed a mirror image of the oppressors.
Content issues here aren't too problematic, given the literary genre that this is. There's some swearing and religious profanity (but no obscenity). There are no sex scenes, but there is reference to sexual activity, and it's made clear that two of the principal villains are into kinky sex that involves inflicting extreme humiliation on women (though O'Donnell spares us any specifics). That such behavior exists in the world should (and does!) offend every decent human; that it's depicted at all in a book will offend some readers. In the author's defense on that score, I would say only that a mentality which freaks out on wielding power over other humans is realistically apt to also be reflected in warped sexuality; it warps every aspect of the personality. The language and sexual attitudes/behavior of most of the characters here are what would realistically be expected of secular folk who move in these kinds of circles. Indeed, while some readers would roll their eyes over using the term here, because of the unusual and extreme situation ("unusual," though, is not the same thing as "impossible!"), I would say that O"Donnell depicts a wide range of life-like characters with very convincing realism, and that his characterizations are a strong point of the series.
Again, I'd recommend reading the series opener before reading this installment; but otherwise, I'd have no hesitation in recommending it to any reader who enjoyed the first book.
February 16, 2018
I have often commented on the fact that the author has a basic storyline that always seems to rely on Modesty being captured. In this story we have a variation of this, in that the kidnapping was planned by Modesty. Unfortunately, this plan was fairly stupid. In fact one of the main reasons I didn’t particularly enjoy this book is that Modesty and Willie were well below par. I think the author was either rushed or just not thinking, because this wasn’t the Modesty and Willie of the previous books.
My irritation with the story started fairly early in the book;
I am getting frustrated with these books and at one point I might have given this book just 1 star. However, there are are still times when Modesty 'does her stuff' and I remember why I like these books.
My irritation with the story started fairly early in the book;
I am getting frustrated with these books and at one point I might have given this book just 1 star. However, there are are still times when Modesty 'does her stuff' and I remember why I like these books.
March 31, 2023
There’s something to be said for a slow burn, and this Modesty Blaise adventure has that. What I thoroughly enjoyed about it was how the perspectives of the different characters added to the overall picture, which culminated in a very satisfying ending.
August 1, 2008
After seeing Mr. and Mrs. Smith, I can't help but imagine Angelina Jolie as Modesty Blaise, and Brad Pitt as Willie Garvin. Based upon the 1960's comic strip, the Modesty Blaise series of books are a no-nonsense adult thrillers that are completely satisfying. I came across this paperback copy at a yard sale, and I re-read it for the third time.
September 22, 2018
What do we think of Modesty Blaise in this more enlightened era of the 21st century? Is this sexist tripe? Is she just a poor man's James Bond in cute, sexy female form? Or, did the late 60's/ early 70's offer up a prototype for the kick-ass woman of today (like Katniss from Hunger Games, the Black Widow from the Avengers and so on..).
A bit of them all, I think.
First off, it's all a fairly ripping yarn - nasty villains, dashing heroes and heroines, action packed fights and chases and exotic locations. Only fairly though - our heroes and heroines are a bit too unbeatable once the action starts (after all, in the books, even Bond gets beaten up occasionally), there's a lot of set-up explaining how impossible the situation is but when the sh*t hits the fan, Modesty and chums clean everything up pretty easily.
There's a certain charm here and Modesty is an impressive character; the men and women in her life all adore and respect her and never second-guess her. There's no mansplaining here - when Modesty says jump, everyone jumps.
Her sidekick, Willie is a tricky beast. He clearly does have nothing but respect and awe for our heroine but is he really necessary? Is it a sign of those times - that it was too much of a jump to have a strong action woman without a bit of extra male help? Or do we just sit back and let him be there as part of Modesty's extended crew?
And loads of sex - not explicit sex scenes, in fact no actual sex scenes. But so much of the plot and characters interactions are based around sex. There's the perverted pair of villains who traumatise the hot female British agent who is sent in to seduce them; they also pull the same act on Modesty herself, but she is able to just blot out the unpleasantness with barely a shrug. There's the rich playboy chap who just happens to be a kind of therapeutic gigolo; able to ..uh.. cure women via his phenomenal sexual prowess. Pity Willie, he almost gets to have a filthy holiday with the traumatised agent but it's better if he lets her head off with the therapy gigolo. And as far as our story goes, he merely gets to be Modesty's adoring and loyal sidekick; there's no hint that they have any relationship beyond that.
Maybe this is the triumph of this strong female lead - that the gorgeous hunk of action packed manhood that is Willie Garvain lives his life as an ever adoring, ever loyal, ever totally in love with but always chaste sidekick to the breathtaking, Modesty Blaise.
A bit of them all, I think.
First off, it's all a fairly ripping yarn - nasty villains, dashing heroes and heroines, action packed fights and chases and exotic locations. Only fairly though - our heroes and heroines are a bit too unbeatable once the action starts (after all, in the books, even Bond gets beaten up occasionally), there's a lot of set-up explaining how impossible the situation is but when the sh*t hits the fan, Modesty and chums clean everything up pretty easily.
