Enric Badia Romero (1930–2024)

Three good stories - all focused on rescuing women who are being abused, in different ways. The first story they're rescuing a girl who's slated for a horrific death to pay her father back for sentencing her captor to prison years ago - some nice twists, and the movie actually sounds amusing. Well, some of the movies. The second the woman is more incidental, though an attack on her is what clues Modesty and Willie in to the problem. This is the title story, and the leader of the Children of Lucifer is quite thoroughly insane (though not, in fact, a Satanist). And the third one we get another glimpse into the past - Willie's past, this time. An old friend is in need of help - his daughter has been stolen, and sold as a sex slave. We also get to see old friends - the tribe Modesty and Willie worked with in The Black Pearl live in the same area, and are very helpful. I can see their reactions, but Willie's seems odd - it's hardly the first time she's suffered the equivalent, or even the first time she's chosen to risk herself that way. Whatever. And this is the second-to-last book - the next one, out in October, will collect the last Modesty Blaise strips. Wahhh!… (more)