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PADDY REGAN

regan_paddy_bk_ctbf regan_paddy_bk_mab regan_paddy_bk_tom
 
Full Name: Paddy Regan
Nationality: British
Organization: None
Occupation Private Investigator

Creator: Douglas Rutherford
Time Span: 1950 - 1952

ABOUT THE SERIES

Paddy Regan is a private investigator.

He has a different name for it since that one sounded either a bit too lame or too sordid for his tastes. He and his partner, Harry, wanted to differentiate what they would do from the normal so when they started their small two-man firm, they billed themselves on their letterhead as being "special agents".

They do not have much experience at their profession when we first meet them. Regan explains early on that he and Harry had spent most of their adult life working for the British government in the Middle East as part of the "Palestine Police". When Britain relinquished its hold on that region, they were called back to England. They were offered jobs "of a sort" at the 'Appointments Office' (don't know) but that was thought by them as being far too tame after all the excitement they had been experiencing so they kindly refused and went out on their own. Again according to his own words, cases did not just immediately leap through their doors and the little money they had put away soon went further away and things started looking dicey.

Still, they stuck with it and their advertisements showed they were willing "to do anything legal" and from Regan's actions, he would have a very liberal definition of the extent of legality. Regan would also be prone to taking a small nip of whiskey what he listened to a job offer, another one after accepting the work, several more while on the job, and then quite a few afterwards.

Though I put Regan's "special agents" moniker in quotes, as it turns out, it really fits because the sort of adventures that Regan gets involved in in this three-book series written in and taking place just a handful of years after the Second World War definitely is not in the realm of keyhole peeping or dodgy husband following. And after what happens very early on to Regan's partner and almost to him more than one thereafter, that tame job at 'Appointments' might not have been such a bad idea.

BOOKS

Number of Books:3
First Appearance:1950
Last Appearance:1952

1 Comes The Blind Fury Comes The Blind Fury
Written by Douglas Rutherford
Copyright: 1950

When Paddy Regan's partner is shot in a Paris night club, Regan knows it is related to their search for a brother of a wealthy banker's daughter. He had gotten involved in something that dated back to activity just before Dunkirk 10 years before. Regan's investigation will take him from Paris to the French countryside and then to Switzerland where some very nasty people want him to stop looking.

2 Meet A Body Meet A Body
Written by Douglas Rutherford
Copyright: 1951

When Paddy Regan is asked to look into two disappearances, he determined the first likely ran off with his mistress but the second was working at a factory that made ultra-secret radar equipment. This time he must head to North Africa in pursuit.


3 Telling Of Murder Telling Of Murder
Written by Douglas Rutherford
Copyright: 1952

The Free Territory of Trieste is under the control of a joint Britain/American detachment. It has seen the disappearance of several high-ranking scientists, diplomats, and even agents. A wealthy ship owner has had several attempts made on his life and appeals to Paddy Regan to learn who wants him dead and why and is it connected with the vanishings.

MY COMMENTS

This series is a highly enjoyable mixture of hard-boiled detective fiction, U.K. style, mixed with international intrigue enough to warrant membership in this compendium. Regan would scoff at the idea of being anything other than a "special agent" or a civilian police officer because that is all he has ever been or ever wanted to be. He would definitely not think of himself as a spy or counter-spy.

The author does a fine job letting you follow Regan as he goes about his job being more than a tad stubborn and/or pig-headed and not a little vindictive when his best mate gets himself whacked. Regan also does not react kindly to being beaten up and the writer lets you see that quite clearly.

I went back and forth more than a few times deciding whether to include these detective novels in the collection but after seeing what Regan got involved in, I eventually chose yes.

Written in the early 50s, these books take me back to a time just before I was born and I enjoyed them.

GRADE

My Grade: B

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