There's a certain charm here and Modesty is an impressive character; the men and women in her life all adore and respect her and never second-guess her. There's no mansplaining here - when Modesty says jump, everyone jumps.
Her sidekick, Willie is a tricky beast. He clearly does have nothing but respect and awe for our heroine but is he really necessary? Is it a sign of those times - that it was too much of a jump to have a strong action woman without a bit of extra male help? Or do we just sit back and let him be there as part of Modesty's extended crew?
And loads of sex - not explicit sex scenes, in fact no actual sex scenes. But so much of the plot and characters interactions are based around sex. There's the perverted pair of villains who traumatise the hot female British agent who is sent in to seduce them; they also pull the same act on Modesty herself, but she is able to just blot out the unpleasantness with barely a shrug. There's the rich playboy chap who just happens to be a kind of therapeutic gigolo; able to ..uh.. cure women via his phenomenal sexual prowess. Pity Willie, he almost gets to have a filthy holiday with the traumatised agent but it's better if he lets her head off with the therapy gigolo. And as far as our story goes, he merely gets to be Modesty's adoring and loyal sidekick; there's no hint that they have any relationship beyond that.
Maybe this is the triumph of this strong female lead - that the gorgeous hunk of action packed manhood that is Willie Garvain lives his life as an ever adoring, ever loyal, ever totally in love with but always chaste sidekick to the breathtaking, Modesty Blaise.
July 25, 2018
No disappointment after 'The Silver Mistress', by this point, the 'Modesty' formula was well established: genuinely creepy and unnerving villains, vividly described exotic locations, well-paced action and plenty of delightful human touches. Though O'Donnell makes every effort to keep each 'Modesty' novel self-contained, this one is best enjoyed after 'I, Lucifer' and 'A Taste for Death'. It's not quite as good as those two but, hey, together with their predecessor 'Sabre Tooth', they make up O'Donnell's trilogy of perfect escapist thrillers - and even he couldn't improve on perfection.
February 28, 2024
Modesty Blaise is on vacation with a friend when they become the targets for a kidnap plot. Modesty prevents this, and then discovers that she's been merely the latest person on a list. Many others have already vanished. She and Willie Garvin decide that they have to find the victims and rescue them. But where are they, and how can they get the missing people out alive?
Rather a silly plot that fizzles out towards the end. There's a big Bond-ish battle at the end, but nothing much else in this very predictable plot.
Rather a silly plot that fizzles out towards the end. There's a big Bond-ish battle at the end, but nothing much else in this very predictable plot.
October 11, 2017
Yet another thrilling adventure with a villain enslaving villains. I was glad to hear from Steve and Dinah. Very modern stories where women are as powerful as men, quite refreshing !
January 16, 2019
One of the better Modesty Blaise novels
September 25, 2023
Very enjoyable 3,5
July 23, 2011
Published in 1976 this is the 8th book in the series featuring Modesty Blaise and her side kick Willie Garvin. Preceded by The Silver Mistress and followed by Dragon's Claw. Limbo is the secret plantation in Guatamala where slave labour is the time saving device! With a twist. Fast paced and does not require a lot of energy to read. Great chewing gum read. The original Modesty Blaise was a comic strip hero who translated well into the written word. O'Donnell (1920 -) also wrote under the pen name Madeline Brent featuring strong female protagonists.
August 10, 2013
Hey, it's a pulp novel. While most of the pulp novels of the 1950's and 60's are better written than the pulp novels of today (most of them are far better than anything by Dan Brown for instance) the Modesty Blaise novels, while adhering closely to a formula are still fun and engaging. I enjoy them. They aren't deep, but I don't always swim at the deep end of the pool, right?
August 3, 2018
An incredible book, where a mad old woman has her own slavecamp in Latin America as here personal revenge for all the bad the conquerors have done the native population. And in comes Modesty Blaise to save an old love -and of course all the slaves. It cound crazy, but O'Donnell's story just COULD be true -and is a joy to read. Perhaps the most easy of the books. Highly receopmended!
December 7, 2008
Escapism! Modesty Blaise is my role model for stress management! She's kind of a female James Bond, extraordinarily good at self defense and survival. She and her buddy Willie Garvin carry out a rescue operation for victims in a madwoman's slave plantation in Guatemala.
Read
October 24, 2011A perfect Modesty book, and if you like all the others you will love this one. O'Donnell is a professionally consistent writer, and so all the Blaise novels have similar elements (action, adventure, some kink, some sex). Perfect airplane reading.
June 8, 2007
I'm catching up, so short review: plotty, action-packed, well-paced, exciting, I loved it, yay.
April 15, 2011
Excellent! But you have to like Modesty Blaise stories.
October 12, 2014
This answered a few unanswered questions, but it seemed dull in comparison to some of the other books so far. Must have been a rushed one.
August 14, 2016
Modesty and Willie in trouble again. Love it
October 1, 2023
Re-read 2023
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews