Cobra Trap

Peter O'Donnell is a master of the "get me out of this" genre. Born out of the swinging sixties. The gadgetry has most probably been overtaken by the computer age; the plot lines and action have survived very well. Sadly, this is the last Modesty Blaise/Willie Garvin, a series of short stories similar to the Pieces of Modesty collection. Unlike a lot of writers who eventually reduce to potboilers after one or more initial successes, O'Donnell has maintained a consistently high level of entertaining escapism. Goodbye, and thanks for some wonderful reading. Cobra Trap (Modesty Blaise Series)

Having read a lot of multi-book series in my life, I know from experience how unusual it is for a series of books to keep its 'core' to the final book. Sometimes, as with the Amelia Peabody books by Elizabeth Peters, the series will just... fade. Even worse, as with the Anita Blake books by Laurell K. Hamilton, the series will actively turn on itself, becoming something almost unrecognizable to readers of the earlier books. It's a darned rare thing for a series to finish with characters, storylines, and spirit intact and strong. The Modesty Blaise series is among that rare breed. I can't recommend these books highly enough -- all 13 of them, with no caveats whatsoever.

The final Modesty Blaise book is a collection of five novelettes and novellas covering the full span of Modesty Blaise's career, from the early days of the Network to Modesty and Willie coming out of retirement for one last caper. It's a fine collection for long-term fans, providing both new stories and closure for several long term story threads from the series. I don't think it's the ideal place for a new fan to start, because the references to events in earlier books may act as spoilers for those who haven't read those books yet, and the impact of the title story will be blunted for those who haven't had several books in which to become attached to the characters. It is however possible to enjoy these stories without ever having read any other Modesty Blaise books or the comic strip, and while ideally new readers should start with an earlier book in this series, they shouldn't be put off starting with Cobra Trap if it's the only one readily available to them. The stories are classic Modesty Blaise. Once again O'Donnell demonstrates the appeal of a heroine and hero who are quite willing to go outside the law, but never to step outside their own moral code. For Modesty and Willie the ends do not justify the means. You know that the villains will lose in the end, but there will be no easy solution, and the good guys may well pay a high price for their victory. The stories are often hilarious, sometimes heart wrenching, and always thrilling to read. Some of the stories rely on the most outrageous coincidences, but with this level of writing there is no problem in suspending disbelief. This is a beautifully written and wonderfully entertaining book, and the final story is a bittersweet but emotionally right conclusion to the series.

As a Modesty Blaise fan since 1966, when I was 14, I have avidly followed and collected all the books, and even met Mr. O'Donnell in 1985 and got 2 of my hardbounds autographed. I was both excited and reluctant to read the 'last' of the MB series. But I did, and was glad. The separate stories were classic MB and Willie, but it still did not prepare me for COBRA TRAP, the final adventure. I admire Mr. O'Donnell's accurate portrayal of the way MB and WG would want to end their action careers. As a female investigator about MB's age,(27 yrs in the field), he is right on the psychology of his ending! Cheers and kudos!!!