Rejoicing with the Truth

When I got home last Wednesday there was a nice fat  package waiting for me.  Not only did it have the three Alistair MacLean books I requested, but the seller had included a fourth for free!  The following note was stickied onto the cover:

Hello:
    Please excuse my wounded condition... You see I got into a fight with a much better swordsman and suffered a gruesome gash across my face.
    I've been bandaged up pretty well and I'm still willing to serve... if you'll have me.
           "The Secret Ways"

*delighted wibble* The injuries in question were two wide razor cuts to the cover, penetrating a couple dozen pages. The cover and first few pages were repaired with tape.  It wasn't PBS-allowable, but just fine for reading, especially with a bookmate.

I requested Night Without End, The Black Shrike, and The Golden Rendezvous, written in MacLean's best years according to Wikipedia, between 1959 and 1962.  The "wounded" book was The Secret Ways, coming immediately before those three.


 

My list of MacLean favorites has jumped from three to six. It was a glorious three days.

 

I still have two books yet to read on the early-MacLean list: Fear Is the Key and The Satan Bug, both available on PBS.  How long should I wait before requesting them, d'ya think? :D