Ian Fleming Books

This Bond Novel Begins with Bond already on the mission. He thinks back to when he went to M's office and was told about Bloody Morgans treasure and the fact that someone (believed to be the most powerful black villain in the world known as Mr.Big) has found it and hoarding it and selling some of it illegally.

Bond is on this mission with the C.I.A agent Felix Leiter. They go around on their mission untill they a captured. Bond (without Felix) is taken to Mr.Big. He uses a female fortunteller (Solitaire) to tell him if what Bond is saying is true. She says He is telling the truth and Bond gets his Thumb broken instaed of being killed. After Bond leaves with Mr.Bigs henchman Tee Hee, He kills Tee Hee and two men in a car. He gets in the car and drives off. Later he finds out that Felix is still alive.

Solitaire joins Bond and Felix untill she is recaptured by Mr.Big. The next thing that happens is that Felix dissapears and is returned half dead with a note saying "HE DISSAGREAD WITH SOMETHING THAT ATE HIM". bond goes to Where the Robber(who is one of Mr.Bigs henchmen and the person who fed Felix to some sharks) stays. He trows The Robber into the place The Robber threw Felix.

Bond teams up with A man called Strangways and a man called Quarill. Quarill trains Bond and Bond swims(In a Q-Branch diving suit) to Mr.Bigs lair. He is captured yet again and he and Solitaire are tied up and dragged behind Mr.Bigs Boat. Bond had earlier planted a timed mine on the Boat and it blew up. Mr.Big survived the blast but was then eaten by some Sharks and Barracuda.

Bond and Solitaire are rescued by Quarill and Strangways. They are taken back to a beach house and Bond and Solitaire are weak from the Corral. Bond makes up excuses for way Solitaire should do his things untill Solitaire finnally has an excuse of her own.

Live and Let Die is a fantastic Bond story. It is exciting and features good action scenes. Ian Fleming really made this book as good as he could.

Live and Let Die is an interesting Bond Novel. It has an interesting villain who is believed to be the zombie of Baron Samedi, an interesting Bond girl who can predict the future and an interesting plot. Live and Let Die contains humour, excitement and adventure. Although it has got a lot of exitement in it, you have to read about six chapters before the excitement really begins. Even then it does not have a great deal of excitement. The last few chapters have a lot of excitement in them and also has a lot of action. Being the only Bond book I have ever read(besides books/magazines about the movies) I can't really campare it with another one. I like the fact that Mr. Big(The main Villain) does not just shoot Bond to get his death over with, but instead tries to kill him in a way that would look interesting. I like the phrase "He disagreed with something that ate him" and the other jokes that appear in it every so often. One thing I don't like is the fact that Mr. Big and The Robber are killed the same why. The only differance was the fact that an explosion and Barracuda were involved in Mr. Bigs death. The only other thing bad about this book is the fact that Tee Hee doesn't last long enough. To finish off, I think that Live and Let Die is a Novel worth reading, even if you're not into James Bond.

It's interesting reading a James Bond book after being raised on the James Bond movies. The James Bond on the books is sharper, edgier and a little bit meaner. The books are a little more graphic. But beyond that, James Bond is still a character you can love. ;-)

This isn't my favorite James Bond story, but it was a fun read. I found the suspense scenes quite invigorating--I literally was at the edge of my seat! Especially near the end.

Oh, and if you want to read this because you liked the movie, don't bother. The book is quite different!

What more could someone ask for? Adventure, incredible scenery, a posh life, international intrigue, a demonic foe and, of course, love. This time it's the real thing for Bond, but as anyone who knows this genre well, it is only fleeting passions. After all, how could a married man carry on like we all expect (and hope) he does.

SPECTRE is back again, Blofield as evil as ever. After all the trials trials and tribulations, the final victory is sweet. This of course makes the ending all the more shocking and at the same time, "right". The look on Connery's face in the movie was priceless.

The last really good Bond novel, and one which sees Bond go into previously uncharted territory like the aisle and even `M''s home.

