Rating: 
Summary: Let Ian Fleming rest in peace
Review: I remind everyone of the fact, covered in some magazine articles, that authors have their friends and family write reviews for Amazon. The author him or herself can submit multiple reviews. So any book of this ilk that has this many high-star, gushing reviews, accompanied by others at the far end of the spectrum, beware...
Rating:
Summary: I've read much better.
Review: I've recently been reading the original Ian Fleming 007 books, and since I have to wait till February for the last two I thought I'd see what the other authors had to offer to the series. So I went to my local book store and found Raymond Benson's "The Man With The Red Tattoo." I thought this would be a good read because A. I like the character of Tiger Tanaka (from You Only Live Twice), and B. The dragon on the cover was badass. Anyway I've read to Chapter 7, and it's like torture. Benson writes this book the way I would write a high school term paper(i.e. trying to fill space). He tries to make ties with previous bond books but this is a pithy display of the authors knowledge of Bond trivia. The dialogue is horrible and the descriptions go on and on. The characters act nothing like they should, and James Bond's IQ seems to have been dropped to about Jinx level. In my opinion if you want to read a James Bond novel opt for the Ian Fleming books. If you want to torture yourself, or are a fan of the past two 007 movies feel free to read this book about Bond fighting West Nile virus.
Rating:
Summary: I've read much better.
Review: I've recently been reading the original Ian Fleming 007 books, and since I have to wait till February for the last two I thought I'd see what the other authors had to offer to the series. So I went to my local book store and found Raymond Benson's "The Man With The Red Tattoo." I thought this would be a good read because A. I like the character of Tiger Tanaka (from You Only Live Twice), and B. The dragon on the cover was badass. Anyway I've read to Chapter 7, and it's like torture. Benson writes this book the way I would write a high school term paper(i.e. trying to fill space). He tries to make ties with previous bond books but this is a pithy display of the authors knowledge of Bond trivia. The dialogue is horrible and the descriptions go on and on. The characters act nothing like they should, and James Bond's IQ seems to have been dropped to about Jinx level. In my opinion if you want to read a James Bond novel opt for the Ian Fleming books. If you want to torture yourself, or are a fan of the past two 007 movies feel free to read this book about Bond fighting West Nile virus.
Rating: 
Summary: Wrap yourself up in a great Bond thriller!
Review: If you haven't read Benson, you haven't read Bond! This book is a pleasure for any fan of Fleming's originally novels. Benson sweeps the reader into Bond's world,taking 007 on a chilling adventure where Bond confronts the future and past in Japan. Read and enjoy. I did.
Rating:
Summary: Benson delivers another excellent Bond novel.
Review: In an era of contrived attempts to "personalize" Bond's missions or "peal back the layers" of Bond's psyche, it's refreshing to have a straightforward Bond-on-a-dangerous-assignment-in-an-exotic-locale adventure, and that's what Raymond Benson delivers in THE MAN WITH THE RED TATTOO, his best stand alone Bond thriller to date. This time, Mr. Bond, it ISN'T personal. Halleluiah! Even the return of the Walther PPK seems to be Benson's way of saying, "Let's just use what has always worked and enough with the self-conscious 'updating' of the character." In this way I think RED TATTOO is well ahead of the curve (and just reinforces the fact that Benson is the best of all the post-Fleming Bond authors).But a straightforward plot doesn't mean RED TATTOO is lacking complexity of character. Just the opposite is true. Japan holds dark memories for Bond, and that aspect is not ignored. Whereas John Gardner might have given a passing reference to Bond's legendary ordeal in YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE, Benson uses the "ghosts" of Bond's past as a full-fledged complication. Fans will not be disappointed in how Benson weaves elements of the Fleming masterpiece into this current book, nor will they be disappointed in the action. Gunfights and fistfights abound in RED TATTOO. It's probably Benson's most violent book to date -- the body count is quite high -- but this seems to be in keeping with the Asian action movie milieu the book frequently evokes. The methodology of the villain's master plan is ingenious and is the best conceived caper we've had, book or film, in quite some time. And speaking of films, have I mentioned that RED TATTOO would make an amazing Bond movie? Well, it would. For the seasoned Bond fan THE MAN WITH THE RED TATTOO is the perfect book at the perfect time. For those who have yet to read a Benson book and are looking for a classic cocktail of Bondian action, suspense, and exotic locales, you would be well advised to start right here.
