JOHN MORDRED

Full Name:	John Mordred
Nationality:	British
Organization:	MI-7
Occupation	Agent

Creator:	James Ward
Time Span:	2015 - 2020

ABOUT THE SERIES

John Mordred is an agent with MI-7.

"Latter-day beatnik, loner, mystic, linguistic genius; by grudging consensus, MI-7's best agent. 'Best', that is, apart from one little flaw: a stubborn habit of obeying his conscience when the chips are down. He may be very, very good in a crisis, but fatally, he won't necessarily defend the realm." That is how one person describes him and it is spot on.

Mordred is 28 years old when we meet him and has been with MI-7 for some time already, enough to have his boss, Ruby Parker, aka the Red Maiden, consider him her best agent.

He is a blond haired good looking man, tall-ish and rather thin. Though he wanted to look suave and distinguished, wearing a suit from Saville Row, he admitted to himself he instead "looked like a farmer defending a lawsuit". Luckily for his self-esteem, he found such a thought as amusing rather than demoralizing.

Originally recruited by MI-7 as a languages expert and conversant in most of the major ones with a lot of interest in the more obscure tongues from distant lands, he has written several published papers on such matters. It did not take long for his superiors to recognize talent in other areas besides linguistics and he was soon out in the field as an operative.

"He said stupid things at all the wrong moments, and he knew he was doing it. He did it out of a desire to self-destruct which even he didn't get", yet another thought one of his colleagues had on him. He does not suffer foolishness well, not even when done by himself. At one point he mused, "psychological test results prove I belong to that category of spies who, if they try to use sex to get information, are more likely to end up a thrall to the target than to put her in an emotionally obliging position."

Still, for all his faults, which really amount to just a few, he is a determined agent in the field and one that MI-7, and Ruby Parker, has no hesitation in dispatching.

BOOKS

Number of Books:	14
First Appearance:	2015
Last Appearance:	2020


1			The Eastern Ukraine Question Written by James Ward Copyright: 2015 When Britain hears there is a group of Russian oligarchs out to force Vladimir Putin out of office, it decides to lend a hand in the form of five agents. Once they arrive on station, though, they begin to disappear. MI-7 sends John Mordred to look into what is happening.

2			The Social Magus Written by James Ward Copyright: 2015 The new political party in England, Real Alternative, has a youthful energetic leader and is grabbing the youth vote. The question at MI-7 is who is funding it? If it is foreign backers, that would be a problem. John Mordred is assigned the job of finding out and it becomes a bit personal when he learns that leader and Mordred's sister used to be an item.

3			Encounter With ISIS Written by James Ward Copyright: 2015 The daughter of a British government minister leaves England to join ISIS. MI-7 is sent to Turkey to stop her but the facts do not back up the story, especially the fact that there is no evidence of her having made it to Istanbul. John Mordred has his work cut out for him.

4			World War O Written by James Ward Copyright: 2015 The huge set of demonstrations around the world protesting fiscal inequality was impressive. A million protesters join up in dozens of countries at the same time to voice their unhappiness. MI-7 would not have gotten involved except for the question of how the rallies were organized without GCHQ or NSA hearing anything at all. It is up to John Mordred to learn the answer.

5			The New Europeans Written by James Ward Copyright: 2016 Someone is out to destroy John Mordred's reputation inside MI-7 and it is apparently coming from his own organization. Rumors of his being 'radicalized'. Different people popping up with complaints and false evidence. A journalist who claims to have more information but who acts in fear for her life.

6			Libya Story Written by James Ward Copyright: 2017 When John Mordred's sister is kidnapped in war-torn Libya, he is forbidden to go look for her, told to let others take care of it. That is not something Mordred is willing to do so he resigns and heads there to get her back no matter who stands in his way or how many.

7			Little War In London Written by James Ward Copyright: 2015 'Fake News' is indicating there is a private war going on between agents from Russia and the U.S. in the alleys and back streets of London. John Mordred is determined to find who is behind the stories and learn the truth and if there really is an escalation of hostilities, cool it down.

8			The Square Mile Murder Written by James Ward Copyright: 2018 When an armed assailant attacks John Mordred, leaving him in critical condition and needing six weeks to mend, he is told to let the police handle it. That is not Mordred's style. And then there are five missing IMF officials and rumors of UFO sightings and other strange events to consider.

9			The Ultimate Londoner Written by James Ward Copyright: 2018 Someone has entered John Mordred as one of ten in the running for 'Ultimate Londoner', a popularity contest with a £5 million prize. Since Mordred likes to stay under the radar, being mentioned so much in the papers and watched wherever he went in the City is not a good thing. MI-7 and he wants to know who is behind it. And then the other candidates start dying.

10			Death In A Half Foreign Country Written by James Ward Copyright: 2018 John Mordred gets married. He leaves MI-7. He and his bride start a new, simpler 'normal' life. Except that they are both former agents and such a normal existence does not feel right. Even running away to Malta does not make it feel better. Especially when someone has sent an assassin to take them both out.

11			The BBC Hunters Written by James Ward Copyright: 2019 Russia has become an expert in manipulating the media of the West but this latest scheme by a small group of idealists stuns even the highly experienced leader of the FSB's Overseas Strategic Affairs department. They have found a way to control much of the vaunted BBC. When that leader takes credit for the plan, though, they take offense and one may have contacted John Mordred.

12			The Seductive Scent of Empire Written by James Ward Copyright: 2020 First the head of MI7 is badly injured by a burglar and put out of action. Then the man put temporarily in her place, a man who dislikes everything she has done and all those who work for her, goes missing. Then attacks all over the country start happening. John Mordred does not believe in coincidences.

13			Humankind 2.0 Written by James Ward Copyright: 2020 MI7 was eagerly awaiting the starting day for Chasha Jones, a new employee who referred to herself, mostly joking, as the most intelligent woman in London. Then she didn't arrive. And not the next day either. And then it looks like she joined a cult that promises to a new type of human through genetic engineering. John Mordred is sent to investigate.

14			Ruby Parker's Last Orders Written by James Ward Copyright: 2020 As Ruby Parker prepares to enter retirement, she and MI7 have to face a problem of an assassin in the country taking out several people with vital intel. One of the targets is Daisy Hallenbeck, an American intelligence operative who has disappeared. John Mordred must find her and stop the killer to make sure that Parker's last days end well.

MY COMMENTS

Usually when you find a spy series where the protagonist is really good, he is always good and seldom makes mistakes. Or you find a screw-up who stays a screw-up throughout.

Mordred is neither.

But I mention the two because Mordred is a very good agent who sometimes makes mistakes and often says the wrong thing and while I tend to grimace a time or three when I watch him to do, I take assurance in the fact that he will pull it all off in the end.

Add to that the fact that I really do like Mordred a lot, well, you have me correctly pegged as a fan.

GRADE

My Grade: A-

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