The plot centres around a plan by Bond's old adversary from `Thunderball' (1961), Ernst Stavro Blofeld, to cripple Britain financially by ruining her agriculture and food industry with biological warfare. Under the guise of an expert in family trees, Bond is able to infiltrate Blofeld's secret operation in the Swiss Alps, to try to put an end to his dastardly plans.

Interestingly, the novel opens with James Bond visiting the scene of the first Bond novel, Royale-les-Eaux, and he treads over familiar ground in the shape of the French coastal towns casino. It is a strangely ironic place in which to meet the love of his life (Tracy) as it also contains the grave of a woman (Vesper Lynd) who caused him the most anguish.

A well written, fast paced thriller, it is packed with exciting action, worthy villains, humourous incidents, good food and the compulsory love interest. The love interest in this novel is one `Tracy' de Vicenzo who Bond rescues from disgrace and death and ends up falling in love with and marrying. Under normal circumstances the fact that she is the daughter of the `Capu' of the Corsican mafia would complicate things somewhat but in this novel it is a positive boon for Bond and one which he takes full advantage of.

The villain is top notch. In Ernst Stavro Blofeld we have a man to really dislike; cold and calculating, he literally oozes malevolence. He has no redeeming features whatsoever and the choice of Irma Bunt as his assistant only helps the reader wish even more for Bond to succeed in his mission.
If Blofeld does have a weakness, it appears to be that he covets the respectability and status that a title would give him, and this proves to be a significant failing on his part.

Exciting ski, car and bobsleigh rides, added to the ingenious plot and unusual location gives one the feeling that this Bond novel was, in a lot of ways, Flemings last classic Bond adventure. Following this novel we had the frankly bizarre `You Only Live Twice' (1964) and `The Man With The Golden Gun' (1965) which wasn't all Fleming's work. `On Her Majesty's Secret Service' (a phrase coined by Tracy's father, the likeable Capu, Marc-Ange) is a book that it is hard to put down and in the final analysis that is what all good novels have in common.

The book does have a very sad end and the reader should really follow it by reading `You Only Live Twice' as it more or less follows on from this novel and sees Bond getting his revenge on Blofeld.

This is probably Ian Fleming's most interesting and personal James Bond novel. This book precedes "You Only Live Twice" as it sends James Bond on a mission to track down the head of SPECTRE. This is a very well written novel and is very interesting trying to fathom what Fleming had been contemplating for his hero at that time in his life. I found this absorbing novel very difficult to put down once I started reading it as I did with its follow-up. If you do decide to read it I recommend that you read it before "You Only Live Twice." I will go one step further, if you read both of these novels then read "The Man with the Golden Gun" after you finish "You Only Live Twice." These three novels make up a sort of trilogy. One hint: "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" is very close to the movie version. "You Only Live Twice" and "The Man with the Golden Gun" movies have very little at all to do with the Fleming novels in any direct sense of plot and conflict. So don't be discouraged. I have read these three novels several times over. In this novel the relationship between Bond and M becomes clearer while Bond's own convictions come under self-scrutiny. Is there a line between duty and honor?

As I reread all the Bond novels in order, I looked forward to James Bond Number Four, "Diamonds Are Forever."

My memory of reading it as a teen was vague and puzzling. A pair of gay hitmen? A mobster who dresses up like a cowboy in his own private Wild West town outside of Las Vegas? (Picture Tony Soprano in cowboy boots and a ten-gallon Stetson).
And yet it was all there. Even Felix Leiter shows up--or what's left of him after being fed to sharks in the second Bond novel, "Live and Let Die."

But as wild as some of these elements sound, Fleming really pulls it off. The diamond smuggling is totally believable and Tiffany Case is a much better drawn character than she was in the movie version (but when you have primo eye candy like Jill St. John, who needs character?).

I read the 007 thrillers when I was young because I was such a fan of the movies. With some age (I'm in my 40's), I think I've become a much better reader and can better appreciate the novels for their bold style and fluid movement.

Mr. Bond still knows how to show someone a good time.

