The Resurrection of Desmond Bagley

Desmond Bagley (1923-1983) was an English journalist and novelist known mainly for a series of bestselling thrillers. He and fellow British writers, such as Alistair MacLean, set conventions for the genre: a tough, resourceful, but essentially ordinary hero pitted against villains (and weather conditions) determined to sow destruction and chaos for their own ends.

Bagley's work spanned 16 thrillers, written between 1963 and 1985, the last two were published after his untimely death in 1983.

As was the case with Alistair MacLean, several unfinished manuscripts were discovered after his death. His wife, Joan Magaret Brown managed to finish two of them, namely 'Night of Error' (1984) and 'Juggernaught' (1985). Both were published posthumously.

Then it went quiet.

But in 2019, Brockhurst Publications, the company that managed the estate of Desmond Bagley, decided that another unfinished manuscript of Desmond Bagley should be completed. Originally drafted in 1972, the first draft of a thriller entitled 'Because Salton Died' was only discovered in 2017. This first draft had handwritten annotations by both Bagley and his editor, Bob Knittel.

Brockhurst Publications hired writer Michael Davies to complete the thriller. The result, 'Domino Island' was published in 2019, a hiatus of 34 years after Bagley's last thriller.

Then, in October 2022, HarperCollins announced they had acquired Bagley's catalogue from Brockhurst Publications. Alongside the deal, publisher David Brawn revealed that a new original novel – written by Michael Davies as a sort of sequel to 'Domino Island' and using the same protagonist, Bill Kemp – would be published as a centenary tribute to Bagley. The novel, entitled 'Outback', was published in 2023.

Such was the (commercial) success that a further sequel, 'Thin Ice', also featuring Bill Kemp, has been published in 2024.

Therefore, it is entirely possible in this Aetate Inutilis Notitia ('Age of Useless Information') to resurrect a somewhat forgotten writer. Therefore it is not beyond the realm of impossibilities to rivive Alistair MacLean too again.