James Mitchell (writer)

James William Mitchell (12 March, 1926, South Shields - 15 September, 2002, Newcastle-upon-Tyne) was a British writer of crime fiction and spy thrillers. Mr. Mitchell also wrote under the pseudonyms James Munro and Patrick O. McGuire. He received bachelor's and master's degrees from Oxford.

James Mitchell created the BBC television series When the Boat Comes In and Callan and wrote many TV scripts, including episodes for The Troubleshooters and The Avengers.

The hero in his "Munro" books is a British agent named John Craig, who works, mostly reluctantly, for Department K. The books, "The Man Who Sold Death"; "Die Rich, Die Happy"; "The Money That Money Can't Buy"; and "The Innocent Bystanders" were tough-minded, well-written, and well-plotted. They had a genuinely heroic (and intelligent) protagonist, an eccentric M-type boss, and menacing villains.

Bibliography

Novels

*"Here's a Villain!" (1957), US Title: "The Lady is Waiting"
*"A Way Back" (1959), also published as: "The Way Back"
*"Steady, Boys, Steady" (1960)
*"Among Arabian Sands" (1963)
*"Ilion Like a Mist" (1969), also published as: "Venus in Plastic"
*"A Magnum for Schneider" (1969), US Title: "A Red File for Callan"
*"The Winners" (1970)
*"Russian Roulette" (1973)
*"Death and the Bright Water" (1974)
*"Smear Job" (1975)
*"The Evil Ones" (1982)
*"Sometimes You Could Die" (1985)
*"Dead Ernest" (1986)
*"KGB Kill" (1987)
*"Dying Day" (1988)
*"A Woman to Be Loved" (1990)
*"An Impossible Woman" (1992)
*"Leading Lady" (1993)
*"So Far from Home" (1995)
*"Indian Summer" (1996)
*"Dance for Joy" (1997)

=as Patrick O. McGuire=
*"A Time for Murder" (1955)
*"Fiesta for Murder" (1962)

as James Munro

*"The Man Who Sold Death" (1964)
*"Die Rich, Die Happy" (1965)
*"The Money That Money Can't Buy" (1967)
*"The Innocent Bystanders" (1969)

David Platzer, "The Man from Department K", Slightly Foxed, Autumn 2008