Doubleshot

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing filler
Review: After "High Time To Kill", I thought that Benson had finally clicked on what would make a Bond novel for the 21st Century. High technology, exotic locations, formidable villains, deceit and conspiracy at every turn. That it was the first of a trilogy involving a modern-day SPECTRE, the Union, just made me anticipate "Doubleshot" more. However, the book just left me cold, with none of the energy or the jeopardy of the previous book.

Benson has to virtually cripple Bond by the use of convenient "injuries suffered in the previous adventure" because otherwise we'd never believe for a second that our hero couldn't deal with the pathetic revenge plan of the Union with a wave of his little pinky. The conceit here is that the Union plans to destroy Bond by using a doppelganger of him. Anybody who's seen this cliched plot from the Prisoner's "The Schizoid Man" (which actually, handled this incredibly well) to Star Trek's "The Enemy Within", among others, will cry out, "But that trick NEVER works!"

And indeed, it doesn't. You *know* it can't work. What's worse, the psuedo-Bond is so lightly drawn as to never even present a credible threat to our hero. Bond could beat him sleepwalking - and actually *does*. Heaped on top of that is a villainess who kills those she sleeps with. Hardly original. I won't even mention the twin bimbo CIA agents (well, only one is a bimbo, really, but the dialogue Benson gave her is enough to make me cringe - she's supposed to be a *professional*). The other plot to assassinate the British and Spanish PMs was almost inconsequential. Cliche upon cliche - the foreign contact who gets killed, the taking the place of the double... what was Benson doing, rolling dice and looking elements up on a table?

In short, this registered as hardly a blip in the excitement or originality indicators. I'm giving it an extra star because of all his faults, Benson still describes exotic locales with style and panache. Hopefully the next and final book in the Union confrontation will be better. Benson has proven he can write a good Bond in HTTK. Let's see another one, just like the other one.

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: 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.