The Avengers - Steed and Peel: Deadline


THE AVENGERS OFFICIAL NOVELISATIONS
Deadline by Patrick Macnee and Peter Leslie
First published in the UK by Hodder and Stoughton in 1965, and priced at three shillings and six-pence, this was later re-printed in the 1994 by Titan Books (cover below).
From the back of the first UK edition: CAST: John Steed, Emma Peel, facing ruthless criminals dedicated to the destruction of their own country - and unidentified. LOCATION: Fleet Street, and a disused airfield in the Midlands. DEADLINE: The day after tomorrow... Patrick Macnee stars in the ABC television series The Avengers, on whose theme this novel is based. He has two children, is twice-married, drives Jaguars and designs his own clothes; an Old Etonian and a descendant of Robin Hood, he was born of aristocratic stock, has dark brown hair, hazel eyes, and is 6'1" tall."	Deadline: First UK edition	Deadline: Titan reprint
OTHER EDITIONS	Deadline: Portuguese edition
Deadline was published in Portugal in 1967 as Os Vingadores: O Dia Depois De Amanha by Dêagá. The translator was M. M. Ferreira da Silva
REVIEW
This, along with its companion Dead Duck, is the best in Avengers fiction. The feel of these two books is very much in keeping with the feel of the show - especially Dead Duck, but more on that anon. This was written by Patrick Macnee (who played Steed in The Avengers and Sir Dennis Eton Hogg in This Is Spinal Tap) and some geezer called Peter Leslie, who probably filled in on words, plot and typing. Look for The Avengers logo on this copy. Not there, is it. Selling point was old Pat himself. There was apparently a hardback version of this released in the 60s as well which I've never seen, but if anybody has one I'd love to know. I suspect that having seen a paperback copy of 'Reptilicus' turned into a hardback by the inclusion of cardboard by some enterprising librarian, this may be the case.
on to Dead Duck