The fall guy

Super Secret Agent #1

by Ritchie Perry

The British Intelligence outfit SR(2) has lost too many agents already trying to stop the European cocaine trade. Now they need someone unknown to succeed where they have failed--they need Philis.Whether he's courting danger or women, this smuggler-turned-secret-agent is as villainous as he is seductive. Philis has no interest in helping the authorities--until a longtime friend is brutally tortured and an innocent woman beaten to within an inch of her life. Now Philis has but one to find the ruthless drug leader behind it all, and make him pay for his crimes.But he has no idea what he's about to get into, in this fast-paced espionage thriller featuring a hero who's "as resilient as a rubber band" ( Kirkus Reviews ).

191 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1972

About the author

Ritchie Perry (born 1942) is a British writer of spy and adventure crime fiction. He has also written novels under the name John Allen, as well as a book on Brazil and some books for children. He lives in King's Lynn, Norfolk, England, where he writes and teaches school.

Reviews

[Karl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Between 1972 and 1985, Ritchie Perry (born 1942) wrote a 13-book series starring a British Intelligence agent named Philis battling international criminals who pose a national security threat to Great Britain.

The British Intelligence arm in the series is SR(2) with the initials standing for “Special Responsibilities.” The group is designed to do things the police are not able to - namely assassinate threats without the blessing of a judge or jury. In this series debut, Scotland Yard wants SR(2)’s help in neutralizing the South American end of a cocaine trafficking operation, while the cops handle the domestic arm in the U.K. After an SR(2) sleeper agent in Brazil goes missing during the investigation of a drug exporter, a new operative is needed in the region. Enter Philis.

The Fall Guy serves as an origin story for Agent Philis - the hero of the 13 book series. When we meet him, he is a small-time British smuggler of booze and cigarettes working a beach town in Brazil. After a lengthy prologue giving the readers a third-person view of the intel agency’s mission and its challenges, the narrative abruptly switches to first person with charming and humorous Philis telling the story.

The Series consists of :

1. The Fall Guy (1972)
2. A Hard Man to Kill / Nowhere Man (1973)
3. Ticket to Ride (1973)
4. Holiday with a Vengeance (1974)
5. Your Money and Your Wife (1975)
6. One Good Death Deserves Another (1976)
7. Dead End (1977)
8. Dutch Courage (1978)
9. Bishop’s Pawn (1979)
10. Grand Slam (1980)
11. Fool’s Mate (1981)
12. Foul Up (1982)
13. Kolwezi (1985)

[Bonnye Reed]

MyNextRead

[Alan Carlson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid "spy" action thriller in the footsteps of Greene's "Our Man in Havana." Not as good as Greene, but a fun and quick read.