Book info

• Title Solo
• Author William Boyd
• Year 2013
• Genre Thriller

It is 1969 and James Bond is about to go solo, recklessly motivated by revenge. A seasoned veteran of the service, 007 is sent to single-handedly stop a civil war in the small West African nation of Zanzarim. Aided by a beautiful accomplice and hindered by the local militia, he undergoes a scarring experience which compels him to ignore M’s orders in pursuit of his own brand of justice. Bond’s renegade action leads him to Washington, D.C., where he discovers a web of intrigue and witnesses fresh horrors. Even if Bond succeeds in exacting his revenge, a man with two faces will come to stalk his every waking moment.

Thoughts

I’ve recently read the Anthony Horowitz Bond novels and enjoyed them, then realised I had this one sitting on my to-read bookshelf ready to go. It was good, travelling around the globe and using the author’s experience to portray conflict in specific countries quite well. It was a slightly tamed down version of Bond, which is understandable given how difficult he is as a character, and some of the additional characters didn’t seem to be given much room to grow, but overall a really good Bond outing.

Rating: 4 / 5