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The Paul Chavasse series of books are a series of spy thriller novels written by the British author Jack Higgins. The series features a British special agent by the name of Paul Chavasse, They tend to focus on the world of international espinoage, as Paul Chavasse is a well-travelled man, taking on cases for the British Government all over the world. The Paul Chavasse are some of Jack Higgins’ earliest works, and were published throughout the ’60s, with the final book book in the series being published in 1969. Even today, the Paul Chavasse is a great insight into the world of international politics of the time.
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Order of Paul Chavasse Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Bormann Testament / The Testament of Caspar Schultz | 1962 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | Year of the Tiger | 1963 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | The Keys of Hell | 1965 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | Midnight Never Comes | 1966 | Description / Buy | |
| 5 | Dark Side of the Street | 1967 | Description / Buy | |
| 6 | A Fine Night for Dying | 1979 | Description / Buy |
Higgins comes from a broken home, something that prompted his mother to take him with her to Belfast upon Ireland before relocating o Leeds upon West Yorkshire. For his basic education, Higgins schooled at Roundhay School before signing up for military service. Thereafter, Higgins went to London School of Economics whereby he pursued sociology.
Jack Higgins was working as a teacher by the time he plunged into writing in the late 1950s. Inspired by the ensuing literary success, Higgins left teaching and made writing his full-time occupation. Higgins has authored tens of books since he debuted in 1959, a writing career spanning almost five decades. Jack Higgins is his most used and renowned penname. However, the author has also written books under his birth name. Did you know that there are other pseudonyms including James Graham, Hugh Marlowe, and Martin Fallon?
Protagonist Paul Chavasse originally appeared in 1962. Basically, the serialized Paul Chavasse is a sextet. There are about 25 editions of the first book in the Paul Chavasse series. The first edition was initially published in 1962, titled The Bormann Testament; and this book is shelved under the fiction (specifically historical fiction and spy fiction), thriller, and action genres.
As the title of the series points out, Paul Chavasse is the protagonist in the Paul Chavasse series. Chavasse is a British national whose occupation is that of a special agent; Chavasse works for an organization called The Bureau, a discreet British agency that deals with intelligence that cannot be handled by mainstream intelligence agencies such as MI-6.
The first book to the published in the Paul Chavasse series of books is The Testament of Caspar Schlutz, which is also known as The Bormann Testament. The Testament of Caspar Schultz was published in 1962, and we are introduced to Special Agent Paul Chavasse as he returns from a gruelling mission overseas, only to be accosted by his boss in the early hours of the morning. When the Bormann Testament surfaces, which reveals the whereabouts of former members of Hitler’s Third Reich who have gone into hiding after the Second World War, Paul Chavasse must do what he can to retrieve it before it disappears forever, as do the leads that come from it. Paul Chavasse must deal with the Nazi underground resistance, as well as Israelis operatives in order to get the manuscript.
In 1963, the second book in the Paul Chavasse series was published, Year of the Tiger, which continues the story of Special Agent Paul Chavasse. This time, instead of focusing on the fallout from World War Two, Paul Chavasse must deal with the Cold War and the space race that was going on at the time. Paul Chavasse heads to Tibet to find Dr Karl Hoffner, a leading expert in space technology who has apparently found a way to get rockets to the moon faster than the Russians. It is important that the Russians are not the first to the moon, but there are agents out there looking to get to the doctor before he can be extracted to a safe haven.
The third book in the Paul Chavasse series, The Keys of Hell, was published in 1965, which was then followed by Midnight Never Comes in 1966. The penultimate book in the series, Dark Side of the Street followed those novels, and was released in 1967.
The final book in the Paul Chavasse series of novels, A Fine Night for Dying, was published in 1969. We start with the body of a notorious gangster being pulled out of the English Channel by a fishing boat. When there’s suspicion of a small smuggling operation being involved, Special Agent Paul Chavasse, our hero of the series, is sent to investigate. However, Paul Chavasse uncovers more than he bargained for, and it soon becomes evident that what intelligence first thought was a small-time operation is far greater than anyone had initially thought. Add in the fact that those involved are some of the most powerful men in the world, and things become increasingly more perilous for Paul Chavasse.
When the Paul Chavasse was first published, while the first book was released under the name Jack Higgins, the remainder of the books in the series were initially published under the name Martin Fallon (another pseudonym used by Harry Patterson). However, when the books were republished, they all went under the name of Jack Higgins due to the author’s well-known and loved status amongst his fans.
Paul Chavasse Books into Movies and TV Shows
In matters filmography, there are several film adaptations of Higgins literary works. For instance, Higgin’s book titled A Prayer for the Dying was made into a similarly titled 1987 film, starring Mickey Rourke who appears as Martin Fallon. Higgins’ book named The Eagle Has Landed was made into a similarly titled 1976 film, starring Michael Caine (appearing as Kurt Steiner), Donald Sutherland (acting as Liam Devlin), and Robert Duvall (playing Max Dahl’s role). Higgins’ 1971 book titled The Wrath of God was adapted into a 1972 film, starring Robert Mitchum who portrays Van Horne.
Higgins’ 1966 book named A Candle for the Dead was made into a 1967 film named The Violent Enemy, starring Tom Bell who appears as Sean Rogan. Higgins’ 1993 book named Thunder Point, the second book in the Sean Dillon series, has a film adaptation also called Thunder Point; the starring is Kyle MacLachlan who appears as Sean Dillon. MacLachlan also appeared as Dillon in 1997 film called Windsor Protocol, an adaptation of Higgins’ work. The 1990 TV movie called Night of the Fox is based on Higgins’ 1986 novel Night of the Fox. Higgins’ 1985 novel Confessional became the TV miniseries called Confessional that has one season and four episodes, and aired in late 1989.
Best Paul Chavasse Books
These are the best books in the Paul Chavasse series.
The first is The Bormann Testament.
Year of the Tiger: The second book in that series. The cynosure is a brainy scientist who will tip the scales in space supremacy featuring Britain, American, and Soviet Union. But the scientist is holed up in Tibet and Chinese agents are angling for disappointing those nations.
The Keys of Hell: The third book in the series. Chavasse is dispatched to Albania wherein he is mandated to execute a double agent but finds himself on the receiving end of someone who has a bone of contention with him.
Other Book Series You May Like
Readers who enjoyed the Paul Chavasse series also liked these books. The first is “Inspector Troy” series, penned by John Lawton. The protagonist, Frederick Troy, is a London-based inspector during the Second World War and Cold War eras.
The second is “Tweed & Co.” series, authored by Colin Forbes and featuring a team of spies attached to the intelligence agency called MI6.
The third is “Fox on the Rhine” series, a duology penned by Douglas Niles. It is all about the regional geopolitics in the wake of Fuhrer’s death and fall of Third Reich.
Paul Chavasse FAQs
Q: Who writes the Paul Chavasse series of books?
A: The Paul Chavasse series of books are written by British author Jack Higgins, which is the pen name of Harry Patterson.
Q: What is the first book in the Paul Chavasse series?
A: The first book in the Paul Chavasse series of books is The Testament of Caspar Schultz (also known as The Bormann Testmament), which was published in 1962.
Q: What is the last book in the Paul Chavasse series?
A: The last book to be published in the Paul Chavasse series of books is A Fine Night for Dying, which was published in 1969.
What Is The Next Book in The Paul Chavasse Series?
There doesn't seem to be an upcoming book in The Paul Chavasse Series. The newest book is A Fine Night for Dying and was released on February, 1st 1979.