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alex_ellermann 's review for:
Double or Nothing
by Kim Sherwood
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Kim Sherwood understood the assignment.
Her novel, ‘Double or Nothing,’ reads like a treatment for a 007 movie - without 007. Even without James Bond, it offers everything a reader could ask for in a 007 novel.
Bond, now an instructor / mentor / occasional operative, is missing and probably dead. But MI6 goes on. Moneypenny, now head of the 00 program, has agents a mole to catch. 003 has been captured. 009 has been dispatched on the rescue mission. Meanwhile, 004 is tasked with infiltrating the operation of an eccentric billionaire who’s promising to save the world, but who may be under threat from an organization that’s basically SMERSH 2.0. These stories intertwine both predictable and enormously entertaining ways, complete with exotic cars, high stakes gambling, underground lairs, and truly cinematic villains. Some old friends and enemies even put in appearances, giving one the impression that this novel’s world is very much the world of Fleming’s writing and The Broccoli Family’s films.
One of my gripes, when it comes to 007, has always been that James Bond is presented as the best agent in the world. One of my favorite things about ‘Double or Nothing’ is that, while it accepts 007’s legendary status, it gives us a new generation of 00s who are every bit as smart, capable, ruthless, and just plain interesting as James. I dug them. I dug their world. While reading this book, I found myself itching for its tv or film adaptation. What a treat.
So well done, Kim Sherwood. I look forward to reading your next 00 novel, when it’s released. Until then, I’ll be recommending “Double or Nothing” to all of my friends who are fans of spy fiction.
Her novel, ‘Double or Nothing,’ reads like a treatment for a 007 movie - without 007. Even without James Bond, it offers everything a reader could ask for in a 007 novel.
Bond, now an instructor / mentor / occasional operative, is missing and probably dead. But MI6 goes on. Moneypenny, now head of the 00 program, has agents a mole to catch. 003 has been captured. 009 has been dispatched on the rescue mission. Meanwhile, 004 is tasked with infiltrating the operation of an eccentric billionaire who’s promising to save the world, but who may be under threat from an organization that’s basically SMERSH 2.0. These stories intertwine both predictable and enormously entertaining ways, complete with exotic cars, high stakes gambling, underground lairs, and truly cinematic villains. Some old friends and enemies even put in appearances, giving one the impression that this novel’s world is very much the world of Fleming’s writing and The Broccoli Family’s films.
One of my gripes, when it comes to 007, has always been that James Bond is presented as the best agent in the world. One of my favorite things about ‘Double or Nothing’ is that, while it accepts 007’s legendary status, it gives us a new generation of 00s who are every bit as smart, capable, ruthless, and just plain interesting as James. I dug them. I dug their world. While reading this book, I found myself itching for its tv or film adaptation. What a treat.
So well done, Kim Sherwood. I look forward to reading your next 00 novel, when it’s released. Until then, I’ll be recommending “Double or Nothing” to all of my friends who are fans of spy fiction.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Murder, War