Calvin Dyson reviews DOUBLESHOT

With news of Raymond Benson's upcoming Felix Leiter novel, The Hook and the Eye, it seems like the right time to share Calvin Dyson's latest Benson Bond book review. This time, Doubleshot is in the gun barrel. Enjoy.

RAYMOND BENSON returns with a Felix Leiter adventure

Some exciting news from IFP today. Raymond Benson is BACK with a new an original novel featuring James Bond's best friend and alley Felix Leiter. Below is the press release.

Announcing The Hook and the Eye: a Felix Leiter adventure by Raymond Benson

Ian Fleming Publications is pleased to announce a new novel coming soon from 007 continuation author Raymond Benson. The Hook and the Eye focuses on Felix Leiter, James Bond’s trusted American friend and ally. This full-length novel will be released digitally in ten instalments, beginning on May 27th, recalling the serialisation of classic pulp fiction in the early twentieth century. This will be followed by the paperback publication of the full story on October 2nd.

Felix Leiter – James Bond’s trusted friend and ally – takes centre stage in a brand new adventure by legendary Bond novelist, Raymond Benson.

It is 1952. Felix has lost his job at the CIA and finds himself working for the Pinkerton Detective Agency. What starts as a simple surveillance job turns into anything but when Felix stumbles upon a murder and a cabal of spies embedded in Manhattan. Hired to transport the impossibly beautiful and impossibly secretive Dora from New York to Texas, Felix is thrust into a non-stop adventure, where danger and deceit lie in wait around every bend in the road.

The Hook and the Eye is a mystery, a romance, a spy story and a postcard to a lost Americana. It is also Raymond Benson at his very best.

IFPL’s Publishing Director Simon Ward commented “Raymond may be a Bond author, but he was born to write Felix Leiter. He came to us with a story – one filled with intrigue, mystery and danger – and it was exactly what we were looking for. We are thrilled to be working with Raymond again and we think the fans are going to love the journey he takes our favourite CIA agent on. I think it’s the best ‘Bond universe’ book Raymond has ever written.”

Author Raymond Benson added “Having worked on this project in secrecy since May 2024, I am now pleased and proud to finally present the first ever Felix Leiter novel, appropriately set in Ian Fleming's timeline of the 1950s between the character's appearances in Live and Let Die and Diamonds are Forever. As a native Texan myself, I've always had an affinity for 007's close American friend.”

So how, and when, can you read this new adventure? Starting on May 27th the eBook serialisation will begin with ‘The Hook and the Eye: Episode 1’ containing the first four chapters of the novel. This will be followed every two weeks with a new episode, concluding on September 30th with the tenth instalment. Episodes will be released via updates to the original eBook file, so be aware that in order to read them you’ll need to either enable automatic file updates on your e-reader device, or manually download the updated files. Following the final ‘Episode’ release, we’ll also be publishing a physical paperback edition of The Hook and the Eye on October 2nd. This is currently available to pre-order, exclusively via our website.

Readers in the UK can pre-order the eBook direct from us (and can also access a special bundle price for both the digital and physical versions together), whilst readers around the world can pre-order from their preferred eBook retailer.

We’re very excited to share this thrilling story with you over the coming months.

LINK: James Bond - the 'final' Jonathan Cape editions

Our friend Peter Crush is back with a look at the final Jonathan Cape hardcover printings of the Ian Fleming James Bond novels. All four parts are below:

James Bond - the 'final' Jonathan Cape editions: (Part 1)

James Bond Last impressions Part 2: Firsts & Lasts side-by-side

The 'last impressions' (Part 3): Dr No to Thunderball - compared

Ian Fleming 'last impressions' (part 4): The final four books!

This inspired me to have a look at my own "final" hardcovers. I picked these up in 1987 during my first trip to England. Not a complete set, but all still in beautiful condition.

Keep 'em coming, Peter!

LINK: James Bond copyright expires in just 10 years

Interesting article in The Guardian about James Bond entering the public domain in 2035, a mere 10 years from now. I guess I never realized how close this is. Heck, Eon has only managed to make a single (terrible) Bond film in the last 10 years. Maybe this is why Babs decided to cash out. Of course, I'm sure Amazon is aware of this, right? Right??? Anyway, click the headline or the image below to have a read.