What a tantalizing cover this edition has. It really captures the enigmatic quality this particular James Bond novel by Ian Fleming exudes. In one sense this is Ian Fleming's homage to the mystique of the American gangster. Fleming's vision of the American gangster is one of a twisted, often emotionally and physically, violent character teeming with idiosyncrasies. They are a peculiar bunch to say the least. James Bond appears to be more the knight in shining armor in this novel than in most written by Fleming. Much of this can be attributed to the tough but sympathetic character of Tiffany Case whom Bond becomes emotionally attached and must rescue. It is interesting how in the film series the two primary directors, Terrence Young and Guy Hamilton, were influenced by the literary Bond created by Fleming. Hamilton seems to have been greatly influenced by this novel more than any of Fleming's others. We see Fleming's 1950's version of American hoodlums show up in Hamilton's "Goldfinger," "Diamonds Are Forever" and even at the beginning of "The Man With The Golden Gun." More importantly this novel demonstrates Bond's affinity for the ever-fleeting notion of true love. Tiffany Case is the diamond in the rough that touches Bond's heart. This novel equally contains engaging scenes between James Bond and "M" and the overall description of the diamond smuggling pipeline is pure Fleming. This novel is highly recommended reading giving more insight into the psyche of James Bond.

This is one of my favorites! Bond vs. SMERSH. The book is wonderful I had trouble putting it down.Kerim Bey is a great character and the plot for Bond and Tatania to meet up so SMERSH can kill Bond is great. The Orient Express is where most of the action is but the highlights in this is the fight at the gypsy camp, when Kerim kills Krilencu, the fight with Bond and Grant on the Orient Express and when Bond and Klebb fight in the hotel room. Great book and one of the best in the series! Highly Recommended!!!

SMERSH, Russia's "murder department", are out toget 007 killed. A lure is laid in the form of avivacious lady, who later switches sides to become the Bond Girl. A murderous, herculean maniac and a dedicated head of execution are hell bent on Bond's blood. Plotted in a turmoiled Turkey, it is many a difficulty Bond has to face to save himself, or rather save what he can of himself!

This collection of three of the best known adventures of 007, is a well read collection, but many (especially women) might find them a bit "politically incorrect" (i.e., for the treatment of women and so on [but hey, it was the "swinging '60's", so you have to put this in context, historically speaking]). I'm not sure if Ian Fleming wrote that famous line in Goldfinger, which is perhaps why it's omitted in this adaption, in the exchange between Bond and him, "Do you expect me to talk, Goldfinger?"
"No Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!". (Perhaps, I need to check the text-as I have a print equivalent to both audio sets, or another reader could verify this.) In any case, these are some rousing adventures. Get both volumes, and if you can find them, their print equivalents. I look forward to listening to set two soon.

From Russian with Love narrated by an extremely talented voice is well worth the purchase alone. Dr. No didn't quite hold my interest when I tried to listen and I didn't even attempt to listen to Goldfinger but again I highly recommend this for the one tape alone, the Narration is incredible.

FOR BOND FANS, THIS IS MUST. BUT DON'T EXPECT THE MODERN SLAM-BAM. BASED ON A SHORT FLEMMING STORY, NOTHING LIKE THE MOVIE. SET IN 1961 BERLIN, TYPICAL BOND OF THAT ERA. SHORT (I.E. - 1 CASSETTE STORY - BUT AT THIS PRICE, WHY NOT)? TITLE PROVES TO BE A FUN SUPRISE AT THE END....

One of Ian Fleming's best James Bond stories!!! With this short story, Fleming gives us an interesting view of Bond and his opinions on his cold, lonely profession. While many of the typical 007 trappings are missing, Fleming conceives a perfectly written story that keeps the reader's (or listener's) attention throughout. One of the best elements is that Fleming dispenses with the fantasy and makes the premise very beleivable. The story is very moody and the narrative paints vivid portraits of the action in Cold War Berlin (The Perfect Location for a Perfect Spy Story) and the man that is James Bond. Fleming's descriptions of Bond's feeling about his chief "distraction" from duty are masterful. This particular audio book perfectly captures the spirit of the story. Anthony Valentine's narration is very soothing and helps the listener to visualize the action as it develops. Valentine's clear voice and well-timed inflections make this interpretation the best of all of the audio book versions of Bond novels currently available in the U.S.

