Good Book: No Entry, by Manning Coles

Very few espionage authors that shone during World War II seemed to know quite what to do with themselves during the Cold War. However, Cyril Henry Coles and Adelaide Frances Oke Manning (writing jointly as Manning Coles) seemed to see quite clearly that the game wasn't won yet.

In No Entry, c. 1958, Double & Company, Garden City, New York, they sent their primary hero into harm's way where it mattered, the no man's land along the border between East and West Germany. Tommy Hambledon - lovable, fallible, courageous, ingenious and plucky - had done super service during World War II. In this book, he showed himself still up to the game.

Tommy is a cleaner-living version of the English secret agent of the James Bond variety. When Tommy returns to his hotel room to find a dead stranger sitting in one of his chairs, he can be counted upon to say something along the lines of 'how inconvenient'. We should all be so cool in a crisis. But he's better about sticking to business, instead of chasing women about or idling at the bar. And he can be quite funny.

No Entry features trips back and forth between East and West Germany, and puts across the differences in the lives of the people under the different regimes. This sobering message, however, doesn't get in the way of the adventure. Never fear, when Tommy is on a case unusual circumstances are almost sure to follow, not to mention lots of action.

UPDATE: Here's a link with more information on Manning Coles, including a chronological listing of novels. Asterisks indicate books that don't feature Thomas Elphinstone (Tommy) Hambledon.