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Young Bond #3
Double or Die
James Bond is no ordinary schoolboy, and the weekend of kidnap, violence, explosions and murder is just the beginning of the story. Finding a mysterious letter full of cryptic clues, James has only 48 hours to unravel the mystery and defeat the dark forces at work, determined to change the course of history.
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 4, 2007
98 people are currently reading
1757 people want to read
About the author
Charlie Higson
83 books1,504 followersHigson was educated at Sevenoaks School and at the University of East Anglia (where his brother has taught since 1986 and is now a professor of film studies) where he met Paul Whitehouse, David Cummings and Terry Edwards. Higson, Cummings and Edwards formed the band The Higsons of which Higson was the lead singer from 1980 to 1986. They released two singles on the Specials' 2-Tone label. Higson then became a plasterer before he turned to writing for Harry Enfield with Paul Whitehouse and performing comedy. He came to public attention as one of the main writers and performers of the BBC Two sketch show The Fast Show (1994-2000). He worked with Whitehouse on the radio comedy Down the Line and is to work with him again on a television project, designed to be a spoof of celebrity travel programmes.[1:]
He worked as producer, writer, director and occasional guest star on Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) from 2000 to 2001. Subsequent television work has included writing and starring in BBC Three's Fast Show spin-off sitcom Swiss Toni. He is currently starring in Tittybangbang series 3 on BBC Three and has appeared as a panellist on QI.
He published four novels through the early to mid 1990s which take a slightly dystopian look at everyday life and have a considerably more adult tone than his other work, with characters on the margins of society finding themselves spiraling out of control, leading him to be described by Time Out as 'The missing link between Dick Emery and Brett Easton Ellis' [2:]
In 2004, it was announced that Higson would pen a series of James Bond novels, aimed at younger readers and concentrating on the character's school-days at Eton. Higson was himself educated at Sevenoaks School where he was a contemporary of Jonathan Evans, current Director General of MI5. The first novel, SilverFin, was released on 3 March 2005 in the UK and on 27 April 2005 in the U.S. A second novel, Blood Fever, was released on 5 January 2006 in the UK and 1 June in the U.S. The third novel, Double or Die, was published on 4 January 2007 having had its title announced the day before. The next, Hurricane Gold, came out in hardcover in the UK in September 2007.[3:]In this year he also made a debut performance on the panel show QI. His final Young Bond novel, By Royal Command, was released in hardcover in the UK on the 3 September 2008.[4:]
Charlie has signed a deal to pen a new series of children's books for Puffin. According to the author, "They are going to be action adventures, but with a horror angle
He worked as producer, writer, director and occasional guest star on Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) from 2000 to 2001. Subsequent television work has included writing and starring in BBC Three's Fast Show spin-off sitcom Swiss Toni. He is currently starring in Tittybangbang series 3 on BBC Three and has appeared as a panellist on QI.
He published four novels through the early to mid 1990s which take a slightly dystopian look at everyday life and have a considerably more adult tone than his other work, with characters on the margins of society finding themselves spiraling out of control, leading him to be described by Time Out as 'The missing link between Dick Emery and Brett Easton Ellis' [2:]
In 2004, it was announced that Higson would pen a series of James Bond novels, aimed at younger readers and concentrating on the character's school-days at Eton. Higson was himself educated at Sevenoaks School where he was a contemporary of Jonathan Evans, current Director General of MI5. The first novel, SilverFin, was released on 3 March 2005 in the UK and on 27 April 2005 in the U.S. A second novel, Blood Fever, was released on 5 January 2006 in the UK and 1 June in the U.S. The third novel, Double or Die, was published on 4 January 2007 having had its title announced the day before. The next, Hurricane Gold, came out in hardcover in the UK in September 2007.[3:]In this year he also made a debut performance on the panel show QI. His final Young Bond novel, By Royal Command, was released in hardcover in the UK on the 3 September 2008.[4:]
Charlie has signed a deal to pen a new series of children's books for Puffin. According to the author, "They are going to be action adventures, but with a horror angle
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 237 reviews
July 21, 2009
Even when I was just a wee lad, I was a big fan of James Bond. I think it is probably due to the high level of action and the sense of danger that is evident in the films. When I hit high school, I ended up reading most of the books, though, I quickly learned the pacing was quite a bit slower and the plots were a bit thinner.
