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/
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
Someone else had asked who that was. I am glad to spread some ambssadorial love for Roland. Good job on ID'ing him!
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.
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