The Impossible Virgin

Tarrant is involved with a spy case that is supposed to be dodgy, but an underling kept a record. Modesty wants to know what to get him for his birthday, and Fraser brings up this fact. A novel approach to safecracking provides a present. However, they are drawn deeper in by a brainwashed albino girl, and an emotionless crimelord. Not much happens after that, Willie thrown from a plane with no parachute, Modesty locked in a cage with a gorilla, surviving drugs and torture, as does her doctor boyfriend. Throw in an appendectomy, and a deadly quaterstaff one to many duel in the crotch of the Impossible Virgin. Shouldn't forget a novel use for birdguano, either. O'Donnell comes up with another outre excursion for our super ex-criminals.

I love the Modesty Blaise series of books, but this book is not one of my favorites. In fact, my feelings about "The Impossible Virgin" are mainly colored by my opinion that this book (the fifth in the series) marks the beginning of the decline of the series. In many ways "The Impossible Virgin" is a typical Modesty Blaise story. There is a bad guy (Brunel) and he has some nasty henchmen (Adrian Chance and Jacko Muktar). Modesty has a run-in with the henchmen in Africa and defeats them. Later, Modesty and Willie Garvin (Modesty's loyal side-kick) outwit the bad guys once again, this time in London. But then the plot thickens, and Modesty finds herself captured, taken back to Africa and subjected to brainwashing. I can't tell more without spoiling the ending for those who haven't read the book. It's very exciting and the plot includes many unexpected twists, more than average for a Modesty story. The positive aspects that I love about the Modesty Blaise books are all present. The interesting relationship between Modesty and Willie, the intelligent and humorous tone and the deadly seriousness when it comes down to the life-and-death combat encounters. The bad guys are really nasty, the story is quite inventive and the descriptions of the locations sound authentic (although dated). The fighting scenes are unusual and memorable, especially an encounter near the end of the book where firearms are not viable and quarterstaffs are used against 10 attackers with machetes. My biggest problem with "The Impossible Virgin" is that several of the plot elements are simply too unrealistic. Unfortunately, I can't go into detail without getting this review labeled as a spoiler. I also had minor problems with Willie's behavior vis-?-vis a certain young lady with emotional problems, Dr. Giles Pennyfeather (a major character) being so silly and the ending of the book being so sugar-sweet. Despite my reservations, and the fact that this book is now 35 years old, I recommend it highly. It's still much better than most modern action thrillers. Rennie Petersen

The good doctor Giles Pennyfeather is introduced in this tale. He is a good-natured medical embarrassment who is hopeless in the modern world but who can perform medical miracles in Third World environments. Modesty's plane drops out of the sky and she finds herself stranded at Gile's makeshift hospital in the middle of Central Africa, so she makes herself useful as his nurse. Unfortunately, the local criminal element muscles Giles out of the area under Modesty's watch, and Modesty doesn't let her friends get ruffled without a fight. Willie joins the odd couple and they all do battle against guerillas, a gorilla and Mother Nature. All of this leads to the immense fortune known as The Impossible Virgin, the specifics of which I will leave to the honorable Peter O'Donnell. Another smashing success for Modesty Blaise!