A few years ago, Charlie Higson started coming out with a new series called Young Bond. The first book, SilverFin starts off with James first arriving at Eton as a new student. Unlike the other boys at the well-known prep school, James was not rich. That did not prevent him from forming a core group of friends. It was also the start of his high adventures on an international scale.
This is the third volume in the series, which follows after Blood Fever. James has returned home to Eton after his summer adventures on the Italian isles. The holidays are quickly approaching when his good friend Pritpal receives a letter from Mr. Fairborn, the teacher/advisor of the Crossword Club. It offers his apologies for having to leave and seems to filled with errors, which Pritpal, James, Perry, and their other friends quickly realize are clues to a cryptic puzzle. It quickly becomes clear that Fairborn did not leave by choice, and his life is likely in peril.
After a mysterious visit from one of Fairborn's colleague for a planned visit with the Crossword Club. The visit does not go as planned as the visitor is not only rude, but he seems to have no interest in crosswords or other forms of puzzles. It provide James and his friends with the first clue, outside of the letter, that they can use to find Fairborn.
James is confronted with an interesting cadre of villains. Sir John Charnage quickly comes to the fore along with the eerie looking brothers, Ludwig and Wolfgang Smith. They are joined with the Russion Babushka the Grandmother in the fight to get a handle on the pre-cursor of computers.
Today's younger readers will get an opportunity to learn about the early attempts by the British secret service to create a machine that will assist them with their espionage. Familiar names and terms (to those with knowledge about computer history) such as Charles Babbage, Alan Turing, and binary code are weaved nicely into the storyline.
Fans of the series will be thrilled to see the return of siblings Red and Kelly Kelly as they play a crucial role in James' plan. Kelly feelings toward James are definitely shifting from friendship to something more, perhaps as a precursor to Bond's luck with the ladies
The series has done a wonderful job in capturing everything that made the film series popular with its nice mix of humor, edge-of-your-seat danger, and an elusive solution the audience must join James in second. This is really one of the best books in the series.
A few years ago, Charlie Higson started coming out with a new series called Young Bond. The first book, SilverFin starts off with James first arriving at Eton as a new student. Unlike the other boys at the well-known prep school, James was not rich. That did not prevent him from forming a core group of friends. It was also the start of his high adventures on an international scale.
This is the third volume in the series, which follows after Blood Fever. James has returned home to Eton after his summer adventures on the Italian isles. The holidays are quickly approaching when his good friend Pritpal receives a letter from Mr. Fairborn, the teacher/advisor of the Crossword Club. It offers his apologies for having to leave and seems to filled with errors, which Pritpal, James, Perry, and their other friends quickly realize are clues to a cryptic puzzle. It quickly becomes clear that Fairborn did not leave by choice, and his life is likely in peril.
After a mysterious visit from one of Fairborn's colleague for a planned visit with the Crossword Club. The visit does not go as planned as the visitor is not only rude, but he seems to have no interest in crosswords or other forms of puzzles. It provide James and his friends with the first clue, outside of the letter, that they can use to find Fairborn.
James is confronted with an interesting cadre of villains. Sir John Charnage quickly comes to the fore along with the eerie looking brothers, Ludwig and Wolfgang Smith. They are joined with the Russion Babushka the Grandmother in the fight to get a handle on the pre-cursor of computers.
Today's younger readers will get an opportunity to learn about the early attempts by the British secret service to create a machine that will assist them with their espionage. Familiar names and terms (to those with knowledge about computer history) such as Charles Babbage, Alan Turing, and binary code are weaved nicely into the storyline.
Fans of the series will be thrilled to see the return of siblings Red and Kelly Kelly as they play a crucial role in James' plan. Kelly feelings toward James are definitely shifting from friendship to something more, perhaps as a precursor to Bond's luck with the ladies
The series has done a wonderful job in capturing everything that made the film series popular with its nice mix of humor, edge-of-your-seat danger, and an elusive solution the audience must join James in second. This is really one of the best books in the series.
January 3, 2024
Very fun book with clues and adventure. You'll enjoy this book.
Read
November 20, 2010Admittedly, I'm not a huge James Bond fan. A guy who goes around killing people and sleeping with multitudes of beautiful women (many of whom conveniently die so James can move on to the next willing babe) well, let's just say there are a lot of vocabulary words that describe such men and none of them are flattering.