Naturally a person would think that the longer a series runs the greater the decline in quality. But in this case the series seemed to get better in the last couple of books. Bond is falling apart mentally and on the verge of losing his job, allowing Fleming to show the human side of a secret agent. One of my favorite Bond books.

After James Bond (Sean Connery) has participated in faking his own murder in Hong Kong, to give him "more elbow room" in the words of his superior, M (Bernard Lee), he is dispatched to Japan to investigate the mysterious disappearance of both American and Soviet space crafts which threatens to spark World War III.

Working together with Japanese secret service leader Tiger Tanaka (Tetsuro Tamba), he meets beautiful Japanese agent Aki (Akiko Wakabayashi), who helps Bond through several close shaves.
Working with a Japanese Secret Service Ninja force, he locates the sabotage to the shadowy organization SPECTRE, led by the sinister Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Donald Pleasence).
After Aki is murdered by SPECTRE agents (She dies after ingesting poison dropped into the bed she shares with Bond), Bond teams up, in a faked marriage with the attractive Kissy Suzuki Mie Hama).
Together with the Ninja force they penetrate Blofeld's massive headquarters, hidden in a volcano, where the final battle ensues.
Before Blofeld tries to kill Bond, he reminds him "You Only Live Twice", referring to his earlier faked death.
The chemistry between Bond and the exquisite Aki is perfect, and in the scene where a marriage is proposed and Bond thinks it is Aki, Aki's face lights up.
No less stunning is Mie Hama as Kissy Suzuki, an expert swimmer and fighter, and one of the sexiest Bond girl ever.

I really love Ian Fleming's James Bond books. However, "You Only Live Twice" is my least favourite of the entire series. Apparently, Fleming went to Japan and did a great deal of research in order to write this book. As I read it, however, I found myself wishing that he had stayed at home and just made everything up out of his head, as he normally did.

The main problem with this book is that very little actually happens. The book opens with James Bond still brooding, after the death of his wife at the end of "On Her Majesty's Secret Service". In an effort to snap him out of it, M sends him on a seemingly impossible mission to Japan to obtain a code machine called Magic 44. In the process of completing this mission, Bond makes an agreement with the Japanese to kill Dr Shatterhand, a Swiss scientist who has set up a castle surrounded by deadly plants and animals, which has become the new suicide hot-spot of Japan, in exchange for the machine. The rest of the novel is an account of how Bond goes about doing this.

This book has all of the elements of the earlier and better Bond novels: a beautiful girl, a mega-villain living in a seemingly impenetable hide-out and an exotic location. Yet, unlike the earlier novels, like "Goldfinger", where the novel comprised a large number of exciting incidents, there is really only one exciting incident in this whole novel, Bond breaking into the castle to kill Dr Shatterhand. As a result, this book felt to me more like one of Fleming's Bond short stories that had been padded out to novel length by Fleming's observations of Japanese life than like a proper novel, and consequently, I found this book to be rather tedious.

I am certain that fans of Fleming's novels will read this book regardless of what I say and I would recommend doing that, if only for completeness. Nevertheless, I wouldn't recommend this book as a first foray into the Bond novels, as it may put you off reading the other books, which are 100 times better.

If you watched most James Bond movies, you'd hardly know that the British secret agent had ever been married to a woman named Tracy. He was, however, in both the book and the movie On Her Majesty's Secret Service, though wedded bliss would be short indeed, thanks to Bond's greatest foe, Ernst Stavro Blofeld. In the movies, Tracy is hardly referred to ever again (to my knowledge, only briefly in the prologue of "For Your Eyes Only". In the books, however, the death of Bond's true love is far more devastating.

In You Only Live Twice, Bond is not coping well with Tracy's death. Nine months later, he is still depressed and his work has declined considerably. Bond's boss, M, is on the brink of firing 007, but is convinced to take one last shot at redeeming his best employee. He sends Bond to Japan to try and convince Tiger Tanaka, the head of Japanese Intelligence, to share a valuable information source called Magic 44. Tanaka and Bond get along well enough, leading to a deal: Tanaka will share Magic 44 if Bond kills a nasty character named Shatterhand (who is beyond the reach of Japanese law).

