Exit Bond, enter Modesty in a Blaise of glory
SIR – There is no need to look far for a suitable female alternative to James Bond (report, September 21). Peter O’donnell’s Modesty Blaise series features a tough, resourceful and sophisticated heroine, exotic locations, a rich assortment of supporting characters and some memorable villains.
The stories themselves are ingenious and tightly plotted, featuring across a prolific comic strip, 11 novels and a number of short stories. Unfortunately many potential readers were probably put off by trashy book covers, and a 1966 film was a camp parody that did them no justice.
Quentin Tarantino was so taken with the character that he sought the movie rights, though sadly took them no further than a single low-budget adaptation. Perhaps now is the time for the full treatment.
Charles Smith-jones Landrake, Cornwall