An enjoyable, escapist read which is a
fitting tribute to the great author Ian Fleming. (Review by Keith Millar)
I think it can safely be said that the plot
for James Bond (007) stories are never very complex. They all seem to feature
the hero, as suave as ever, coming up against impossible odds as he finds
himself in opposition to some evil genius who is hell bent on destroying the
world, or at least a large part of it.
Along the way he will get the girl, get
beaten up and tortured, while he himself will be responsible for a fair bit of
brutality and more than a few killings.
In the end he will of course triumph in the
most improbable circumstances and save the day. All this, of course, takes
place in some of the world’s most exotic settings.
Anthony Horwitz’s new James Bond Spy
Thriller, Forever And A Day, meets
all these criteria admirably. It is a turbulent and fast moving story which is
easy to read and offers good escapist entertainment.
Horwitz, a prolific and successful writer
of more than 40 books, was given the blessing by Ian Fleming Publications Ltd
and the Ian Fleming Estate to write this, his second book, to feature the late
Fleming’s iconic character James Bond.
Included in the book is original material
written by Fleming – although it is quite difficult to identify exactly how and
where in the book it is used.
Forever
And A Day tells the story of how it all began. It
is set in the 1950’s, prior to the events of Fleming’s first Bond book, Casino Royale. After the death of the
first 007, Bond is appointed in the position and so the story begins.
His first assignment is to investigate both
the killing of his predecessor. Along with the brutal criminal underground and
drug cartels which operates on the French Rivera. Along with the help of the
beautiful and mysterious Madame Sixtine, he uncovers a plot to bring America to
its knees.
Forever
And A Day (a nice Bond sounding title – but its
relevance to the story escapes me) is an enjoyable, escapist read which is a
fitting tribute to the great author Ian Fleming. In some ways it reads much
like a film script, so I suppose we can look forward to the movie sometime in
the future.
This book should be enjoyed by all
enthusiasts of spy thrillers and particularly by those who are fans of James
Bond’s antics.
Forever
And A Day is published by Jonathon Cape (Penguin
Random House). ISBN: 9781911214786 (paperback) and 9781911214779 (hardback). Recommended
Retail Price R290 (paperback). – Keith Millar