Rating: 
Summary: Several pegs lower than HIGH TIME TO KILL
Review: Any time I pick up a new James Bond novel, I still get that little twinge of excitement I got when I first started reading Fleming's Bond novels some 30 years ago. However, the thrill just doesn't linger like it used to. Raymond Benson has proven with his previous novels that he can stir up a fairly decent plot for a Bond novel; but he also tends to be clumsy in their execution, and this is exhibited more in DOUBLESHOT than perhaps any of his others. Even after several practice rounds, Benson allows his prose to stutter and stumble along, displaying no more flair with the English language than an average college creative writing student.Benson's worst offense (ever) is to have conceived the Taunt twins: easily the lamest, dumbest blondes ever to people the pages of a Bond novel. Their presence taints the entire novel with the stench of amateurism; on their way to a possible rendezvous with gruesome death, these supposed CIA professionals blurt out lines like "Oh, this is going to be fun!" with the abandon of high school cheerleaders on their way to a post-game party. Truly an embarrassment, these characters should never have made their way into the novel, and the editor at Glidrose/Jove ought to be flogged for allowing Benson to indulge himself with them. The foreshadowings and "subtle" disguises for the obligatory plot twists in DOUBLESHOT are obvious, again pointing to clumsy, inexpert treatment at the author's hands. Slightly elevating the reading experience, the character of Le Gerant--the head of the formidable Union--comes across as a fascinating and strong villain, a worthy successor to Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Auric Goldfinger, and kin. Whereas HIGH TIME TO KILL showed a lot of promise for upcoming Benson Bond thrillers, DOUBLESHOT is perhaps the weakest of all Benson's yarns, rivaling John Gardner's (frequent) dips into inanity--a disappointing path for James Bond to have taken in recent years.
Rating: 
Summary: Benson's Bumbling Bond Beside Himself - A Slight Slip
Review: In his fourth contribution to the James Bond series, Raymond Benson shows us a much too human James Bond, clearly a man who should not be out on a job for HMSS in his current state. While far better and more potent than the pretty Bond of the 80s, Doubleshot's Bond is frighteningly gullible, if not flat out naive. These traits are NOT demonstrated in Benson's earlier Bond works which are must-reads for all (Zero Minus Ten, The Facts of Death, High Time to Kill). Some of the supporting cast are just plain silly, as well. Doubleshot reads a little too fast, and the plot could use some more twists and complexity. Readers learn more about The Union, a more realistic version of Fleming's SPECTRE that first reared its head in High Time to Kill, and as expected, several of its deadly operatives meet their demises. Simply stated, the plot is too predictable (aren't all Bond novels?), but even more than the previous stories. There are fewer outrageous gadgets, which is a tremendous improvement, however. Fancy toys are for the movies. This is an easy read, one that might appeal more to teenagers than those of us who have read Fleming. Still, quite enjoyable. Benson has proven to be a worthy successor to Fleming, Amis and Gardner.
Rating:
Summary: A good read, Bond is back to basics...
Review: If you're a fan of the Bond that was charming, adventerous, action-packed, and a hit with the ladies then this book is for you. Once you start, you can't stop reading this.
Rating:
Summary: Benson's Reign of Terror Continues
Review: This is Raymond Benson's fourth stab at a blond novel and it's bad. It's bad like the three before. And it's probably as bad as the countless that will come after it. Given the massive success of the recent Bond films with Pierce Brosnan, I'm puzzled why Glidrose chose to dumb the franchise down and ignore any chance of a bigger market? 007 is a brand name icon, so why didn't they try and get bigger and hire a more high-profile writer? Maybe Bond has become too cinematic. Nevertheless, for some reason that I may understand one day, Glidrose asked Raymond Benson to write. Not a writer, Benson was more like the biggest James Bond super-nerd fan club president. Doubleshot suffers the same wounds of all Benson efforts. The man can't write--he can't put together different elements of a story in any kind of enjoyable order. We know he does extensive research because he basically describes the vacation he took to research the place. He's incapable of weaving suspense, character development (Bond behaves very, very stupidly in this entry, I'm beginning to worry) or action into all of the settings he describes. Doubleshot gives Benson a chance to blab on about all he knows about bullfighting. Wonderful, I feel enlightened now. No opinion has Benson, whereas Fleming made known what Bond liked and did not like. Benson is so contrived that the new Bond books can't be considered on any sort of serious level, even as comic books. They're just...there. There is no doubt that John Gardner was a better writer. Sure, Gardner didn't really like Bond nor have a particular reverence for the character, but at least his writing was smooth and professional. Benson couldn't fill Fleming's shorts. Fleming was a guy who did what he wanted to do and enjoyed life, dropping dead in his fifties with a massive heart attach brought on by smoking, drinking, heavy food, and just being manly. Raymond Benson, in the many interviews he's done and the many articles about him, does not strike me as a very wild and crazy guy. He looks like he once drove his car 95 mph on the highway and that's about it. Fleming knew how to dress. Benson is a Haggar wrinkle-free guy. Fleming would be appalled by Rockports. Benson, well... Avoid this novel UNLESS you are a die-hard Bond fan (the reason I'm here trashing this thing). Benson throws in embarassingly bad descriptions of sex, trying to get more and more risque with his explicit description just for the heck of it. You go Benson!
