Yeah it's been way to long since I've update the blog. I haven't stopped
reading, nor stopped writing down my thoughts on the books I've read. I
hope to catch up to the present day in the next few weeks. Maybe?
By John Gardner
Planes around the world have been hijacked. Lots of money stolen from passengers. Bond (not officially 007 anymore in this new iteration of 007) is undercover on many flights with a SAS team, much like the Federal Air Marshall's in the USA. Bond, foils a hijack attempt. Kills all the hijackers. But one sleeper who chickened out reported back to SPECTRE and Blofeld. Is he back?
Continuing from the last book, Bond and Ann Riley aka Q'ute are "occasional lovers" her words. Bond is teamed up with Cedar Leiter, Felix's daughter! He is loaned out for special services to the USA.
The plot. Bond is sent to stop a wealthy American Nazi living near Amarillo TX. Bismaquer. To investigate dead FBI, CIA, other agency personal that were lost on his ranch and turned up in Louisiana. Dead.
Is Blofeld disguised as Markus Bismaquer or Walter Luxon, a death-looking like man. Markus' wife Nena is an expert in prints, which is Bond's cover to get a visit with Markus. Of course Bond gets in good with the wife. Many times throughout the book. Yeah like the movies, Gardner's Bond has quite a bit of sex.
Cedar is hot for Bond. But he won't have anything to do with her due to his friendship with Felix. This is Gardner's attempt to tie in the old Bond stories with his new ones.
There is a very tense car race between Bond's Saab Turbo and Walter Luxor's Shelby Mustang. Bond wins, overcoming the dirty tricks of Luxor. Gardner is really trying to incorporate the Saab into every book. Bond has it brought over to America as opposed to just getting a car when he gets to the states.
By now we finally find out the plot of the book. SPECTRE's plot: to use icecream Markus developed that is drugged, making the eaters morals disappear for at least 12 hours. They will agree to anything, especially when given orders by someone in a higher rank. They will infiltrate Cheyenne Mountain (NORAD) to get plans for the Space Wolf satellite which can change its orbit. It is a satellite killer. This will give them control over the world???
Bond and Cedar try to escape the ranch. It is a memorable and exciting chase/fight on the monorail that Markus has on his ranch. Bond's caught and drudged to think he is a 4 star general. Sent into NORAD, he is given antidote pills by Nena, (we find out later Markus) and he regains his mind in time to foil the plot while inside NORAD. The bad guys are overtaken by military troops. Nena takes him to LA swamp hideout. They make love. Bond find's out Nena, last name Blofled, is the bad guy. She shoots Markus, Luxor gets shot by her on accident as she is going for Bond, Bond knocks her out of a window to be eaten by pythons. Felix walks in and shoots her out of her misery. Bond, Cedar go on vacation. Felix gives him permission to bed his daughter. Do they? Book ends with Cedar saying yes. Bond no.
***
Similar to the first book. Like the Ian Flemming novels but not quite. The racing sequence was spot on and the fights on the monorail and at NORAD, seemed pretty good. Lecture at conference where evil plot explained was more like the movies? Alas I don't recall the original books as well as the movies.
Overly grandiose bad guys and their locations fit in nicely. A quick enjoyable read.
On a side note Garnder mentions them using a VTR. Did he mean VCR? Well no. Check it out here.
In retrospect of over a year this book was quite memorable and one of the better Gardner stories.
