#45: The Madmen of Benghazi by Gérard de Villiers

Freelance superspy Malko Linge drops into Libya to try and help stabilize the government, only to find himself in deep with various government agencies, political groups, and hot-tempered women in Gerard de Villiers' The Madmen of Benghazi.

de Villiers wrote hundreds of spy novels in his native France that were known for their political astuteness as well as their raunchy sex and explosive violence.  de Villiers is often compared to Ian Fleming, but his novels remind me more of those spinner-rack Men's Adventures paperbacks of the 60s and 70s.

These novels are finally getting translated into English, and this is the second one I've read recently.  They are quick reads, and enjoyable, if often impolite.

I found this used and read it fast on a plane ride to Seattle.

#29: Lord of the Swallows by Gérard de Villiers

Part-time spy and full-time ladies' man Malko Linge swings into action when the wife of a Soviet agent offers up a list of spies--but only if Linge kills her husband's mistress--in Gérard de Villiers' espionage thriller Lord of the Swallows.

de Villiers is just now getting widespread attention in English translation after penning about 200 spy novels featuring Linge over almost fifty years. 

Although compared to a French James Bond, I found the character, who favors kinky sex and politically incorrect views, to have more in common with "Men's Adventure" spies of the 60s and 70s like Joe Gall and Sam Durell.  Stories ripped from the headlines--or sometimes predicting the headlines, over the years--points towards de Villiers' longevity.

I thought this was a crackling thriller and read it quickly, and will be looking for the other recent translations of these novels.

I checked this out from the Morrisson-Reeves Public Library in Richmond, Indiana and read it very quickly.