5 stars out of 5
The late Ian Fleming's James Bond novels are among my all-time favorite books - and have the distinction of being the only books I've read more than once (for the record, the same is true for the Bond motion pictures). So when the first of the "new" Bond books by Anthony Horowitz, Trigger Mortis, was released in 2015, I was more than a little apprehensive. But that one came through with flying British colors, earning a 5-star rating from me. Apparently, Fleming's estate agreed; he was asked to write another - this one - and by golly, I like it even better than the first.
In a different sense, this one is the first; it takes place as Bond has been called up from the ranks to replace the former 007, who's been killed in the line of duty. When asked by chief M what number he preferred, he responded that keeping the 007 would, among other things, send a message to the enemies that the British service might be down, but never out. Bond's first assignment, however, will put that message to the test.
Not knowing exactly what lies ahead, Bond is looking forward to earning his license to kill; he's headed for the south of France, where his predecessor was shot three times (definitely overkill) while investigating the Corsican underworld and super-corpulent bad guy Jean-Paul Scipio. Known for their abundant profits by manufacturing and distributing quality heroin, it's a puzzlement as to why the Corsicans suddenly brought that activity to a screeching halt. Add in the intrigue of a beautiful former agent who seems to have gone rogue, and Bond has his work cut out for him well before he leaves England.
Once in France, Bond meets up with Reade Griffith, a CIA agent with whom he, well, bonds. He also learns that the gorgeous femme fatale is now involved with Irwin Wolfe, a beyond wealthy businessman who's making a killing (no pun intended) in the manufacture of color film for the motion picture industry (as an aside, one of the interesting parts of this novel is the time setting - not long after World War II and long before the Digital Age we've all come to know and love).
It wouldn't be a Bond novel, of course, if Bond himself didn't narrowly escape mortal danger at least once (and since we all know he made it well past the initial license-to-kill stage, it's not a spoiler to say he doesn't get bumped off in this one). He does get roughed up now and again - and again and again - as he pits his many skills against everything from a high-stakes casino blackjack game to the wiles of a clever but possibly deceitful woman to several unscrupulous bad guys. It's all a high-stakes game that Bond is intent on winning - and for readers, a delightful prequel to what's already come. Good job!
Forever and a Day by Anthony Horowitz (Harper, November 2018); 290 pp.
5 stars out of 5
This book had my name on it right from the git-go. First, I'm a diehard fan of the late Ian Fleming's James Bond books - and of the motion pictures as well, though for the most part they have little in common with the books. Second, Anthony Horowitz also authored Moriarty, to which I happily awarded 5 stars (yes, I love Sherlock Holmes as well).
For the first few chapters, though, I began to wonder if this one was destined to be not much more than name-dropping of people and places from other Bond books (it begins as Pussy Galore is ensconced in Bond's flat as a protective measure after the Goldfinger affair). Okay, I expected some of that - this one marks Bond's return after an electrifying exchange with Oddjob at Fort Knox. But would there be a real plot here with enough substance to stand on its own?
So, I consulted my Bond expert husband, who had just passed the book on to me, and his answer was a resolute yes. Even more impressive, he said, is the authenticity of writing style compared with that of Fleming. Now that I've finished, I totally agree; especially when the action began to heat up as the end was near, I really felt as if I were immersed in the pages of From Russia with Love or You Only Live Twice.
Interestingly, author Horowitz says in the acknowledgements that the concept for this book came from outlines Fleming had created for a possible TV series that was being discussed in America prior to the success of the film, Dr. No. Once that took off, the series idea was scrapped, and a couple of those outlines were used as the basis for subsequent movies. But five remained and were given to Horowitz; he picked one that piqued his writing interest and actually used about 500 words of Fleming's own dialogue in one chapter of this book.
The story here, set about a dozen years after the end of World War II, is that Bond learns his old nemesis, SMERSH, wants to kill the chances that a leading racecar driver will win an international Grand Prix in West Germany, thus allowing a Russian driver to win and demonstrating the power of the Soviets. Bond's boss, M, sends him in to prevent that from happening (yep, that means he'll have to impersonate a real driver and do laps around the track himself). But prior to the race, he spots a meeting between a top SMERSH official and a shady Korean millionaire dubbed Jason Sin, and suddenly Bond is convinced there's much more afoot than winning a road race.
Needless to say, Bond is right on the money, and the chase begins to find out what the secretive Mr. Sin really is up to (and, that accomplished, convincing the U.S. and British powers-that-be of the need to stop him). As Bond fans should expect, the whole thing comes down to resolution by the very capable secret agent, who must pull out all the stops to keep the world safe for democracy. Again.
I've missed you, Mr. Bond - great to have you back!
Trigger Mortis by Anthony Horowitz (Harper, September 2015); 320 pp.
4 stars (out of 5)
Any time someone new "takes over" a series of books after an author has passed away, I'm a bit skeptical that the new guy (or gal) will do the original author up proud. In the case of Ian Fleming, creator of James Bond, perhaps my all-time favorite character, it seems to me an almost insurmountable challenge. Since Fleming's death in 1964, I believe six authors have taken on the task, including such well-known writers as Kingsley Amis, John Gardner and Jeffery Deaver. Most did a passable job; in 2011, in fact, I gave Deaver's Carte Blanche 4 stars for coming up with an interesting story and doing a pretty good job following Fleming's style.
Now comes William Boyd, also an award-winning author in his own right, who may be the best of the lot. No, he's not Fleming, but he manages to keep the "flavor" of Bond intact while writing a story that is intriguing, filled with surprises and, of course, plenty of action.
This one is set in 1969 just as British special agent 007 Bond reaches his 45th year. He's summoned to headquarters by his boss, M, who assigns him to go to Zanzarim. The West African country is in the throes of a civil war, and Bond is charged with the difficult task of stopping the rebels, thus ensuring that the established regime remains in place.
The difficulty, though, becomes nearly impossible once Bond gets to his destination and realizes that nothing is as it seems (and certainly not as he was told). The uprising is far from straightforward, and almost from the start, he learns no one can be trusted. A conspiracy is afoot, and Bond must figure out the real reasons behind all the violence and who's really responsible - hopefully without losing his own life in the process. This one's a page-turner that kept me hooked from beginning to end.
Solo: A James Bond Novel by William Boyd (HarperCollins Publishers, October 2013); 341 pp.
