Gérard de Villiers (1929-2013) was a staggeringly prolific writer. The Malko novels were just part of his output.
The hero of the Malko series is His Serene Highness Prince Malko Ligne, Count of the Holy Roman Empire, Knight of the Black Eagle, Knight of the Order of Landgrave Seraphim of Kletgaus, Knight of the Order of Malta. He owns a very nice castle back home in Austria but the upkeep on old castles requires a lot of money. His job as a mercenary agent and assassin for the C.I.A. pays for castle maintenance and for his other hobby, women. The C.I.A. considers him to be reliable.
C.I.A. agent Ron Barber has been kidnapped by guerrillas in Uruguay. Barber was engaged in routine C.I.A. activities in that country - mass murder, torture, kidnapping, just the usual stuff. All with the approval of the U.S. Government. Now the guerrillas are likely to torture him to death. Never has a man so richly deserved his fate but the C.I.A. doesn’t see it that way. They want him back. Prince Malko is called in to rescue him.
There are two factions in Uruguay - the bad guys (supported by the Americans) and the other bad guys (opposed to the American-backed government). But it’s more complicated than that, with a bewildering series of betrayals and counter-betrayals and escalating reprisals. There are many individuals involved who will readily switch allegiances. The two Uruguayan factions have their own agendas. The C.I.A. has its own agenda. Malko works for the C.I.A. but that doesn’t imply that he shares their agenda.
Some of these players are motivated by greed and the lust for power. Some are motivated by sexual lust, or jealousy. Some are motivated by ideology (they’re the most dangerous). And some just enjoy the game.
There are more kidnappings and murders. The plot is complex and clever and I have no intention of revealing any details at all - this is too good a story to risk even the mildest spoilers. I do like the ending. It’s not the ending you would get in an American pulp spy thriller but it works for me.
Espionage, terrorism, counter-terrorism, political activism are all dirty games. No-one can play these games while keeping their hands clean. The good guys employ torture as a matter of routine, as do the bad guys.
There’s a real edge of brutality. The torture scenes are fairly graphic. There’s an abundance of violent exciting action.
It also features sexy killer nuns with guns, always a nice touch in a spy thriller.
There’s a lot of sex. Prince Malko is happily married but he’s always willing to jump into bed with any available woman. There are three women who play vital roles in the story. They all utilise the most powerful weapon in a woman’s arsenal - sex. They utilise with a great deal of skill and panache. Malko is a man of the world who has had a lot of women but even he is impressed by some of Laura’s bedroom skills. He’s also impressed that she’s willing to display these skills in the middle of a crowded restaurant. The sex is quite graphic and it’s unapologetic. There’s a nicely continental feel to this novel. Sex is not treated with coyness, or with sniggering.
Malko is an interesting hero. His ethical standards are low, but not as low as those of most of the other players in the game. He is motivated mostly by money. It’s not just that castle that requires money. Keeping his wife back home in Austria happy requires money as well. Malko loves his wife. He has never even considered being faithful to her. She doesn’t expect that. Bourgeois morality is not for the aristocracy.
Malko: Angel of Vengence is hugely entertaining and very stylish. This is top-tier spy fiction. Very highly recommended.
I’ve also reviewed the slightly earlier Malko: West of Jerusalem.
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