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Johnny Fedora #2
This Traitor Death: A Johnny Fedora Espionage Spy Thriller Assignment Book 2
TO KILL … She was known as "Le Rossignol" - The Nightingale - Hitler's most beautiful and ruthless spy. With access to millions in unrecovered German gold, she's the only person who could lead a successful return to Nazi power. And that’s exactly what British Intelligence believes she’s doing.
… OR BE KILLED … Johnny Fedora is something of a legend in his own right. He had fought the Nazis throughout the war and no man knows their treacherous methods better than he. That’s why British Intelligence gave him a new face, a new name, and a single order: crush the Nightingale! He’s not the first to try. But he has to be the first to succeed.
Two years before Ian Fleming saw his first James Bond novel published, a fictional secret agent called Johnny Fedora was already being sent by British Intelligence on secret missions. The critics described Fedora as the “thinking man's James Bond” who spends his life “dealing with the cold-blooded bastards on this earth.” Welcome to the world of British Intelligence’s first licence to kill assassin. Published for the first time on Kindle.
"As fast, furious and horrifying as anything in this Bond age" - The Times 1966.
".. For Cory fans, to read him is to become one, the only complaint may be that the excitement's over too soon". Buffalo Evening News 1966.
… OR BE KILLED … Johnny Fedora is something of a legend in his own right. He had fought the Nazis throughout the war and no man knows their treacherous methods better than he. That’s why British Intelligence gave him a new face, a new name, and a single order: crush the Nightingale! He’s not the first to try. But he has to be the first to succeed.
Two years before Ian Fleming saw his first James Bond novel published, a fictional secret agent called Johnny Fedora was already being sent by British Intelligence on secret missions. The critics described Fedora as the “thinking man's James Bond” who spends his life “dealing with the cold-blooded bastards on this earth.” Welcome to the world of British Intelligence’s first licence to kill assassin. Published for the first time on Kindle.
"As fast, furious and horrifying as anything in this Bond age" - The Times 1966.
".. For Cory fans, to read him is to become one, the only complaint may be that the excitement's over too soon". Buffalo Evening News 1966.
210 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1952
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 22, 2013
One of Britains’ best thriller writers.
An entertaining novel that can best be described as a spy caper within a detective story, set more than sixty years ago just after the second world war. Johnny Fedora, the main protagonist, is a British secret working with a charming young woman in France. But nothing is quite what it seems. Cory yet again puts together a clever plot with much going for it. If you have missed Cory, you’ve missed more than you can imagine. A must read novelist.
An entertaining novel that can best be described as a spy caper within a detective story, set more than sixty years ago just after the second world war. Johnny Fedora, the main protagonist, is a British secret working with a charming young woman in France. But nothing is quite what it seems. Cory yet again puts together a clever plot with much going for it. If you have missed Cory, you’ve missed more than you can imagine. A must read novelist.
April 26, 2013
A post-war thriller that will keep you guessing
Desmond Cory's novel is both gritty and witty.
I agree with many of the other reviews I have seen that this is a good book written by a very good writer. I found it to be just one of those fun all action books you could so imagine being made into a film.
Great story, great characters, great scenery.
Desmond Cory's novel is both gritty and witty.
I agree with many of the other reviews I have seen that this is a good book written by a very good writer. I found it to be just one of those fun all action books you could so imagine being made into a film.
Great story, great characters, great scenery.
August 22, 2012
The 'nightingale' is a beautiful evil spy with access to enough gold to return the nazis to power. It is an extremely tense and exciting story, Johnny Fedora is desperately needed to be at his best to overcome.
August 13, 2018
I enjoyed this book so much I purchased the other 4 Fedora books. Great plot, wonderful characters all in a well written thriller/mystery.
February 11, 2020
Great read. I enjoyed reading all the twists and turns Johnny Fedora goes through.
