This review contains affiliate links, which earn me a small commission when you click and purchase, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my small business and allowing me to continue providing you a reliable resource for clean book ratings.
Where is James Bond? Is he dead? Has he been turned into a double agent? Did he just walk away without a forwarding address? Regardless, his immediately previous mission was unsuccessful, and three (yes, three) Double 0 agents are dispatched to solve the mystery of his whereabouts and finish what he started. Time to pop some popcorn and get comfortable.
What follows is the classic literary Bond formula of international intrigue, questionable loyalties, and a megalomaniac. Obviously, with three 00s out there, the elements are tripled. Kim Sherwood gives us a modern cross section of British society in this trio of capable spies, each with their own brief backstories. As they investigate around the world, it is clear they are every whit as tough and discerning as 007, but also just like him, their weaknesses create problems for the tasks at hand.
As in previous non-Fleming Bond tales, the villain (although completely wacko) in Double Or Nothing is poorly portrayed and functions more like a figurehead in the story than someone with true evil intent. We learn precious little about his origins, or even his motivations, which is a disappointment. In some ways, his henchmen are fuller characters than he is, which I found confusing. However, unlike any previous non-Fleming Bond publication, the reader is treated to almost every single former character from the original canon, either in person or via official communique. These Easter eggs are very fun, but since this is supposed to be a three-book endeavor, I wonder who may be left to reintroduce in later volumes?
Every plot line and tangent in this work is very preachy about climate change, almost to the point of nauseating overkill. In addition, almost every character slings as many vulgar and profane terms as she or he shoots bullets. Wow. Both of these findings were a little offputting and ironic, considering the intense social media storms currently raging over the recent publication of all of the original Ian Fleming James Bond works that have been “sanitized” for modern readers. I can state with surety that there is more crude language in this book than in all of the original books combined, including terms and ideals that are no longer considered appropriate in literature.
Even with all that, Double Or Nothing stands on its own. All of the loose threads are neatly gathered in the closing chapters with no frustrating cliffhangers. A final clue about Agent 007 is presented on the last page, so we are all hopeful that the following volume will yield further details about our timeless spy, and maybe he can help his modern colleagues to be a bit more refined in their speech.
Rated: High. Profanity includes 21 uses of strong language, a dozen moderate vulgar terms, and 40 milder forms of profanity. The body count is very high, with 27 confirmed kills and plenty more that were not numbered, none with overtly gory narration. There is a single, non-detailed same-gender intimate event, and the relationship continues throughout. An opposite-gender intimate encounter with minimal description also occurs.
Click here to purchase your copy of Double Or Nothing on Amazon.