I picked up this book on a whim and was surprisingly impressed with it. The young James didn't sleep with anybody or purposely kill anyone either. He was almost likeable.
I didn't really get into the beginning of the book, because James and his friends were trying to solve these cryptic clues that no normal person would ever decipher--but I know a lot of readers like them, thus the popularity of the 39 Clues series. What really impressed me was the skillful job the author did with the action scenes. Like most Bond movies there was nonstop action that escalated until the climax. Those are hard to do, and even harder to make interesting but the author pulled it off.
It's a book that will appeal to most boys.
I picked up this book on a whim and was surprisingly impressed with it. The young James didn't sleep with anybody or purposely kill anyone either. He was almost likeable.
I didn't really get into the beginning of the book, because James and his friends were trying to solve these cryptic clues that no normal person would ever decipher--but I know a lot of readers like them, thus the popularity of the 39 Clues series. What really impressed me was the skillful job the author did with the action scenes. Like most Bond movies there was nonstop action that escalated until the climax. Those are hard to do, and even harder to make interesting but the author pulled it off.
It's a book that will appeal to most boys.
January 12, 2020
I enjoyed this book a lot. Very, very, good. Like all Charlie Higson's other books, it's scary, but amazing. 5 stars.
August 5, 2010
Fantastic! My favorite in the series thus far! I loved how cryptic crossword clues, ciphers, and even Charles Babbage were crucial to the plot and ultimately helped solve the mystery. James Bond proves he is more than just brawn!
A strange letter arrives at Eton for Pritpal from Professor Alexis Fairburn, who also happens to be the head of the school's Crossword Society (of which Pritpal is a member), suppossedly regarding his resignation, but the boys soon figure out that the letter contains seven cryptic clues that boys need to solve to rescue the professor. The clue solving will take James and co. around the country and into contact with a pair of assassin brothers, underground casinos, communists, difference engines, and a particularly evil woman known simply as Babushka...
A strange letter arrives at Eton for Pritpal from Professor Alexis Fairburn, who also happens to be the head of the school's Crossword Society (of which Pritpal is a member), suppossedly regarding his resignation, but the boys soon figure out that the letter contains seven cryptic clues that boys need to solve to rescue the professor. The clue solving will take James and co. around the country and into contact with a pair of assassin brothers, underground casinos, communists, difference engines, and a particularly evil woman known simply as Babushka...
January 25, 2022
This is the third book of the Young James Bond series and it is my favourite so far. Like the others, it is set when James is still a boy at Eton school, in the time between the first and second world wars. Trouble always seems to come looking for James.The plot involves him trying to rescue an Eton master who has gone missing. In my opinion, you should read book 1 and 2 to get to know the character but each book has a different story line so it’s not a huge problem if you do not. I give this book 4 stars and recommend to people who enjoy action and a fast pace read
June 12, 2019
When a a teacher at Eton goes missing, a letter is sent to the school. Everyone thinks the professor has gone mad but Pritpal doesn’t think so. Bond and him friend must solve the seven clues and find the kidnapped professor. The genre is mystery and it is the third book in the series. I think it’s ok, but the people just uncover the clues way too fast. It’s a bit boring in places and the ending is also ok because everything is resolved and it only leaves a tiny part for the next book. I would recommend it to both genders that are in year 8 at maximum down to year 7.
April 5, 2025
I thought james couldnt get into anymore trouble.. boy was a wrong!!! liked all the crossword puzzle solving I would read a book just full of that also alan turing mention‼️lets go lgbtqia community
May 18, 2011
A teacher from Eton gets kidnapped and he writes a letter full of riddles and clues which James and his friends solve. So they found out what happened with the teacher. the boys, which means mainly James, get into a lot of trouble and danger.
A very exciting crime-adventure novel! I like the fact that those stories are set in the 1920/30s (or something around that time). It still is fast paced and you're not missing all the new technologies, like mobiles or the internet. This story works perfectly fine in it's time and still don't seem too far away from the reader. Compared to the Alex Rider-Series from Horowitz this series feels more true somehow, more substantial.
And a great last few sentences: "...I'm just a foot soldier. I tend to save problems with my fists, or with a gun, and I suppose I'm doomed to spend the rest of my life trying to sort out the problems that clever people of this world make for the rest of us."
