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Boysie Oakes is the main character in a series of spy thriller novels written by British author John Gardner in the 1960’s at the height of fictional spy mania. Oakes is considered a richly comic character that is tough, and a pitiless man of action recruited into a British spy agency. But in reality, Oakes is a devout coward with plenty of other character flaws which just wants to be left alone.
Order of Boysie Oakes Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Liquidator | 1964 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | Understrike | 1965 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | Amber Nine | 1966 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | Madrigal | 1967 | Description / Buy | |
| 5 | Hideaway (Short Story) | 1968 | Description / Buy | |
| 6 | Founder Member | 1969 | Description / Buy | |
| 7 | Traitor's Exit | 1970 | Description / Buy | |
| 8 | The Airline Pirates | 1973 | Description / Buy | |
| 9 | Air Apparent | 1973 | Description / Buy | |
| 10 | The Assassination File | 1974 | Description / Buy | |
| 11 | A Killer for a Song | 1975 | Description / Buy |
An excellent example of cute points in these books is the ongoing occurrence of monogrammed BO gifts from his beloved mum- handkerchiefs, shirts, lighter, lighter and many others. He would never think of not using them even if he dislikes them.
The coward Oakes is also featured in seven other books over the next one and half decades and eventually, by chance he becomes the heads of the secret agency that made him to be in a constant state of terror for long. John Gardner began the publication of Boysie Oakes series in 1964 when The Liquidator, the first book in the series was published. The series lasted eight books concluding in 1975 when Boysie Oakes was published.
BOYSIE OAKES BOOKS INTO MOVIES
The first book in Boysie Oakes series was adapted into a British thriller with Rod Taylor playing the role of Brian Boysie Oakes, Jill St. John and Trevor Howard. The film follows the book closely, and due to a legal dispute, the original film release in November 1965 was delayed to the end of 1966 a time when spy thriller film craze was diminishing.
BEST BOYSIE OAKES BOOKS
These are two best books in Boysie Oakes series by John Gardner, The Liquidator, and Madrigal.
The Liquidator: Apparently, The Liquidator was the first book written by John Gardner and the debut in Boysie Oakes series. After the author published his real-life account of alcoholism, Spin the Bottle, the author thought of writing a book related to governments killing people. He sent the first four chapters to his agent, but instead, he was advised probably try his hand at comedy. Inspired by Ian Fleming’s bestselling series, James Bond, Gardner wrote his novel with an anti-Bond character named Brian Oakes.
The success of his debut novel resulted to the author writing more sequels which also led to the Liquidator being made into a movie.
Now in the series debut, Sergeant Boysie Oakes murders two Germans seeking to kill an intelligence Corps officer, Mostyn while in Paris France. Two decades later, Mostyn’s memories have changed Oakes (who in reality is hedonistic and coward.) into a fearless assassin even though nothing could be further from the truth.
Mostyn hires Oakes to work in the Secret Service where after a professional training course; he is given a favored lifestyle. Oake’s main responsibility is to liquidate all the security risks of the nation- and Oakes recruits a mild-mannered trained assassin to his dirty work for him. But a dirty weekend leaves Boysie kidnapped by enemy agents who intend to involve him in an assassination plot.
More than 15 years before becoming the successor author of James Bond series, John Gardner wove a spy/assassin character of his own: Oakes. The first book in Boysie Oakes series is a compact, thrilling and a fast-paced thriller that exhibits many qualities that would undoubtedly appeal many James Bond’s fans.
Madrigal: Boysie Oakes is once again in an adventure with plenty of twists and turns than a clockwork mouse and as firmly sprung like an executive wrist-watch. Along the way, the professional assassin, Oakes heads over the Berlin Wall as usual to on an assassination mission. Involved along the way are Mostyn is boss and the man in charge of the assassination plot, Charlie Griffin, Oake’s gunhand, Rose Puberty and an aristocratic woman named Honey Mambo. And as usual when Oakes goes about his mission, he gets stomach cramps and above all gets caught in the act.
OTHER BOOK SERIES YOU MAY LIKE
If you love reading Boysie Oakes series, then you will enjoy reading these two book series, “Jason Bourne” series by Robert Ludlum and Mitch Rapp series by Vince Flynn. Debuted in 1980, Jason Bourne is an adventurer traveling around the world.
The “Mitch Rapp” series features a counter-terrorism agent employed unofficially and officially by the CIA. The primary focus of Mitch is to thwart the Middle East terrorist attacks in the United States. The operative is presented as an aggressive agent capable of taking measures more extreme than acceptable.
What Is The Next Book in The Boysie Oakes Series?
There doesn't seem to be an upcoming book in The Boysie Oakes Series. The newest book is A Killer for a Song and was released on January, 2nd 1975.