He published a total of 16 thrillers, all craftsman-like and almost all best-sellers. Typically of British thriller writers of the era, he rarely used recurring characters whose adventures unfolded over multiple books. Exceptions include Max Stafford (a security consultant featured in "Flyaway" and "Windfall)", Slade (a spy who appeared in "Running Blind" and "The Freedom Trap"), and Metcalfe (the smuggler/mercenary in "The Golden Keel" and "The Spoilers"). His work yielded five relatively unremarkable film adaptations: "The Freedom Trap" (1971), released in 1973 as "The Mackintosh Man" by Warner Brothers, directed by John Huston and starring Paul Newman and Dominique Sanda; "Running Blind", adapted for television by the BBC in 1979; "Landslide", made for television in 1992; "The Vivero Letter", filmed in 1998; and "The Enemy", starring Roger Moore in 2001. In several novels Bagley used the first-person narrative. One reviewer wrote, "As long as meticulous craftsmanship and honest entertainment are valued, and as long as action, authenticity, and expertise still make up the strong framework of the good adventure/thriller, Desmond Bagley's books will surely be read." Bagley also published short stories. His last two novels, "Night of Error" and "Juggernaut", were published posthumously after completion by his wife. His works have been translated into over 20 languages. In 2017, an unpublished first-draft manuscript entitled "Because Salton Died" was discovered among his papers at the Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center in Boston, Massachusetts. A complete final draft was subsequently prepared by writer Michael Davies, retitled "Domino Island", and was published by HarperCollins on 9 May 2019. Dates are for first UK hardcover publication; all of Bagley's novels subsequently appeared in paperback.