Action
(Thriller, plot driven, sensational life-threatening
events…)
DUMAS, Alexandre
The Count of Monte Cristo 1844
ELTON, Ben
Popcorn 1997
Clever, funny, incisive: works as a thriller and as satire
The Fortune Of War (Aubrey/Maturin series, Book 6) 1979 Historical Fiction/Action
Thoroughly enjoyable
DUMAS, Alexandre
The Three Musketeers 1844
Action, flawed but heroic personalities, fascinating alternate historical values
Master and Commander (Aubrey/Maturin series, Book 1) 1970 Historical Fiction/Action
Impressive sense of another (intriguing) time, people and place
Post Captain (Aubrey/Maturin series, Book 2) 1972 Historical Fiction/Action
Engaging and fascinating characters, settings and action
Hostage 1983
More spy psychology than action, which enhances. And from an author with some idea of what he was talking about
COURTNEY, Bryce
The Power of One 1989
Enjoyable, gripping. Boy to successful man story in apartheid South Africa
Casino Royale (Audio Book) Action (Spy)
Well narrated, different composition to movies – more romance, less action, darker
Fatherland 1992 Thriller / Historical Fiction
Wool 2013 SF/Action
Unapologetically formulaic, but cohesive and engaging
The Girl Who Played With Fire 2006
Capable thriller, at heart deeply conventional, but originally wrapped heroine
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest (Millennium Triology 3) 2006 Action
A little repetitive, but impressively weaves a final story into the overstory
LE CARRÉ, John
The Spy who came in from the Cold 1963
Dark, trendsetting, anti-heroic cold war machinations
The Call of the Wild (and other stories) 1903
Robust, Conan-style, over the top mythical dog stories
Tomorrow, When the War Began 1993 Novel/Action/Teen
Surprisingly workable war and teen romance hybrid; recognisable Oz kids
HMS Surprise (Aubrey/Maturin series, Book 3) 1973 Historical Fiction/Action
Impressive weaving of professional and private lives in breathing historical context
In The Evil Day (aka ‘Identity Theory’) 2002
Stylish use of thriller conventions (except the daydream women)
Ilium 2003 SF
Starts pretentious, but becomes potent, epic and thrilling
The Judas Factor 1984 Action (Spy)
More reflective on the nature of the job and relationships than a thriller
Canal Dreams 1989 Novel/Action
Ably realised genre hybrid, but I admired this book more than I enjoyed it
Big Trouble 1999 Action/Humour
Professional, funny, but slick, filmic and disposable
DOYLE, Arthur Conan
Sir Nigel 1906
The 14th
century semi-quixotic adventures of a starry-eyed teen gaining knighthood
HARRISON,
Harry
Queen Victoria's Revenge 1974 Action
Pleasant enough silly action pulp
Whiteout 2004 Action
Follett’s superwoman biff and soap-opera romance
HOROWITZ, Anthony
B Forever and a Day
2018 Action (Bond)
Nah, stick to early Fleming writing Bond
KENT, Alexander
The Flag Captain 1971
Adventure on the high seas. Not Patrick O’Brian, but not bad either
The Bourne Identity 1980
Classic thriller. Amnesiac gradually realises he’s a super-spy
King Rat 1998 Action/(Urban) Fantasy
Cool, dark
X-men action and mood, bit pretentious, really silly climax
Lies of Silence 1990
Assured, professional, raises interesting questions, but not engaging
The Sound of Thunder (Sean Courtney series) 1966 Action/Historical Fiction
Engaging Boer war action, dubious ‘heroic’ character
BAGLEY, Desmond
Windfall 1982
FORSYTH,
Frederick
The Fourth Protocol 1984 Action (Spy)
Right wing bias damages stupidity filter
Sitka 1957
Slightly variant heroic Alaskan western
MUCHAMORE,
Robert
The Recruit (Cherub #1) 2004
Effective YA spy fare: not so much for older (or younger) readers who
want texture in characters and settings
Captain Alatriste 1996 (trans. M.S. Peden, 2005) Historical Fiction/Action
Disappointing: more jingoism than
intelligent historical action
Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves 2011 Action
Every action/war hero movie as text. That’s, unapologetically, it.
C
CLEARY, John
The Safe House 1975
Particularly average
Second Skin 1995 Action
OK standard action novel with
absurd philosophical pretensions
D-
The Teeth of the Tiger 2003 Action
Proudly stupid bigotry