Shatterhand has his own Garden of Death, an estate filled with lethal flora and fauna. Although he makes a show of trying to stop trespassers, in fact he is perfectly willing to let people in. In a culture which is very stressful and values honor above all (even life), Shatterhand's garden attracts the suicidal and even subtly encourages them. Tanaka wants Shatterhand stopped and believes a foreign agent is the best way to go. Bond, thinking primarily of Queen and Country, is willing to go along with the assassination, but he does have misgivings. Then he discovers Shatterhand's true identity is none other than Blofeld and all reluctance is gone.

You Only Live Twice is the final book in what I think of as the Blofeld trilogy, preceded by Thunderball and On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Although I think OHMSS is the strongest of the three, this is not far behind (if it suffers from anything, it's that Blofeld's scheme this time is less rational; then again, the master criminal may be going insane through syphilis). Compared to some volumes in the Bond series, this one has relatively limited action - at least before the conclusion - instead focusing more on Bond the person. We even get substantial biographical information on him. The penultimate Bond novel (by Ian Fleming) is best enjoyed when reading the other trilogy books first; for those who have read these earlier works, You Only Live Twice is a satisfying conclusion.

This is the first James Bond book I have ever read -- and I am stunned at how utterly distinct it is from the film with the same name... and how superior.

Fleming obviously wanted to get some things off his chest regarding Japan, and Bond's Japanese host "Tiger Tanaka" is the perfect voicebox. So, what we have here is about 1/2 of a novel acting almost as a travelogue through early 1960s Tokyo, the home islands, the group psychology of the Japanese, and a smattering of other issues. It is quite well written and insightful into Anglo-Japanese relations. However, I would not exactly call it "thrilling".

Where things take a huge turn for the ingeniously clever is with the utterly sinister and demented criminal plot. Simply amazingly far-fetched and extremely imaginative. No one can accuse Ian Fleming of having a lack of imagination. His villain has every bit as much of a character arc as his hero, and the finale does not disappoint. It is has almost NOTHING to do with what happens in the Saltzman/Brocolli movie.

My only gripe is that the book does tend to lag a bit, particularly during the relatively simple romantic sections. Also, the plot is a bit convoluted and as much as I would like to have had it be a story that was inextricably tied to Japan, in the end that quality serves more is window dressing than anythign else. Probably most Bond locations are the same.

Ian Fleming did a great job with his first James Bond book and I highly recommend it! If you're expecting the Daniel Craig movie (which was very good, mind you), this is not the same story (it's similar, but very, very different).

I don't know if it's where I have already seen the Daniel Craig Casino Royale film or not. When I usually see the film before the book, I love the book so much more because it has way more details. This book I felt didn't. I wanted more explanation about the events and the characters' thoughts and feelings. I didn't get that. I realize that the movie took a lot of liberties especially with the ending but I just thought the book would be so much more. In the book, I never understood why James Bond would fall for Vesper. Their sexual tension was downplayed and she didn't verbally spar with him. I'm not sure why he was interested. I understand after the kidnapping incident why he would fall for her since they had 3 weeks together. I liked the book ending better than that movie ending because it was more realistic and more painful to Bond. However, I didn't get totally why Bond's comrades left him alone. I just thought this book was so so. It wasn't great. I definitely wanted it to be great. I was left very disappointed.

Do you want a long review? Well too bad, you're not going to get one here. The first Bond book is great for fans of sensationalist literature. It is not always quick-paced but it sets the tone for suspense and unexpected and much wanted action. Tense moments are the card game with Le chiffre, the bomb assasination attempt, the car chase, and the torture scene. The romantic beach getaway between Bond and Vesper may bore you, but Bond's last words in the novel make up for it. Thank God, for books like this because it was a breeze to read. Back when this book was published they had paperback fiction, where the average paperback book was around 55,000 words. What do you get when you see the average paperback book released nowadays and Barnes and Noble? You see huge Bible-sized books. No thank you. I bought the old paperback edition that can fit inside my pocket. It was great reading it on the light rail to and from work each day for a whole week. I like this book and I hope you will too.

