Doubleshot

Rating:
Summary: not one of the better Bond books
Review: I'm a real big James Bond fan, I believe I've read them all, and unfortunately I rank this one near the bottom. Benson is a decent writer and "High Time To Kill" was entertaining, but this was just a poor effort. One problem with "Doubleshot" is that it's written as a mystery, not a spy novel, and the "surprise ending" was way too obvious and annoying. James Bond is mainly portrayed as a clumsy bumbler, and this is a bit hard to take for us Bond fanatics. Hopefully Benson will do better next time.

Rating:
Summary: Good
Review: Doubleshot by Raymond Benson, is very good. It has an awesome plot that makes Bond and the reader think. Their plan is ingenious. They decide to embarass MI6 and make 007 believe he is going mad. This book is the second in the Union Trilogy, so I suggest you read High Time to Kill first.

Rating:
Summary: Benson's Bond Series Overview
Review: As a long time 007 fan, I have just re-read all of Raymond Benson's Bond novels in the proper order and have some reflections on his entire series through "Never Dream of Dying." First of all, Benson is not Ian Fleming and readers should get past that expectation before beginning. He's not John Gardner, either (thank goodness!). That said, I believe Benson has come the closest to Ian Fleming of all the post-Fleming writers in that he has truly captured the essence of Bond's character and the universe in which 007 operates. It is a fantasy spy world, not based in reality, just as Fleming's was, but like Bond's creator, Benson keeps the main character very human. Benson's Bond makes mistakes, shows fear, feels pain, and is melancholy much of the time. At the same time, Benson has brought in many elements of the Bond film series (I have read an interview with him that states that he and the Ian Fleming Estate agreed that this would be the approach to take). Therefore, Benson's Bond is a mixture of the cinematic and literary Bonds, and for me, this works splendidly. I have seen some fans object to this or that but it seems to me that these fans are not getting past personal expectations. Bond is many things to many people. Benson, a long time Bond scholar and author of the excellent "James Bond Bedside Companion" knows his stuff. He has nailed the Bond character. Some have complained about his writing style. Benson is no Fleming, as stated earlier, but his style is succinct and easy to read. His books flow quickly and are highly entertaining. "ZERO MINUS TEN": Benson's first book has one of his best plots, but it suffers slightly from being a "first novel." His writing is at its weakest here, but that said, ZMT is a wonderful Bond story. It is very Fleming-esque with its Hong Kong location, characters like Guy Thackeray and T. Y. Woo and Li Xu Nan, and its descriptions of food, mahjong, and Triads. When reading ZMT, one is immediately aware that this is a harder-edged and darker Bond than perhaps what we are used to. For a first effort, it is very, very good. "THE FACTS OF DEATH": Benson's second book is more film-like, it feels like an EON Productions movie story. The plot is more "fantastic" in that it deals with a secret criminal organization called the Decada that is run by a crazy mastermind. The writing is improved,though, and in many ways this is a more entertaining book than ZMT. What is especially interesting is Benson's development of the "M" character and her relationship with Bond. "HIGH TIME TO KILL": My personal favorite of the bunch. This is a classic Bond novel in every sense of the word. The first half is fairly predictable cinematic-Bond stuff, except for a very Fleming-esque opening and 2nd chapter golf match. The second half, however, shows Benson hitting his stride and finding his own voice with a truly original departure from what is expected. As Bond and companions climb one of the highest peaks in the Himalayas, the action becomes more like an "Into Thin Air"-type story. It's authentic spy-stuff amidst an environment that is cruel and harsh. This is a thrilling, un-put-downable book. "DOUBLESHOT": Another departure from the norm, as Benson appears to be experimenting with the structure of a Bond novel with this one. The first chapter is the ending of the book told from the different perspectives of several characters. The rest of the story begins in the past and catches up to the ending, and by then we are hooked. In this story, Bond is not well, he is injured, he is not working at full capacity, and this is what is interesting. "Doubleshot" is the middle book of a loose trilogy (beginning with "High Time to Kill") and it is darker and more introspective than the others. Some fans apparently didn't get it, but in many ways, this is Benson's most courageous book. "NEVER DREAM OF DYING": Another great one, right up there with "High Time to Kill," in terms of glueing a reader to the page. It's an excellent plot, tying up the trilogy that Benson began in HTTK. In this book, one can see the blending of the cinematic and literary Bonds more than in any other entry-- a lot of the action is very movie-like, while the storyline and characterizations are more like the Fleming novels. The moods and settings are the best that Benson has done, and the love interest is perhaps his strongest. The real stroke of brilliance in the book is what the author has done with the character of Bond's father in law. A very engaging book. My five-star review is based on Benson's series as a whole. Each book may not be a 5-star book on its own, but I don't think any of them are less than 4. Benson has put his mark on the Bond literary series. Fans who don't like him tend to focus on one or two aspects of what he does-- his writing style, his dependence on the cinematic elements, whatever... I feel that they're not seeing the forest for the trees. In my humble opinion, Raymond Benson has brought new life to the series and I hope he continues the books a long, long time.

