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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
Working off some notes/outline discovered by the estate of Ian Fleming, Anthony Horowitz is the third officially licensed novelist to carry on the Ian Fleming tradition. This is also a homage to Fleming, as well, as the plot is set in the late 1950s; on the plus side, Horowitz gets the period details of the 1950s 1960s down.
The second book that Horowitz wrote, of the Bond series, Forever and A Day actually takes place before this. But the books are written in that nothing is lost if they are read out of sequence.
The plot, by Bond nemesis group SMERSH to sabotage a pre-NASA unmanned rocket, and cause a major explosion in a US city at the same time, is kept moving along. Like the early Ian Fleming books, this is essentially a great read for train trips or flight.
Also, this may be the only Bond story EVER that has action taking place in New Jersey.
Horowitz also writes the Alex Rider series for YA types, so that explains the simplistic nature of some of the dialogue. But the book is filled with action, angry Russians, pretty government agents. (Fleming's notes just form the basis of the opening chapter of the book, set at a LeMans-style auto race.) 3.5 stars out of 5.
The second book that Horowitz wrote, of the Bond series, Forever and A Day actually takes place before this. But the books are written in that nothing is lost if they are read out of sequence.
The plot, by Bond nemesis group SMERSH to sabotage a pre-NASA unmanned rocket, and cause a major explosion in a US city at the same time, is kept moving along. Like the early Ian Fleming books, this is essentially a great read for train trips or flight.
Also, this may be the only Bond story EVER that has action taking place in New Jersey.
Horowitz also writes the Alex Rider series for YA types, so that explains the simplistic nature of some of the dialogue. But the book is filled with action, angry Russians, pretty government agents. (Fleming's notes just form the basis of the opening chapter of the book, set at a LeMans-style auto race.) 3.5 stars out of 5.
totally escapist fun. old school Bond for sure, with bodacious babes, maniacal villains, implausible plots, and shaken not stirred martinis.
Excellent addition to Bond canon - especially Fleming/Connery Bond. Only knock is some transitions begged for a commercial break.
Maybe it's just me, but I prefer Bond in a visual medium.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I have only ever read one Bond novel before, which I didn't like, so I might not be the best judge. But I think Horowitz caught up with the style of Fleming pretty well. It's a good thriller and would make for a very good adaptation.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The author did a good job of trying to capture the original Fleming style here and it flowed with the original novels much better than some of the previous authors who have tried to capture the original portrayal.
Some of the plot twists were interesting and somewhat out there, but it was nothing like some of the movies made staring Pierce Brosnan.
The character development for the main characters was fairly well done, some loose ends in how things were described, but nothing that the characters did was out of line from what you would expect from them. The descriptions of the racing scenes were really well done and for someone who is not versed in the sport, the descriptions helped bring it alive.
The interwoven storylines were interesting and added to the overall story. I felt it moved along fairly well without too many dry spots.
Of the novels that have come out since Devil May Care about 10 years ago, this has been the most enjoyable read.
Some of the plot twists were interesting and somewhat out there, but it was nothing like some of the movies made staring Pierce Brosnan.
The character development for the main characters was fairly well done, some loose ends in how things were described, but nothing that the characters did was out of line from what you would expect from them. The descriptions of the racing scenes were really well done and for someone who is not versed in the sport, the descriptions helped bring it alive.
The interwoven storylines were interesting and added to the overall story. I felt it moved along fairly well without too many dry spots.
Of the novels that have come out since Devil May Care about 10 years ago, this has been the most enjoyable read.
Back to the roots of Bond - the fifties. Style to mimic Fleming, Anthony Horowitz does a good job with the story.
I'm not going to go through the plot - other reviewers mention this. Anyway the blurb on the book gives you the idea. Pussy Galore - not sure about having her in the book.
An enjoyable read.
Some passages are extremely well written and you can feel the claustrophobia in the devilish means of disposing of Bond...
Worth picking up. No high tech stuff, just good fifties, classic villainy!
I'm not going to go through the plot - other reviewers mention this. Anyway the blurb on the book gives you the idea. Pussy Galore - not sure about having her in the book.
An enjoyable read.
Some passages are extremely well written and you can feel the claustrophobia in the devilish means of disposing of Bond...
Worth picking up. No high tech stuff, just good fifties, classic villainy!
James Bond, fresh off his adventure against Auric Goldfinger, is assigned to protect a prominent British race car driver from sabotage by SMERSH at the International Grand Prix event at Nurburgring. After infiltrating the racing circuit as a driver, 007 stumbles across some photos of rockets, which points him at a mysterious Korean millionaire named Jason Sin who seems intent on a terrorist attack against the US space program. Accompanied by American Bond babe, Jeopardy Lane, the plot unfolds amidst plenty of intrigue and action.
It’s not strictly necessary to have read [b:Goldfinger|3759|Goldfinger (James Bond, #7)|Ian Fleming|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1433975399s/3759.jpg|983949] first, but some connections would not be appreciated as much. Pussy Galore has a role in this novel, for example but I suspect many readers will mentally reference the movie rather than the original novel.
I’m a big fan of Anthony Horowitz and have always liked what I’ve seen from him, whether it’s a Sherlock Holmes pastiche, a stand-alone original mystery/thriller, or his television creations such as Foyle’s War. I’ve also read all of Ian Fleming’s Bond series and thought this novel, "Trigger Mortis", fits in well with Fleming’s original work. It felt a lot like I was reading a Fleming novel, except without the troubling racism and sexism. And given that the primary antagonist in this book is Korean, I can easily imagine how he would be depicted during Fleming’s time. Kudos to Mr. Horowitz for capturing the flavor of the originals, adjusted for today’s readership.
It’s not strictly necessary to have read [b:Goldfinger|3759|Goldfinger (James Bond, #7)|Ian Fleming|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1433975399s/3759.jpg|983949] first, but some connections would not be appreciated as much. Pussy Galore has a role in this novel, for example but I suspect many readers will mentally reference the movie rather than the original novel.
I’m a big fan of Anthony Horowitz and have always liked what I’ve seen from him, whether it’s a Sherlock Holmes pastiche, a stand-alone original mystery/thriller, or his television creations such as Foyle’s War. I’ve also read all of Ian Fleming’s Bond series and thought this novel, "Trigger Mortis", fits in well with Fleming’s original work. It felt a lot like I was reading a Fleming novel, except without the troubling racism and sexism. And given that the primary antagonist in this book is Korean, I can easily imagine how he would be depicted during Fleming’s time. Kudos to Mr. Horowitz for capturing the flavor of the originals, adjusted for today’s readership.