“Solo: A James Bond Novel” by William Boyd (Kindle Edition)
I’ve never read any of William Boyd’s previous novels so I
don’t know how much of a stretch this book is for him – he’s produced a pitch
perfect impression of Ian Fleming’s style and ‘voice’ in this volume.
It is the late 1960s, after celebrating his 45th
birthday alone a troubled James Bond is sent on a mission to halt a civil war
in an (imaginary) oil-rich African nation. Things don’t go entirely to plan and
Bond goes rogue (or ‘solo’) following a trail back to the US capital where he
exacts his revenge.
The plot is pretty simple but it’s the little Fleming-Bond touches that bring this book to life – the obsession with fine living, food, drink, clothing, cars and women. At one point there’s even a foot-noted recipe for Bond’s personal salad dressing. It reminds the reader that the literary Bond was more than the quipping action hero of the movies..although I did still picture him as Sean Connery in my mind.
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