A very exciting crime-adventure novel! I like the fact that those stories are set in the 1920/30s (or something around that time). It still is fast paced and you're not missing all the new technologies, like mobiles or the internet. This story works perfectly fine in it's time and still don't seem too far away from the reader. Compared to the Alex Rider-Series from Horowitz this series feels more true somehow, more substantial.
And a great last few sentences: "...I'm just a foot soldier. I tend to save problems with my fists, or with a gun, and I suppose I'm doomed to spend the rest of my life trying to sort out the problems that clever people of this world make for the rest of us."
March 26, 2022
These books keep getting better!
Blood Fever polished up on the flaws of Silverfin and made a brilliant story. Double Or Die has done what Blood Fever did, but even better!!!
I loved how the story was driven by a set of clues to solve because they they filled the story with constant excitement. There was always something to be figured out and it made me want to never stop reading!!! And the plot was simply brilliant!
I was so happy to see Red Kelly back!! He is one of my favourite characters in this universe so it was great to see him alongside James again. And I love the chemistry between James and Perry too! All of these characters together is the stuff of dreams! Kelly seems sweet too - classic Bond, always getting the girl.
I could legitimately write an essay on this book, but one small detail I would like to point out is that the big showdown at the end happened on a boat, which is a nice callback to the Connery movies. Commander Bond just loves the sea.
All in all, Double Or Die is up there with my favourite books. It's immaculate.
Blood Fever polished up on the flaws of Silverfin and made a brilliant story. Double Or Die has done what Blood Fever did, but even better!!!
I loved how the story was driven by a set of clues to solve because they they filled the story with constant excitement. There was always something to be figured out and it made me want to never stop reading!!! And the plot was simply brilliant!
I was so happy to see Red Kelly back!! He is one of my favourite characters in this universe so it was great to see him alongside James again. And I love the chemistry between James and Perry too! All of these characters together is the stuff of dreams! Kelly seems sweet too - classic Bond, always getting the girl.
I could legitimately write an essay on this book, but one small detail I would like to point out is that the big showdown at the end happened on a boat, which is a nice callback to the Connery movies. Commander Bond just loves the sea.
All in all, Double Or Die is up there with my favourite books. It's immaculate.
October 14, 2017
Double or Die is the third entry in this series, but you don't have to read the first two books to understand the plot. With many near death encounters, James is pushed to his limits both physically and mentally while he tries to find his kidnapped teacher. Russian mobsters, a national traitor, and assassins are constantly looking to end James.
This book is designed to be a thriller but I think Charles Higson didn't perform. This book had me drifting in and out unlike the adult Bond books, or even kid spy novels like Alex Rider. There was no realism in the plot either, and some of the events will never happen. Higson is a very inconsistent writer, as some times he writes a marvelous string of paragraphs, but then he runs it off a cliff with a chapter that just bores me. The timing in the final stage of the book is ridiculously fast paced, especially compared to the slowness of the first stage.
Overall, this book isn't that bad, but at best it is mediocre. Some of the characters are fun and exciting, like Red, but some others are just annoying or boring, like Perry and even James Bond. I cant recommend a book where James Bond is boring. I suggest only to read this book if you are a die hard James Bond fan, but if you want a thorough, exciting, and well-paced book you will not find it here.
This book is designed to be a thriller but I think Charles Higson didn't perform. This book had me drifting in and out unlike the adult Bond books, or even kid spy novels like Alex Rider. There was no realism in the plot either, and some of the events will never happen. Higson is a very inconsistent writer, as some times he writes a marvelous string of paragraphs, but then he runs it off a cliff with a chapter that just bores me. The timing in the final stage of the book is ridiculously fast paced, especially compared to the slowness of the first stage.
Overall, this book isn't that bad, but at best it is mediocre. Some of the characters are fun and exciting, like Red, but some others are just annoying or boring, like Perry and even James Bond. I cant recommend a book where James Bond is boring. I suggest only to read this book if you are a die hard James Bond fan, but if you want a thorough, exciting, and well-paced book you will not find it here.
September 8, 2018
Tadinya saya tidak berharap banyak terhadap seri ini, tapi ternyata bagus.
Petualangan James Bond muda menegangkan, seru. Banyak pertumpahan darah dan kejutan. Too bad I only have three books of the series.
Petualangan James Bond muda menegangkan, seru. Banyak pertumpahan darah dan kejutan. Too bad I only have three books of the series.
