 First edition | |
| Author | Hartley Howard |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Spy thriller |
| Publisher | Collins |
Publication date | 1964 |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Media type | |
Department K is a 1964 spy thriller novel by Hartley Howard, a pen name of British author Leo Ognall. It was published in the United States under the alternative title Assignment K.
Critical reception
The Evening Standard deemed it "a fine, pace-holding thriller."[1] The Evening Herald considered it "a rough-action thriller with an interest-holding, exciting plot."[2]
Film adaptation
In 1968, the novel was adapted into the film Assignment K, directed by Val Guest and starring Stephen Boyd, Camilla Sparv and Michael Redgrave.[3] While the book was mostly centred in London over a few days, the film opens this out by including more Continental settings and shifting from the novel's Berlin to Munich.[4]
Sources
- Burton, Alan. Looking-Glass Wars: Spies on British Screens since 1960. Vernon Press, 2018.
- Goble, Alan. The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film. Walter de Gruyter, 1999.
References
- ^ Clarke, John (6 October 1964). "Quick Crime: Department K". Evening Standard. London. p. 19. Retrieved 16 August 2025 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "(untitled)". Evening Herald. Dublin. 16 October 1964. p. 8. Retrieved 16 August 2025 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Goble p.230
- ^ Burton p.15
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