Rating: 
Summary: Bond, James Bond
Review: In this latest literary incarnation of Bond, Benson has 007 traveling to Japan where he does battle with elements of the Japanese underground. These criminals prefer the old ways of Japan's past and will do anything to force a return to a fundamental way of life. Along the way Bond meets the usual pretty woman or two. The plot includes the sinister plan to use a biological weapon on unsuspecting civilians.
I found this novel to be an easy read, just perfect for a warm day or two on a beach (I read it in cold Missouri). Characters were fully developed, and as in all Benson novels everything was well done. The settings in Japan were obviously well researched, much detail here. The only reason I took one star off of my review was due to the fact that, in my opinion, we need a Bond novel that is less predictable, where Bond does'nt prevail, where Bond does'nt get the girl, sort of like real life. Imagine the possibilities here, almost endless. Regardless of this criticism, this novel is still excellent.
Rating:
Summary: The Man With No Writing Skills
Review: It's a sad commentary on how corporations can annoint someone a best-selling author, complete with promotion accounts, regardless of whether the writer is any good at all. This book shows how consistently cliche, weak, and predictable Benson's Bond series remains. Ian Fleming could describe masterfully yet stay brief. Benson imitates this by describing every detail of a hotel lobby, thinking this makes it descriptive writing. It doesn't. The plot itself is predictable and formulated with all the usual characters to drag it along. Don't waste your money on this pap, even if you're looking for a light beach read. There are countless others to choose from, starting with Fleming's original work, soon to be reissued.
Rating:
Summary: Faith Restored
Review: It's best not to think about the Bond literary franchise any longer. I truly believe that Ian Fleming would have died again had he heard that a fanboy took his famed character and cheapened him so. The sad part is, I really believe that Raymond Benson tries hard with these books. And they're appalling, every one of them. That's the scary part. I did not read this book. I stopped reading Benson with the previous outing, which I couldn't even finish. I really enjoyed the Fleming Bonds, and even liked a few of the Gardners. But the decision to hire Raymond Benson remains a mystery and has killed my interest. I won't read this one, because I have no reason to believe it will be any better than the previous ones. The few things Benson does well--basically make up halfway decent stories for a Bond story--are wasted with amateur writing. Benson even went so far as to include graphic sex scenes in the books, for no particular reasons. It came off as seriously embarassing. Do not waste your time or money on any of the Benson Bond novels. Benson has apparently taken time off after this novel (which appeared in 2002.) He's dedicating his time to putting out his own, original garbage. We can only hope the management of Glidrose gets medicated and hires an actual writer again...
Rating:
Summary: Will it end?
Review: It's best not to think about the Bond literary franchise any longer. I truly believe that Ian Fleming would have died again had he heard that a fanboy took his famed character and cheapened him so. The sad part is, I really believe that Raymond Benson tries hard with these books. And they're appalling, every one of them. That's the scary part. I did not read this book. I stopped reading Benson with the previous outing, which I couldn't even finish. I really enjoyed the Fleming Bonds, and even liked a few of the Gardners. But the decision to hire Raymond Benson remains a mystery and has killed my interest. I won't read this one, because I have no reason to believe it will be any better than the previous ones. The few things Benson does well--basically make up halfway decent stories for a Bond story--are wasted with amateur writing. Benson even went so far as to include graphic sex scenes in the books, for no particular reasons. It came off as seriously embarassing. Do not waste your time or money on any of the Benson Bond novels. Benson has apparently taken time off after this novel (which appeared in 2002.) He's dedicating his time to putting out his own, original garbage. We can only hope the management of Glidrose gets medicated and hires an actual writer again...
Rating: 
Summary: Mission Failed
Review: It's obvious that Mr. Benson is a huge fan of James Bond, but somewhere along the lines someone should have realized that simply being a fan doesn't qualify him to continue the James Bond legacy in print. While his non-fiction works on James Bond are fairly good, his novels, unfortunately, are not. They are simply dozens of cliches combined with references to older Bond books, all tied together with what I must simply label very poor writing. Mr. Benson's dialogue is flat, unrealistic, and occasionally ridiuclous. His characters are one-dimensional and unsympathetic. His prose is stilted and uninteresting. I really wanted to like his Bond books, but after several attempts, I realized that I had assigned myself an impossible mission. I have read all of Fleming and Gardener's books multiple times, but nearly put Benson's books down in the middle simply from lack of interest. His stab at revitalizing the James Bond series was a worthy attempt, but unfortunately a failed one. I would recommend simply re-reading Fleming or Gardener if you have a taste for more Bond in print.
| 