June 27, 2017
I think it was good and exiting but it took me a while to read
September 4, 2017
Great, action-packed adventure. Charlie Hixson never seems to disappoint his readers
January 16, 2024
Overall good plot but the book was stretched out a bit, could of been better 100 pages shorter.
March 6, 2014
I forgot to write this review when it was fresh... hmmm... things I liked were the explanations of codes and cryptic codes. It might help me with crossword puzzles someday. My grandmother loved them and filled volumes of crossword books. My mom likes them, too, but I confess that I do not have the talent for them.
James Bond isn't bad. He's not a genius at them like his Indian friend, but he does decode a fair amount of the puzzle. I like that his friends help out, too. I loved being brought into Red Kelly's world and meeting his sister.
The bumbling idiot brothers provide lots of gore. More than the previous books, I think. Really gross stuff. You think that they are pure evil, and then you meet their boss. He turns out to have a boss whose character was the creepiest even if she was the tiniest.
Once again, my 14-year-old son was most interested and insisted that I replay the last disk for him when I had listened to it in the car without him.
Out of all the people who died, I think I most regretted the car. It was a glorious ending for a car, however, and served its purpose to instill in James a love of fast classic cars.
I liked the fast forward at the end.
James Bond isn't bad. He's not a genius at them like his Indian friend, but he does decode a fair amount of the puzzle. I like that his friends help out, too. I loved being brought into Red Kelly's world and meeting his sister.
The bumbling idiot brothers provide lots of gore. More than the previous books, I think. Really gross stuff. You think that they are pure evil, and then you meet their boss. He turns out to have a boss whose character was the creepiest even if she was the tiniest.
Once again, my 14-year-old son was most interested and insisted that I replay the last disk for him when I had listened to it in the car without him.
Out of all the people who died, I think I most regretted the car. It was a glorious ending for a car, however, and served its purpose to instill in James a love of fast classic cars.
I liked the fast forward at the end.
May 11, 2010
As usual, I love Nathaniel Parker as a reader. However, this book is one that I would actually recommend reading in the paper copy--at least the beginning. The story begins with James and his Eton friends struggling to decode a letter sent by one of their professors. It deals a lot with cryptic clues that are very interesting but hard to follow without seeing them on paper. One of the things I appreciate about Higson's writing is he always adds details about things in addition to the story. In the first book, he described the details of how a combustion engine works. This book includes details about cryptic crosswords as well as binary code and Roulette. For some, this slows the story down too much, but I appreciate the extra information.
I enjoyed the complexity of this story added by the struggle to understand the clues. I also LOVE Kelly Kelly and wish she could make an appearance in future books. My only complaint is the increased violence in this book. I know it's James Bond, but people seemed to be getting killed in very unnecessarilary bloody ways.
I enjoyed the complexity of this story added by the struggle to understand the clues. I also LOVE Kelly Kelly and wish she could make an appearance in future books. My only complaint is the increased violence in this book. I know it's James Bond, but people seemed to be getting killed in very unnecessarilary bloody ways.
February 9, 2020
This series is great! It is addictive and compelling with excellent characters and expertly built up suspense. I loved that Alan Turing was in this one and thought the premise of the NEMESIS machine was very well written. I like that the villains are not over the top like some books of this genre, especially YA books. An entertaining read from start to finish!!
May 2, 2009
Not as compelling as the other 2. The main mystery involves some over-the-top complicated type of word clues that I found very distracting.
August 6, 2015
I believe this was a better than expected book for me. Would really recommend to Bond fans. But the book lacked tricky twists which didn't leave me awe-strucked. 3 from my side
December 26, 2016
lebih seru dari buku pertamanya, lebih banyak tantangan dan aksi berbahaya. emang dasar begajulan nih si Young Bond.
September 20, 2019
Very intersting plotine again. Enjoyed it
January 7, 2024
Young Bond does not disappoint.
Three books in and I can undoubtedly say I love this series.
I’m just filling up with this feeling of finishing a good book, which is one of my favourite things in the world, and I’m also steadily getting attached to this world and it’s characters<3
This one was such a great train of adventure through the different sides of London, exhilarating moments waiting at every turn. I was fully immersed in not only the feeling and excitement of the story but also the hints and clues, the scenes and the order in which the story was unfolding; very much like solving a piece of an elaborate puzzle only to be met by another and another, desperately trying to get the full picture. Although quite different in plot (is it?), this also reminded me of Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch in the tripping over one’s self only to suddenly find they’ve somehow managed to stay upright and keep running.