This is the only James Bond book I've read so far and it will not be the last. The best James Bond movie and a fantastic James Bond book. Very classy and exciting. The only flaw for me was I didn't entirely understand the concept of Baccarat and since that was a huge chunk of the book, I was a tad confused at some crucial parts of the story. Other than that it's definatly worth a read.

The man known as 007 is sent to defeat a villain known as Le Chiffre (the number) in a game of Baccarat in order to ruin the credibility of the Ruskies. The setting is the luxurious Casino in the grand, old French town of Royale. Bond, being an expert gambler and player thinks he'll have no trouble taking down Le Chiffre, but doesn't bargain on forces working against him from his own side.

I'm not sure if Ian Fleming originally planned this to be the first of a series but he does a good job of introducing us to all of the familiar characters. His writing style is short and terse and to the point. I often find myself reading books that waffle on and on with nothing in particular to say but Casino Royale wastes no time in getting to the important stuff. It's urgent, but still never feels underwritten. It's a perfectly balanced style and I hope that the rest of the books feel the same.

Despite being set in the 50's there isn't really THAT much in the book that dates it terribly. I saw the cast from the 2006 movie in my head, but don't expect the movie to be similar. The first hour of that film was pretty much new story and everything afterwards (save the sinking houses in Venice) is true to Ian Flemings book.

A good read and very fast paced.

Well, this Agent 007 novel is pretty good. You'd best don your thickest long-johns while you read it however. Bond has to travel to the top of a mountain near Mt. Everest. (Don't ask me to spell the name!)
As is usual with Bond issues, he has a couple of sexy affairs along the way. Expectedly, one is during a terrible snow storm on the mountain. Double sleeping bags, huh? And guess what? He shares the trek with a bad guy.
I'll not reveal the ending here, but suffice it to say things work out as you'd expect. However, I fear that we're all too familiar with the exploits of Agent 007...Bond, James Bond. Still, it's a decent way to while away some time at the shore.
Charles A. Reap, Jr., author of "Devil's Game" and "My Friend Sam."

"James Bond:High time to kill"like most james bond movies,is action packed story with a great plot and conflict.The british have created a chemical that would allow planes to go incredible speed.A group of terrorist called a union has stolen the microdot that contains the formula. The plane carrying the unions microdot crashes on kangchenjunga,a mountain in the himalayas. The british organized a team of climbers to go with 007 and retreive the microdot on the mountain the mission is both a race to retrieve the microdot, as well as a survival mission. What makes this book very enjoyable is the plot and setting is actually believable, compare to some other bond stories. This book takes place in the mountains and involves a team of climbers(along with james bond) climbing up the mountain to retreive a microdot. Once you really get into the book,you dont want to stop reading. You always want to find out what will happen next to bond and what new obstacles he will face.
" James Bond: High Time to Kill" is anexcellent book filled with action, suspense, and adventure. I recommend this book to anyone who likes action/adventure books or anyone who wants to read an enjoyable book.

Z.N.
period 5

Wow! "High Time to Kill" is a 5 star plus thriller!

Indeed as exciting and breath-taking as a 007 James Bond movie!! I could hardly set this book down for even a minute---captivates you completely throughout the entire book----intense; powerful, exciting, exhilerating----You feel like you are right there seeing all the action---A MUST read for anyone who enjoys a truly fantastic 007 adventure!!

To me a sign of a truly great writer is one that keeps your interest through the entire book and Raymond Benson does this extremely well!!
I will look forward to reading more of Raymond Benson books!

What is the problem with whoever owns the James Bond franchise? How come we can not get high quality novels like this one every couple of months? Can you say hire a team of good writers to keep the Bond universe alive.

There have been so many Bond type stories out lately, you would think the goverment was paying the salaries (and cut them out in a budget slash) of the writers.

For all of the money we Bond fans have put up for the movies and books, why can't this universe get a life of its own and grow!

Please write us MORE Bond books - Soon!

