Quiller

Quiller is a fictional character created by English novelist Elleston Trevor. Quiller, whose one-word name is a pseudonym, works as a spy, and he is the hero of a series of Cold War thrillers written under the pseudonym "Adam Hall".

The books focus on a solitary, highly capable operative who works, usually on his own, for a British government organization, referred to as "The Bureau", which "doesn't exist". Quiller narrates his adventures in first person, addressing the reader in an informal tone. He was named for the real-life Cornish writer Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch.

Characterisation

Quiller is a highly skilled driver, pilot, diver, linguist and martial artist. In his choice of self-defence methods, he favors Shotokan karate, much like Trevor himself. Additionally, Quiller has knowledge of Chin Na - a related, complementary art focused on advanced joint manipulation. He does not carry a firearm "in peacetime". Indeed, this may mean that he has not carried one since World War II, reasoning that if he were caught, he would be able to explain anything he was carrying except a gun. He also believes that guns give their carriers a dangerously false sense of security, and dislikes the noise they make. His resistance to interrogation is exceptional and he has managed to keep the "suffix-nine" designation indicating he is "reliable under torture". He has a morbid dislike of dogs, especially guard dogs.

Quiller (disambiguation)

Quiller may refer to:

See also

Quiller (TV series)

Quiller is a British drama television series starring Michael Jayston. The series premièred with the episode The Price of Violence on 29 August 1975 on BBC One. Quiller is the alias of a fictional spy created by English novelist Elleston Trevor who featured in a series of Cold War thrillers written under the pseudonym "Adam Hall".

The second episode's script - Tango Briefing - was written by "Adam Hall", adapted from his own novel of the same name. All the other episodes were written for the series.

The series has never been repeated on the BBC or other channels since its original transmission nor is it currently available on DVD.

Background

Quiller (Michael Jayston) works for a British secret organisation known simply as "The Bureau". This organisation dispatches Quiller on various missions across the globe to retrieve missing documentation, prevent secrets from falling into the hands of the enemy, rescue "sleepers", safely repatriate defecting agents or eliminate those whom Her Majesty's Government wishes to disappear. His controller at "The Bureau" is Angus Kinloch (Moray Watson) and the only other series regular is Rosalind (Sinéad Cusack).