From 1 January 2035, those bold enough to look to exploit “book Bond” would still be able to use the character and famous traits such as his “The name’s Bond, James Bond” motto, driving an Aston Martin, and ordering his martinis “shaken, not stirred”. But care would need to be taken not to have Bond drink Bollinger – 007’s go-to champagne in the films – as Fleming’s paper spy was a Taittinger man.

UPDATE: I'm not sure this article has their facts right. The 70 years after the author's death rule applies to works created after 1978. Casino Royale (1953) would fall under the rule of 95 years after publication, if the work was renewed during its 28th year (1981). I would be surprised if it wasn't renewed. That pushes it to 2048.

IAN FLEMING PUBLICATIONS announce 2025 releases

Ian Fleming Publications has revealed its upcoming releases for 2025 on its website. Among new eBooks and audiobooks will be Talk of the Devil, a collection of Ian Fleming's writing that has only been available as part of an expensive set. The book will be published on April 22 in the UK by Ian Fleming Publications and in the U.S. by HarperCollins.

For the full announcements, click below:

WHAT'S COMING IN 2025

LINK: Advance printings: Why I don't think we've found them all...

Another breakthrough post by our friend Peter Crush at James Bond First Editions. This time Peter tells us about advanced printings of the Fleming Bond books. This is all new to me! Click the headline or the image below to learn all about them.

Anniversary BONDS for 2025

HAPPY NEW YEAR and welcome to another year of The Book Bond. Here's a rundown of the Bond novels that will be celebrating notable anniversaries this year. Break out the bookmarks and champagne!

🚀

70th Anniversary

Ian Fleming's third Bond novel finds 007 tangling with the megalomanic Elon Musk. I mean Hugo Drax! Moonraker was published by Jonathan Cape on April 5, 1955 in the UK, and in the U.S. by Macmillian on September 20, 1955.

🌴

60th Anniversary

Ian Fleming's final James Bond novel was published posthumously by Jonathan Cape in the UK on April 1, 1965. It was released in the U.S. in August 1965, by New American Library.

 🎯

40th Anniversary

John Gardner took 1985 off, but that didn't mean there wasn't a 007 novel that year...if you knew Jim Hatfield. CLICK HERE for the strange tale of this first unofficial James Bond novel, which turns 40 this year.

 👁

30th Anniversary

John Gardner's novelization of the great comeback James Bond film GoldenEye released in November 1995. A rare hardcover edition was published in the UK by Hodder & Stoughton.

 👯‍♂️

25th Anniversary

Raymond Benson's fourth original James Bond novel, Doubleshot, turns 25. The book was published in the UK by Hodder & Stoughton on May 4, 2000. The U.S. edition from Putnam was published on June 5, 2000. 

 💉

20th Anniversary

The terrific Young Bond series by Charlie Higson was launched 20 years ago with the first book, SilverFin. Published in the UK by Puffin on March 3, 2005. The U.S. edition from Hyperion was published on April 27, 2005. 

 🏁

10th Anniversary

Anthony Horowitz's excellent debut continuation novel Trigger Mortis turns ten this year. Released simultaneously in the UK and U.S. on September 8, 2015.

Happy reading!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM IFP

Ian Fleming Publications 2024 holiday card points to the release of next year's Quantum of Menace by Vaseem Khan, the first in a new mystery series of books devoted to Q.

The Book Bond joins in wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

FOR KING AND COUNTRY collected edition released

Dynamite has released a collected edition of their latest "OO7" series, For King and Country by Phillip Kennedy Johnson with art by Giorgio Spalletta.

An all-new nail-biting Bond mission from superstar Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Giorgio Spalletta is now available in this suitably handsome hardcover edition! 

Accused of murder on British soil, James Bond has been branded a traitor by his own government. As M sends the entire double-O division after 007, Bond must go underground with only one ally: Gwendolyn Gann, 003 - another traitor, presumed dead, but secretly on a clandestine mission with global implications! Collects issues #1-6.

Purchase For King and Country at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

Protecting your vintage JAMES BOND paperbacks

Now here's something I can get behind! Enjoy.