I didn't know what to think about Raymond Benson, but I found him to be a good writer. High Time To Kill kept me reading to the last page. As a James Bond fan, it was probably not as good as Fleming's books, but was still action-packed, and had an interesting story-line. If you are trying to find this book at a store than your out of luck because it is out of print, and so are all the other Benson Bond novels. I got mine from the liberary. Pretty much anything James Bond is hard to find these days.

If you can get past the parts of the story about the pink spoonbills, or whatever those birds are called, you will see that Doctor No is one of the best novels in the Fleming series. The story starts off slow, but really picks up when Bond arrives on Crab Key. This is just full of adventure, great dialogue and Bond goes through one of his worst beatings in the last chapters of the novel. If you enjoyed the movie, then you will definitely like this 100 times more since it expands and tells more than the movie does, even going into why his name is Doctor No (which isn't his birth name). This is just a really good book that you won't be able to put down once the real action gets started, just be warned that there is a slow beginning.

Although Dr. No is the sixth book in Ian Fleming's James Bond series, it is also a first in a few key ways. From a cinematic standpoint, Dr. No was the first James Bond book adapted into a movie (with only a crude TV version of Casino Royale preceding it). In addition, it is the first of the Bond novels to feature the villain as a title character (to be followed by Goldfinger and The Man With the Golden Gun). Most significantly, perhaps, is that Dr. No is the first novel to feature the truly megalomanical villain; only Hugo Drax, in Moonraker, comes close, and even his ambitions fit more in the category of violent than power-hungry.

As Dr. No begins, John Strangways, Britain's man in Jamaica is killed along with his female assistant. With no bodies found, it is assumed the two ran away on a lover's tryst. In England, Bond is recovering from a near-death experience (which occurred at the conclusion of From Russia With Love). M, uncertain if Bond is up to full strength, assigns him to look into the disappearance, figuring that it will be more of a vacation than a real job. Bond is insulted, but takes on the assignment.

Bond, who last met Strangways in Live and Let Die, suspects the worst, a feeling that intensifies when people start following him and attempting to kill him. The only suspect is the mysterious Dr. No, a Chinese-German who owns most of Crab Key, an island around thirty miles from Jamaica. Before Strangways died, he had been investigating claims that Dr. No was disrupting a bird sanctuary. With the assistance of the local Quarrel (also last seen in Live and Let Die), Bond decides to sneak onto Crab Key for a closer look.

Once they get to the island, they encounter the beautiful shell-seeker Honey Rider (what would a Bond book be without a beautiful woman, usually psychologically scarred and in need of meeting the right man?); Honey will accidentally alert the guards of their presence, eventually leading to capture by Dr. No. Julius No is the epitome of a Bond villain: clever, resourceful, merciless and sadistic. Dr. No wants to have his own little kingdom and he isn't about to let Bond get in his way. Of course, he will carefully describe all his plans before leaving Bond in a deadly trap.

Yes, it is a little over-the-top and has its share of traits that would eventually become cliches of the genre, but for what it intends to be - a straightforward and simple adventure story - it succeeds well. Following on the heels of what is perhaps the best Bond book - From Russia With Love - Dr. No is Fleming continuing to be at the top of his writing game.

An Asian supervillain, this time. At the end of From Russia, With Love, Bond had been poisoned and fighting for his life. With some first aid from a friend, M has time to call in some specialists to help save his life.

He is sent to recover in Jamaica, and look into why one of their agents, whom he met in Live and Let Die, has vanished.

He meets a blonde babe beachcomber, and also Quarrel, again. They discover Dr. No is working for the Soviets to cause problems for the US military and their missiles.

I'm not a big Bond film fan, I like the occassional one, but I thought I would give one of Fleming's novels a read.
As my first Bond Novel I found Dr. No to be a pleasant surprise. It's a bit pulpish but it suits the story.

Years ago when I first read Ian Fleming's Doctor No, I loved it. Having read it again recently, I think it is still one of the best Bond stories. The characters are unforgettable - Bond's trusty companion Quarrel, the beautiful Honey Rider, and the nefarious Doctor No. The tale has a great Caribbean setting and possibly the best challenge for Bond to face, i.e., the obstacle tunnel designed by Doctor No so he can test the endurance of the human species. This is a Bond story that you should certainly not miss.