Welcome
T HIS WEBSITE is dedicated to the author Desmond Cory (1928-2001) – creator of the “Johnny Fedora Espionage Assignment series” first published in 1951 and which continues being republished some 65 years on.
Desmond Cory had many crime and spy thrilllers published over a forty-plus year period (1951 – 1993). Sixteen feature British secret agent Johnny Fedora, who made his debut in Secret Ministry (1951), beating another, more famous operative, Ian Fleming’s James Bond, onto bookshelves by two years (Casino Royale didn’t arrive until 1953).
This site provides a treasure trove of information about the author and his best-known creation, Johnny Fedora. You will find reviews, articles on and interviews with Cory as well as links to where his books can be bought. Even so, the majority of Cory's books have slipped out of print, some of them becoming incredibly scarce in any edition, so that reading Cory's Fedora novels – let alone collecting them – has become a tricky proposition, and nigh on impossible in some cases. The major exceptions are the first three Fedora outings, which are available as eBooks for the Kindle through Amazon. The fourth book, ‘Intrigue’ will soon be available with more to follow. The News section will advertise these future updates as soon as they become available and notify of other exciting developments.
Latest News
B E AMONG THE FIRST TO READ THE NEW VERSION OF INTRIGUE.
I'm pleased to announce the first ebook release of Desmond Cory's 4th novel in the Johnny Fedora series.
A British secret agent in a deadly manhunt at the dawn of the Cold War.
Trieste 1952. Johnny Fedora, a debonair British secret agent, knew he had only one week to prevent the Communists taking over Trieste - if he could stay alive to find the dreaded political genius Panagos, whose acumen for anarchy had left a trail of bloody revolution across the continent.
Spy adventure in the historical background of Europe soon after WWII
In a relentless race against the clock, Johnny finds: a dead man's last message, a beautiful woman falling into his arms, a hidden photograph … and three unknown women whose initials spell out an A B C code. But Johnny also finds that in the murderous, kill-or-be-killed world of international espionage, learning one’s ABCs is not quite enough when the game is deadly and the stakes are sky high.
A first-class British mystery and thriller: sophisticated, intelligent and gripping.
Ingenious and utterly unpredictable, Intrigue is a journey back in time to post-war Europe and to an age in espionage before the dawn of computers and high-tech gizmos. A tale of deception and murder, desire, intrigue and betrayal, Intrigue will keep you spellbound until its shattering climax. Winner of the Sunday Times' Best Crime novel of the year, Desmond Cory delivers yet again a near-perfect mystery novel, written with intelligence and laced with wit, mystery and suspense.
Bestseller
D ESMOND CORY NOVEL - BESTSELLER
It's great to see Dead Man Falling in the BestSeller lists again, running alongside other great popular authors such as Jo Nesbo and Janet Evanovich. Our thanks to all the readers purchasing this book and leaving their reviews on Amazon - there are now over 200 reviews .. and still counting !
A first-class British mystery and thriller: sophisticated, intelligent and gripping.
Provocative and unpredictable, Dead Man Falling is a journey back in time to post-war Europe and to an age in espionage before the dawn of computers and high-tech. A tale of deception and murder, desire, seduction and betrayal that will keep you spellbound until its shattering climax.
Suspenseful action full of surprises and twists.
Winner of the Sunday Times Best Crime novel of the year, Desmond Cory delivers yet again a near-perfect mystery novel, written with intelligence and laced with wit, mystery and suspense.
Latest Books
Writer’s Bio
S OME 60 YEARS AGO, Desmond Cory wrote the first of a series of thrillers that helped spawn one of Britain's most popular fictional genres - the 20th Century "Spy Novel".
Sometimes referred to as "Brit Grit", this phenomenon comprised several well-known characters such as Ian Fleming's James Bond, and Len Deighton's Harry Palmer. At its peak, the genre sold several million books across the world, and was watched by even greater numbers on the Big Screen, due to the immense popularity of James Bond, as incarnated by the incomparable Sean Connery. Preceding the now legendary 007 was Desmond Cory's Johnny Fedora, "the thinking man's James Bond".
