Joseph Hone, Irish spy writer, Died at 79

  Writer

Joseph Hone was born on February 25, 1937, and died on August 15, 2016.

He was an Irish writer of the spy novel.

Joseph Hone was a member of the Hone family, and the grandson of Joseph Hone, biographer to W.B. Yeats.

Joseph Hone most famous novels featured a British spy called Peter Marlow.

His first of the series was The Private Sector (1971), set in the Six Day War. Marlow’s story continues in The Sixth Directorate (1975), The Flowers of the Forest (a.k.a. The Oxford Gambit) (1980), and The Valley of the Fox (1982).

In his heyday, during the 1970s, Hone was favourably compared with writers such as Len Deighton, Eric Ambler and John le Carré.

And other spy novels, such as those of le Carré are often set mainly inside the offices of the spy department, and attract praise for the depth of their characterization and plotting, others (such as the James Bond series) are set in the field, and provide explosive action.

His stories, by contrast, have a foot in both camps, and he has become renowned amongst aficionados of the spy genre for both the quality of his writing and the excitement of his plots.

Joseph Hone released his memoir, Wicked Little Joe in 2009.

He latest novel is ‘Goodbye Again’

His books, including his most recent novel have been translated into various languages including French.

He has reviewed books for the New York Times Book Review, The Spectator, The New Statesman, and the Daily Telegraph

Joseph Hone passed away at 79 years old.