Rating:
Summary: Bond is Back and Benson has him.
Review: This book was so spell-binding, that I had to keep reading this one to the end! Great plotting and the Bond Flag keeps flying thanks fore Benson's Fast pacing throughtout! Great fun and what fighting sequences! The plot never sags! Benson is the new chip off the old Bond Block!

Rating:
Summary: Lacks punch, but still has it's moments
Review: No writer can fill Ian Flemmings shoes and thankfully Benson isn't trying to. However my biggest complaint is I am not sure what version of Bond he is writing. With M being Judi Dench's character it would lead one to think he has chosen Brosnon as his template. But after reading 3 of his books that just doesn't seem to be the case. His Bond doesn't fit any of the ones so far whether it be from film or books. In some ways that's good in others not as much. He seems to be having a little trouble deciding on the character still. There is no Q in this book and no gadgets which is a little disappointing. There is no flashy car and for the most part Bond is weak almost wounded. A plus is the use of Bill Tanner, a character that I always liked and was pleased to see him in Goldeneye and these books as well. Overall I am happy that there are still Bond novels being written and unless they get utterly unbearable then I will continue to buy them. This book is average. It passed the time and I hope further books will improve.

Rating:
Summary: The best non-Fleming Bond novel, period.
Review: Doubleshot is not only Raymond Benson's best James Bond novel to date, it is the best Bond novel yet written by any author other than Ian Fleming. (Runners up would be Col. Sun by Kingsley Amis and John Gardner's Nobody Lives Forever.) Doubleshot is somewhat experimental. It seems like the publishers gave Benson room to be a little bit more creative with the character, and the result is stunning. This is the Bond we know and love, Ian Fleming's James Bond, in a slightly weird, off-kilter world. This is like Bond in Avengersland. (I'm talking about the wonderfully surreal TV show here, not the movie.) Everything and everyone in this world seems to have a double, from Bond to the twin Bond girls. (Yeah, twins.) This is far and away Mr. Benson's best writing, and it reads as a fantastic novel outside of being a Bond story. I would eagerly recommend it to Bond fans and non-fans alike. Great adventure with a twist.

Rating:
Summary: Bond is Forever...
Review: Before I get into the review, there is one book you need to read before Doubleshot. It's called "High Time To Kill". Doubleshot leaves off where HTTK leaves off....

James Bond has hit the skids. He's drinking to much, and is slowly losing his sanity. He feels that he must question his sanity b/c he has constant headaches, blackouts....and he just saw his double! Could Bond be that close to the edege? Or is this a very detailed plot by The Union to discredit our favorite spy? I suggest you get this book and find out.

Benson is a fantastic writer b/c he has the power to keep the reader glued to the book. If you're not a Bond fan, that's not a problem, b/c Benson has a way with word, and a [heck] of a plot. Now, if you're a Bond fan, then hold on for a wild ride. Everything we love about Bond, is in this book. The chases, fights, and ofcourse...the women. At one point Bond is talking to two women and tell them he works for a Import/Export company, "It's my job to make sure things go in and out smoothly." *LMAO* Only Bond can say something like that, and get away with it.

Do yourself a favor and get Doubleshot.

Rating:
Summary: Benson's most ambitious book
Review: In all great trilogies Part II is always the darkest chapter, and this is certainly the case with DOUBLESHOT (Part II of Raymond Benson's "Union Trilogy"). Having received a nasty high altitude head injury in the previous book, HIGH TIME TO KILL, Bond is now a physical wreck who fears he may be going crazy. He can't even drive -- doctor's orders! Is he going crazy, or is the villain just messing with him? That's DOUBLESHOT. Some fans don't like seeing Bond in this condition, but I really think it's what makes this book something special and a standout. And Bond is back at the top of his game in the next and concluding chapter, NEVER DREAM OF DYING, so why not take a journey into Bond's psyche for this one book? Oh, and the femme-fatale killer, Margareta Piel, is Benson's kinkiest creation yet. Benson is doing an amazing job carrying on the literary James Bond tradition, and DOUBLESHOT is one of his most interesting and ambitious books.

Rating:
Summary: Great adventure by the author of Zero Minus Ten
Review: Bond is back and this time the SIS is in need of his assistance. Or do they? He is sent on a mission and is in deep trouble when he can't remeber what he did after a person is found killed in his bedroom. Great chase scenes. Thought provoking! Pulse Pounding A great book and one that you should not miss.

Rating:
Summary: Good, but not the best.
Review: I like Raymond Benson, I like the way he writes Bond, I like the way he uses the Fleming books as abackground. I found that his previous books "Zero Minus Ten", "The Facts of Death", and "High Time to Kill", were great, lots of action, minimal boring situations. In "Doubleshot" I see that Benson tries to tell us that he knows the things he writes about. You can tell he researched the subject of bull fighting before he wrote the novel. He uses, and uses and over uses the terminology, it got to the point were I didn't want to continue unless the dictionary of bull fighting terms stopped. Although I like Benson he is aloud to have a flaw on his records. "Doubleshot" is the "Spy Who Loved Me" of Bensons Bond series.