A review by jmgustaf
Win, Lose or Die by John Gardner

3.0

I enjoyed the plot, although I found it took a little while to get to where it was going. The finale on the aircraft carrier-a mix of murder mystery and “Die Hard” as Matthew perfectly put it-was exciting and unique among the Bond books. I enjoyed getting to know M in a more personal light (we learned of his grandchildren and his ‘softer’ nature during Christmas time with them). I also really liked the addition of the current world leaders and thought the reference to Felix from former President Bush (who was Director of the CIA from 1976-1977) was a nice touch. I chuckled at the comment of President Bush’s handshake being ALMOST as strong as Prime Minister Thatcher’s.
We had our typical double-wait, no, triple, nope, it was just a double cross/fake out. It kept us guessing who was the leading lady, who was the femme fatale, and who what part will Nikki the Rat actually fill?
It was well written, and I enjoyed it a lot. I will reread it again at some point and I give it a 8 out of 10.