So is anyone else out there a fan of Modesty Blaise? One of the things I love about the series is Modesty and Willie's deep friendship. Never a romantic relationship, but one of deep devotion nonetheless.
I also love the colorful characters that Peter O'Donnell populated that world with. And despite the fact that Modesty and Willie had to thwart some very evil individuals, O'Donnell clearly had a positive attitude towards most people. Modesty and Willie encountered a wide variety of well meaning and conscientous people.
Read a few. Liked them. One of the first strong female characters that made an impression when I was young.
And the thing that still sticks out is that she is never reliant on any man. Both Willie Garvin and Sir Gerald care deeply about her, but it is still a relationship of equals.