Puppet On A String

Some authors write books. Alistair MacLean preferred to launch his readers into a world where everyone is lying, every friendly face is suspicious, and the nearest cup of coffee is probably consumed while trying to avoid being shot. Puppet on a String is one of those gloriously fast-moving 1970s thrillers where conspiracies unravel at breakneck speed and danger seems to lurk behind every canal bridge, warehouse door and poorly lit street corner.

MacLean had an extraordinary knack for making ordinary locations feel anything but ordinary. Before long, what begins as an investigation becomes a desperate race against unseen enemies pulling invisible strings. Double-crosses pile upon betrayals, allies become liabilities, and the hero somehow manages to stay one step ahead despite the overwhelming evidence that fate has other plans. It’s all wonderfully old-school, long before modern thrillers discovered the joys of satellite tracking and smartphones. Here, tension is created the traditional way—with sharp writing, relentless pacing and the ever-present possibility that somebody is about to make your day considerably worse.

This 1971 Fontana paperback has clearly lived an adventurous life of its own. It is honestly described as being in Poor condition, but not because it has been abandoned to the elements or used to prop up an uneven table leg. Rather, it has been well read, well travelled and, at some point, suffered damage to the top of the spine.

Rather than simply accepting defeat and tossing it into the literary scrap heap, we’ve carried out a sympathetic repair. The top spine area has been restored with hinge protection and a carefully made replacement top spine section to strengthen what had become the book’s weakest point. No, it isn’t going to fool a collector armed with a jeweller’s loupe and a torch brighter than the sun, but it does give the book a sturdier future and allows it to continue doing what it was printed to do: be read.

Think of it as the paperback equivalent of a classic car wearing a neatly fabricated repair panel. It still shows its age, and it makes no attempt to pretend otherwise, but it’s back on the road and ready for another journey.

If you’re searching for a pristine investment copy, this probably isn’t your moment. If, however, you enjoy rescuing books with a bit of character, appreciate a practical repair over landfill, and simply want to lose yourself in one of Alistair MacLean’s brilliantly paced adventures, this copy still has plenty of miles left in it.

After all, secret agents survive with the occasional patch-up, spies carry scars with pride, and apparently so do paperbacks. Sold with affection, a touch of irony and one rather grateful reinforced spine by Crappy Old Books.

Keep browsing: See more Thrillers books Other books by Alistair MacLean