Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Modesty Blaise | 1965 | Modesty Blaise | Buy |
| 2 | Sabre-Tooth | 1966 | Modesty Blaise | Buy |
| 3 | I, Lucifer | 1967 | Modesty Blaise | Buy |
| 4 | A Taste for Death | 1969 | Modesty Blaise | Buy |
| 5 | The Impossible Virgin | 1971 | Modesty Blaise | Buy |
| 6 | The Silver Mistress | 1973 | Modesty Blaise | Buy |
| 7 | Last Day in Limbo | 1977 | Modesty Blaise | Buy |
| 8 | Dragon’s Claw | 1978 | Modesty Blaise | Buy |
| 9 | The Xanadu Talisman | 1981 | Modesty Blaise | Buy |
| 10 | The Night of Morningstar | 1982 | Modesty Blaise | Buy |
| 11 | Dead Man’s Handle | 1985 | Modesty Blaise | Buy |
The Modesty Blaise novel series runs eleven books from 1965 to 1985, all written by Peter O’Donnell. The first novel, Modesty Blaise (1965), introduces the title character: a woman who built a criminal network called The Network before retiring and being drawn into freelance work for British Intelligence. Her partner Willie Garvin appears throughout the series as her loyal combat ally.
The books follow a formula of high-stakes missions with strong action sequences. Sabre-Tooth (1966) and I, Lucifer (1967) established the series’ rhythm, while later entries like Dragon’s Claw (1978) and The Xanadu Talisman (1981) took the pair to new locations and adversaries. Dead Man’s Handle (1985) was the final novel. O’Donnell continued the character in short fiction with Pieces of Modesty and Cobra Trap, but the eleven novels form the core of the prose series.