True to the usual feeling of warped time, though really set over the course of less than a week, laughter and near death experiences blend into one linear memory that we share with James. (and so much happened I keep getting flashes and thinking “oh yeah how did we end up at a CASINO?”)
We also, through his actions, get a better insight into his reasons for acting the way he does; being heroic but also, seemingly, reckless. We know “Bond. James Bond.”, but within these pages, one adventure after another, struggling to keep up with him, we get to know James. James Bond.
I wasn’t expecting the ending, and I cant wait to see where everything and everyone goes in the next book!!
Three books in and I can undoubtedly say I love this series.
I’m just filling up with this feeling of finishing a good book, which is one of my favourite things in the world, and I’m also steadily getting attached to this world and it’s characters<3
This one was such a great train of adventure through the different sides of London, exhilarating moments waiting at every turn. I was fully immersed in not only the feeling and excitement of the story but also the hints and clues, the scenes and the order in which the story was unfolding; very much like solving a piece of an elaborate puzzle only to be met by another and another, desperately trying to get the full picture. Although quite different in plot (is it?), this also reminded me of Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch in the tripping over one’s self only to suddenly find they’ve somehow managed to stay upright and keep running.
True to the usual feeling of warped time, though really set over the course of less than a week, laughter and near death experiences blend into one linear memory that we share with James. (and so much happened I keep getting flashes and thinking “oh yeah how did we end up at a CASINO?”)
We also, through his actions, get a better insight into his reasons for acting the way he does; being heroic but also, seemingly, reckless. We know “Bond. James Bond.”, but within these pages, one adventure after another, struggling to keep up with him, we get to know James. James Bond.
I wasn’t expecting the ending, and I cant wait to see where everything and everyone goes in the next book!!
November 5, 2017
Oh, boy! This was a great improvement! And where to start?
It's fun, that's for sure. (Even one of the poor villains loosing one small part of his anatomy after the other adds a certain black humour to it.) And the atmosphere the beginning of the book brings out is very nice. Puzzle solving and code breaking gives a taste not only of Dan Brown (at his best), but since it's a team effort, involving James AND his friends, it's also an old school youth adventure - think classics like Enid Blyton, but with hair on it's chest), more "wholesome", more positive and definitely more cozy than the first two installments.
But don't you worry! If it's action you want you're gonna get your fill. The story goes out in a blaze of glory. A dangerous and highly entertaining fast paced and inventive eruption, introducing Kelly Kelly, Red's sister, as the perkiest "female interest" yet. (A likable lass that one. Hope we see more of her!) And coming up against a foreign power instead of a lone crazed criminal mastermind with a bad skin complexion is a relief. It lends a much appreciated feel of credibility to it. (Well... Credible might not be the word perhaps, or believable, but you know what I mean.) So...
The breeziest and the best so far! A five star feel good that tussles your hair dew beyond recognition and leaves you with an exhausted but contented smile on your face. (You might need a smoke and a restful lie down. I know I did!)
It's fun, that's for sure. (Even one of the poor villains loosing one small part of his anatomy after the other adds a certain black humour to it.) And the atmosphere the beginning of the book brings out is very nice. Puzzle solving and code breaking gives a taste not only of Dan Brown (at his best), but since it's a team effort, involving James AND his friends, it's also an old school youth adventure - think classics like Enid Blyton, but with hair on it's chest), more "wholesome", more positive and definitely more cozy than the first two installments.
But don't you worry! If it's action you want you're gonna get your fill. The story goes out in a blaze of glory. A dangerous and highly entertaining fast paced and inventive eruption, introducing Kelly Kelly, Red's sister, as the perkiest "female interest" yet. (A likable lass that one. Hope we see more of her!) And coming up against a foreign power instead of a lone crazed criminal mastermind with a bad skin complexion is a relief. It lends a much appreciated feel of credibility to it. (Well... Credible might not be the word perhaps, or believable, but you know what I mean.) So...
The breeziest and the best so far! A five star feel good that tussles your hair dew beyond recognition and leaves you with an exhausted but contented smile on your face. (You might need a smoke and a restful lie down. I know I did!)
November 27, 2018
Double or Die is my favorite book in the Young Bond series so far!! I absolutely loved this, and could not put it down. This story is set over a crazy weekend when James is trying to find and rescue a teacher from his school named Fairburn. Fairburn runs the crossword society at their school and James’ friend, Pritpal is a member. This crazy story starts with a letter sent from Fairburn to Pritpal, who notices that the letter might contain cryptic clues to a puzzle. James and his friends try to solve all of the clues to find out what is going on with Fairburn. While solving these clues they are chased by gangsters, find a dead body, run into Red Kelly and his family, and almost die multiple times! There is even a little romance!
I’m so glad that Red Kelly made a reappearance in this story, he is one of my favorite characters in this series and I’m glad to see the continuation of Red and James’ friendship. I also loved how Double or Die tied into real life events. But my favorite part of the story was the glimpse into the future when James is an actual spy and he runs into Fairburn again.
I’m so glad that Red Kelly made a reappearance in this story, he is one of my favorite characters in this series and I’m glad to see the continuation of Red and James’ friendship. I also loved how Double or Die tied into real life events. But my favorite part of the story was the glimpse into the future when James is an actual spy and he runs into Fairburn again.
March 7, 2022
- I enjoyed listening to this book, it was gripping, pretty fast-paced which worked well with an audiobook, and I felt a bit like additional information was added to make it as if you are learning something. As with the others in the book, there are a few plot conveniences, and some of it seems very predictable and unrealistic. For example the story is based around finding the clues that their teacher left theminn a cryptic letter to find the teacher’s location. Feels a bit cliche. And of course the few cryptic clues in a letter lead to the boys leaving school and fighting genuine criminals and spies. Regardless, very good book.
- I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed spy or adventure books.
- I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed spy or adventure books.
November 22, 2025
Double or Die is a huge improvement over Blood Fever and is a great addition to the James Bond mythos. There is plenty of tension, action and intrigue to satisfy the reader's and this novel in particular is quite fond of puzzles and codes; testing your mind even more. The introduction of the Smith brother's made for an enjoyable challenge for James, and the return of an old character made the finale and conclusion as enjoyable as can be.
Compared to the past two books James gets off a little easier in this one, and I was really glad James and Perry worked together as they make a fine team to follow throughout the novel.
Silverfin remains my favourite, but Double or Die is fantastic as well; it's just unfortunate my brain struggled to keep up some of the time hahaha.
Compared to the past two books James gets off a little easier in this one, and I was really glad James and Perry worked together as they make a fine team to follow throughout the novel.
Silverfin remains my favourite, but Double or Die is fantastic as well; it's just unfortunate my brain struggled to keep up some of the time hahaha.
May 12, 2017
Charlie Higson holds strong with his third delightfully entertaining James Bond. From the beginning the book wraps one in excitement. James has to solve clues to save the day, and at first this worried me that in a "kids" book the clues wouldn't be too difficult. I should have had more faith. Higson really put in the work to make the clues worthy of a true mystery. On top of that, enemies and gangsters abound, old friends come to help, and many well placed allusions to some well known and other lesser known Bond tropes.
Highly enjoyable and highly recommended, this book is an enjoyable read for any Bond/Mystery fan.
Highly enjoyable and highly recommended, this book is an enjoyable read for any Bond/Mystery fan.
May 6, 2024
I read Book 1 in the series and I really enjoyed it. I am giving DOUBLE or DIE four stars only because I love reading and watching Bond books and movies. I don't need to go over the plot, just read some other reviews. I noticed Higson italicizes thoughts and that's a good thing but his writing style does not allow you to get into a character's head. Don't tell me what a chaacter is thinking, I want to hear it for myself. Example-How long did he have? should read How long do I have? Many writers make that mistake and the publishers should have caught that one. One more thing, the title did not make sense to me... Other than that, great story. I will be reading others in the series.
July 15, 2018
I think that this book is exciting and loyal to Fleming's original James Bond. One of my favorite parts is when the Amoras blows up. This is one of my favorite parts because it prevented the bad guys from getting N.E.M.E.S.I.S. across the ocean. Another one of my favorite parts is when he finds his teacher in a part of the pneumatic railway under London. It was my favorite part because he had finally had found him after searching for him for the entire book. This book was very action-packed and thrilling. I would definitely read this again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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