Dead Duck

thesaintlyone · Post by **thesaintlyone** » Tue Sep 09, 2008 7:36 pm

Hey Guys, after producing the "Someone Has Stolen Big Ben Video" you thought I would have had enough Avengers, not so! I have jsut finished reading Patrick Macnee's & Peter Leslie's Novel Dead Duck and have to congratulate the two of them with the closest characterisation of Steed & Mrs Peel in novel form I have come across.

Having bought the book a while ago at The 10th Planet, but due to the poor quality of the other Avengers novels had not begun it.
Well the other day I was browsing in a classic second hand bookshop, the bloke had so much stock half of it blocked seeing what he had, I found Dead Duck, the original printing bought it for about pound and returned home to start reading it, but keen to keep it in reasonable condition I starting reading the re-print.

The book is very good and really does play out like an Avengers Episode, the setting is pure Avenger land and as I have been seeking more adventures for the Avengers was grateful for the chance to read something fresh and more to the point enjoyable.

What do the fans think about the book though?

In terms of placing it in an era, although the book was written in 66 I feel it belongs more in the 65/66 monochrome era.

Would like to get hold of Deadline Now

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Andrew Pixley · Post by **Andrew Pixley** » Tue Sep 09, 2008 8:47 pm

It's one of the few of the novels that I'm actually quite fond of and feel does capture the spirit of the show. Has the edge on "...Deadline" and certainly far superior to the Anthony Hussey/John Garforth quartet (which are enjoyable, just not "The Avengers").

But at the moment, I think you have to go a long way to beat the "Monk" paperbacks for capturing the spirit of the parent series so well.

All the best

Andrew

JohnSteedFr · Post by **JohnSteedFr** » Tue Sep 09, 2008 8:49 pm

I adored reading it !
I like the moment (at the end of the book) when Steed and people that he met, try to build a trap against the two dangerous men.
Where they take materials used in Cinema in order to recreate the atmosphere of the destination, where the dangerous men want to go.

Timeless A-Peel · Post by **Timeless A-Peel** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 3:02 am

It's fun, my second Avengers novel. I also picked up a reprint in a bookstore. Steed and Emma are pretty much bang-on, and it's an enjoyable plot. I should reread again it one of these days. I actually don't mind Deadline, either. Anything's better than the horrid Garforths.

JohnSteedFr · Post by **JohnSteedFr** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 12:59 pm

I totally agree with you Timeless A-Peel, Garthorth's books are almost awful, we don't see the universe of the show, Steed looks like James Bond 007 in HEIL HARRIS when he is with the german agent in a bedroom.

And there are many other things to critisize.

Books written by Patrick Macnee are great.

Jasper Groat · Post by **Jasper Groat** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 9:46 pm

JohnSteedFr wrote:I totally agree with you Timeless A-Peel, Garthorth's books are almost awful, we don't see the universe of the show, Steed looks like James Bond 007 in HEIL HARRIS when he is with the german agent in a bedroom. And there are many other things to critisize.

Books written by Patrick Macnee are great.

Peter Leslie wrote Dead Duck and deadline.

I agree with the sentiments, btw, Dead Duck was the first vintage Avengers book I found and read, the second was Heil Harris. The contrast was alarming!

JohnSteedFr · Post by **JohnSteedFr** » Sat Sep 20, 2008 3:38 pm

Jasper Groat wrote:
JohnSteedFr wrote:I totally agree with you Timeless A-Peel, Garthorth's books are almost awful, we don't see the universe of the show, Steed looks like James Bond 007 in HEIL HARRIS when he is with the german agent in a bedroom. And there are many other things to critisize.

Books written by Patrick Macnee are great.
Peter Leslie wrote Dead Duck and deadline. I agree with the sentiments, btw, Dead Duck was the first vintage Avengers book I found and read, the second was Heil Harris. The contrast was alarming!

I wrote that Dead duck had been written by Patrick because it's written on the french cover.
They made a mistake.

Timeless A-Peel · Post by **Timeless A-Peel** » Sat Sep 20, 2008 3:56 pm

JohnSteedFr wrote:
Jasper Groat wrote:
JohnSteedFr wrote:I totally agree with you Timeless A-Peel, Garthorth's books are almost awful, we don't see the universe of the show, Steed looks like James Bond 007 in HEIL HARRIS when he is with the german agent in a bedroom. And there are many other things to critisize.

Books written by Patrick Macnee are great.
Peter Leslie wrote Dead Duck and deadline. I agree with the sentiments, btw, Dead Duck was the first vintage Avengers book I found and read, the second was Heil Harris. The contrast was alarming!
I wrote that Dead duck had been written by Patrick because it's written on the french cover.
They made a mistake.

The book is actually credited to both Patrick and Peter Leslie. How much Patrick actually had to do with it is another matter.

Dandy Forsdyke · Post by **Dandy Forsdyke** » Sat Sep 20, 2008 5:34 pm

Timeless A-Peel wrote:
The book is actually credited to both Patrick and Peter Leslie. How much Patrick actually had to do with it is another matter.

Zero I think.

Timeless A-Peel · Post by **Timeless A-Peel** » Sat Sep 20, 2008 7:32 pm

Dandy Forsdyke wrote:
Timeless A-Peel wrote:
The book is actually credited to both Patrick and Peter Leslie. How much Patrick actually had to do with it is another matter.
Zero I think.

I'm inclined to agree with you. Slapping Patrick's name on the cover would have been good for sales. He may have been involved in a consultation capacity--what would Steed say/do in this situation? for example--but I doubt he was staying up nights slaving over a manuscript. And there are some terribly out of character lines in Deadline that I can't imagine Patrick would put in.