July 14, 2017
Desmond Cory began writing a couple of years before Ian Fleming began writing the James Bond novels, so one could say Fleming was the imitator, but other than being a British agent who is authorized to kill I did not find very many similarities, so I advise the reader to clear the mind of thoughts of finding how Fedora is 'better' than Bond or vice-versa. Just read to enjoy, although comparisons with Bond are inevitable anyway. Cory does a great job at moving the plot along, creating twists where they are needed, and turns to keep the reader engaged. I thoroughly enjoyed reading This Traitor Death and already have the next book in the series, Dead Man Falling, loaded and ready to read.
Johnny Fedora cracks wise and moves fast, and most of the characters (the ones who don't get themselves killed right away) are developed as necessary to give the reader a background of 'why' they acted the way they did. Some characters I did not find convincing, like Holliday, the head of the branch of British Intelligence that Johnny works for. The girl, Marie-Andree Duveyrier's character also seems uneven and how she gets into the story seemed to be unconvincing. You certainly would not be able to compare her to a "Bond Girl". But new dangers are just around the corner (literally). I plan to read on into the Desmond Cory series to see how Johnny Fedora develops, just as Bond changed over the years and the supporting characters became more vivid.
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book, through Reading Deals, so I could give an honest review.
Johnny Fedora cracks wise and moves fast, and most of the characters (the ones who don't get themselves killed right away) are developed as necessary to give the reader a background of 'why' they acted the way they did. Some characters I did not find convincing, like Holliday, the head of the branch of British Intelligence that Johnny works for. The girl, Marie-Andree Duveyrier's character also seems uneven and how she gets into the story seemed to be unconvincing. You certainly would not be able to compare her to a "Bond Girl". But new dangers are just around the corner (literally). I plan to read on into the Desmond Cory series to see how Johnny Fedora develops, just as Bond changed over the years and the supporting characters became more vivid.
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book, through Reading Deals, so I could give an honest review.
April 12, 2019
Spy catcher
This one was much easier to read with the exception of the French and German that was not translated. Interesting
This one was much easier to read with the exception of the French and German that was not translated. Interesting
April 26, 2023
Sort of a prequel to book three if you, like me, read them in the wrong order and it introduces us to Johnny’s “wife” who has a major role in book three. This isn’t as good as that book but passes the time pleasantly enough. Johnny apparently enough time with The Maquis in wartime France to gain a reputation for controlled violence and expertise with a gun and explosives as well as faultless English-accented French.
This will come in useful as he is enlisted to help root out some renegade Nazis who are planning a Parisian resurgence under the command of a ruthless female called Hilse, or The Nightingale, or possibly something else. His way in is through former Maquis members who have been informed that one of their number is a traitor and are about to kill him. However, with one bound he was free and in hiding.
It all gets a bit complicated but the resourceful Johnny, with the help of his new journalist girlfriend, some expert cat burglars and the Surete continuously explain the plot so that we can keep up with the seemingly endless sudden shootings, gassings and explosions. As I said, it passes the time and rattles along nicely with some sardonic humour that may have given Ian Fleming a few ideas.
This will come in useful as he is enlisted to help root out some renegade Nazis who are planning a Parisian resurgence under the command of a ruthless female called Hilse, or The Nightingale, or possibly something else. His way in is through former Maquis members who have been informed that one of their number is a traitor and are about to kill him. However, with one bound he was free and in hiding.
It all gets a bit complicated but the resourceful Johnny, with the help of his new journalist girlfriend, some expert cat burglars and the Surete continuously explain the plot so that we can keep up with the seemingly endless sudden shootings, gassings and explosions. As I said, it passes the time and rattles along nicely with some sardonic humour that may have given Ian Fleming a few ideas.
November 24, 2025
The second in the Fedora series, this time taking him to Paris. Better the the first in the series, I liked the role of women in it, with a femme fatale at the centre of the story - impressive for a novel first written in the late fifties. Amazingly, it read as well today as when first written..
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews