007 -- With a Mind to Kill

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by Richard--W, Jun 23, 2022.

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  1. Richard--W

    Richard--W Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Once again Anthony Horowitz restores the James Bond mythos with his third
    cover-novel, With a Mind to Kill (May 2022) a spy thriller about vengeance
    and redemption following Trigger Mortis (2016) and Forever and a Day
    (2019). Horowitz respects the concept Ian Fleming provided, echoes the style
    and substance of his prose, observes the traditions and the spirit of the early
    007 films. He replenishes the well with imagination and inventiveness, a
    flawless narrative, an unpredictable plot and brings the characters back into
    line where they should be. He creates a new femme fatale in Katya, a hot
    Russian agent whose sexual appetite and ruthlessness is matched only by
    James Bond's own. As they say in the theater, Horowitz plays the scene. He
    moves Bond through an adventure the way Ian Fleming did. His latest is a
    sequel to Fleming's final novel The Man With the Golden Gun (1964). That
    ended badly for 007, but Horowitz fleshes out the missing pieces and finds
    a way forward for James Bond, M and Moneypenny that maintains continuity
    with the past while opening a door to new adventures.

    With a Mind to Kill
    is also acutely cinematic. This time the play on "kill" words,
    used so often by EON Productions to title creatively bankrupt movies, makes
    sense. Horowitz's Bond trilogy is neither "woke" nor agenda-driven yet solves
    all the creative problems EON Productions struggle with. What they keep
    screwing up, Horowitz fixes without any fuss. They should put him in creative
    control of the franchise.

    I recommend Anthony Horowitz's James Bond cover-novels.

    https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Kill-James-Bond-Novel/dp/0063078414/

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Jun 23, 2022
  2. PH416156

    PH416156 Alea Iacta Est

    Location:
    Europe
    Ordered - Thanks Richard :tiphat:
     
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  3. Humbuster

    Humbuster Staff Emeritus

    Thanks for posting Was not aware of anything sf "Trigger Mortis"

    Reserved at local library.
     
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  4. Richard--W

    Richard--W Forum Resident Thread Starter

    In the Acknowledgement at the end of the book Horowitz says
    that With a Mind to Kill is his last Bond novel. His Bond trilogy
    is complete. What a shame. I gather Ian Fleming's Estate will
    engage another author to carry on the 007 tradtion.
     
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  5. lbangs

    lbangs Senior Member

    I mostly enjoyed Trigger Mortis, despite the awful title, but I was disappointed with Forever and a Day.

    I also have this reserved at the library. I hope it is a step up.

    I also hope, now Horowitz is finished, the novels give us a contemporary Bond again. My interest in the literary Bond as a museum piece stuck in the 50s is entirely dried up.

    Shalom, y'all!

    L. Bangs
     
  6. Richard--W

    Richard--W Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Horowitz recreates a utilitarian 1965. No nostalgia.
    However the novel reads comfortably in either time, as a 1960s
    period pace or as a contemporary story. It works both ways.
     
  7. omikron

    omikron Avid contributor to Paul McCartney's bank account

    Location:
    Lexington, KY
    Is he still incorporating bits of unused Fleming TV scripts/treatments for this book?

    I enjoyed that aspect of Trigger Mortis. Added to the back-to-roots nature of the character. Haven't gotten to his second book yet but full intend to along with this one.
     
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  8. The Panda

    The Panda Forum Mutant

    Location:
    Marple, PA, USA
    I thought the way the book opened with PGalore was great, I'll be getting the new one soon
     
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  9. Richard--W

    Richard--W Forum Resident Thread Starter

    No, Horowitz is almost apologetic about the absence of
    Fleming manuscript this time in his Acknowledgements.
    It doesn't matter, really, because his own storytelling is
    very fine indeed.
     
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  10. PH416156

    PH416156 Alea Iacta Est

    Location:
    Europe
    Off topic, but I was looking at your avatar thinking it was Bob Geldof but that's Roland Orzabal!
     
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  11. omikron

    omikron Avid contributor to Paul McCartney's bank account

    Location:
    Lexington, KY
    Someone else had asked who that was. I am glad to spread some ambssadorial love for Roland.

    Good job on ID'ing him!
     
  12. lechiffre

    lechiffre Forum Resident

    Location:
    phoenix
    I didn't know they were still publishing new books. The lat one that I read was the last Benson.
     
  13. Michael

    Michael I LOVE WIDE S-T-E-R-E-O!

    on my to buy list!
     
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  14. Richard--W

    Richard--W Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Benson's Bonds were disappointing, to say the least.
    Horowitz is infinitely more literate and intelligent.

    The novels by Boyd and Faulks are also highly recommnded.

    Avoid Deaver. Deaver's one Bond novel is sick, twisted and
    wrong-headed from the get-go (and would be perfect for
    clueless Daniel Craig, now that I think of it). His appraisals
    in interviews of Ian Fleming as a writer and of James Bond
    as a character are on point, however, although not reflected
    in the novel he wrote.
     
  15. lbangs

    lbangs Senior Member

    You and I have radically different reactions to the continuation novels, but I still hope to enjoy this latest book.

    Shalom, y'all!

    L. Bangs
     
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