Rating:
Summary: Close To Comfort
Review: This is a good Benson effort. Bond is a real person in this book with emotions and feelings. The bad guys are cruel and evil which makes the classic confrontation all that much better for the reader. This is a good one.
Rating:
Summary: Double the fun with this tale of James Bond!
Review: Doubleshot is the 4th novel of the newest Bond writer, Raymond Benson. It follows after the terrifc High Time to Kill, and continues the trilogy that was started there. A darker tale of suspense and intrigue. James Bond is recovering after the deadly mission in the Himalayas, but scans show that there is a lesion in his brain. He continuously blacks out and thinks he can see his dead wife, Tracy. Bond may finally losing it. He disregards orders and begins to search the case of Helena Marksbury, who was a Union agant. He asks help for his problems of Dr. Feare, but while with her, he blacks out and wakes up to find her murdered, with him as the prime suspect. He travels to Tangier and goes undercover to hear of a possible Union base in Casablanca. He finds out that someone that looks exactly like him has murdered many people on a British ferry, but the trouble is that he can't prove to anyone that he isn't doing the killings. Bond meets Heidi and Hedy Taunt and explains to them and M that a Domingo Espada is planning something at Gibralter, possibly having to do with peace-talks going on there. Bond and the Taunt sisters travel to Spain to check on Espada on one of his bull-fighting rings. Bond is captured and told how his has been manipulated all along to think he was going crazy and to make him look like he was murdering innocent people. Espada works for the Union, and wants to humiliate bond, kill the the prime ministers at the peace-talks, reclaim Gibralter for Spain and increase the power of the Union. Bond escapes, and meets and kills the person who was impersonating him for the killings. Bond and the Taunt sisters make it to the peace-talks, kill Espada and foil the plans once again for the Union. Doubleshot is a very different style of a Bond book and may not appeal to all. A must for hardcore fans like myself and others who like to read all about the daring assignments of James Bond, agent 007!
Rating: 
Summary: This could very well be Benson's best Bond book to date.
Review: A notable book. I highly recommend this book a lot. Don't let this one out of your sight. A grabber. Loved the beginning. a bang up climax. UNDOWNPUTABLE.
Rating:
Summary: Well written Bond book
Review: I have read all of Ian Fleming's books and have now started to read Bensons and I must say he has filled some large shoes by making an organization just as diabolical as SPECTRE with the Union. I think that either Benson or the new directors of Bond films should bring back the old SPECTRE just to get the feel of connection with the Ian Fleming novels. I just enjoyed Bond's battles with Blofeld and his henchmen.
Rating:
Summary: Quite good
Review: I've tried reading some of Bond books. Starting with scripts and these, even if well written, where not entertaining at all. This one keeps me still going. I am keeping it by my bed or wherever I go. I like reading it a lot and find the plot interesting. I prefer typical spy plots and this one is too much "a personal affair". But the book is very good any way. I recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: IINTRIGUING PLOTS,SEXY CHARACTERS AND EXOTIC LOACATIONS
Review: OH,WHAT A MYSTERY.Damn,this book started out boring but it kept me from putting the book down.Never thought Benson is this good.The Union's plot is sooooooo...good,which includes a double posing as Bond.A must read if you like the mystery genre.Great plot.
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