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James Bond - Extended Series #37
The Facts of Death: James Bond
Someone is poisoning British soldiers in Cyprus; the same killer has murdered a British intelligence agent in Athens. James Bond himself barely escapes with his life....
But the secrets behind these and other deaths first start to come to light in Texas, where Bond goes in search of the assassin of M's friend and lover. Fearful of an international scandal that could engulf both his service and his country, he learns instead of the existence of the Decada.
Held together by an archaic philosophy and their own bizarre rituals, the Decada's fanatics have stockpiled a terrifying range of poisons and are willing to use them to further their insane ambitions for power and revenge.
Aided by beautiful, brave Greek intelligence agent Niki Mirakos, Bond puts himself into the firing line for a last-ditch attempt to stop the Decada before they unleash a horrifying weapon on their helpless prey.
But the secrets behind these and other deaths first start to come to light in Texas, where Bond goes in search of the assassin of M's friend and lover. Fearful of an international scandal that could engulf both his service and his country, he learns instead of the existence of the Decada.
Held together by an archaic philosophy and their own bizarre rituals, the Decada's fanatics have stockpiled a terrifying range of poisons and are willing to use them to further their insane ambitions for power and revenge.
Aided by beautiful, brave Greek intelligence agent Niki Mirakos, Bond puts himself into the firing line for a last-ditch attempt to stop the Decada before they unleash a horrifying weapon on their helpless prey.
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First published May 7, 1998
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About the author
Raymond Benson
158 books306 followersRaymond Benson is the author of approximately 40 titles. Among his works are the critically-acclaimed and New York Times best-selling serial THE BLACK STILETTO, and he was also the third--and first American--continuation author of the official James Bond 007 novels. His latest novels are HOTEL DESTINY--A GHOST NOIR, BLUES IN THE DARK, IN THE HUSH OF THE NIGHT and THE SECRETS ON CHICORY LANE.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
March 9, 2020
Leading up to "No Time to Die" I am re-reading many of the Bond novels. I always recalled the Benson ones as being superior to most of those of Gardner, specifically the last several. In re-reading "Facts of Death" I noticed that it began quite well, contained some interesting twists and turns, reunites Bond with Leiter, better fleshes out the Barbara Mawdsley "M" from Goldeneye, etc. It also has a lot going on - the opening plot, many villainous characters, the M story, Bond's time in America and the Turkey, Cyprus, Greek plotline to come.
The first half of this book is 4 stars, the second half is 3, giving it 3 1/2 total.
There are moments of the novel that really make you see Fleming's Bond, going through the ringer. Benson is great at the descriptive narrative that characterized Fleming's originals. But some of the twists of the story, like Bond's capture, the villain(s) outlining the entire plot for him and his subsequent escape, seem more forced this go-around.
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After the successful inaugural entry in the Raymond Benson 007 novels that was Zero Minus Ten, The Facts of Death plunges Bond into so much intrigue and peril and descriptive globetrotting scenery that Benson suffers no sophomore slump.
James Bond successfully interacts with practically everyone we've ever cared for within MI6, be it Q, Moneypenny, Tanner and both M's to date. Not to mention, he encounters a familiar friend when he travels to Texas. The plot while radical is certainly not outside of the realm of feasibility and the pace and plot keep moving steadily. The story is well crafted and there are no holes. We find ourselves very well engaged by Benson's version of Bond (which is the closest we've seen to Fleming's in quite some time) all while he mentally harks back to the missions we loved so long ago.
4 out of 5 stars.
The first half of this book is 4 stars, the second half is 3, giving it 3 1/2 total.
There are moments of the novel that really make you see Fleming's Bond, going through the ringer. Benson is great at the descriptive narrative that characterized Fleming's originals. But some of the twists of the story, like Bond's capture, the villain(s) outlining the entire plot for him and his subsequent escape, seem more forced this go-around.
_____________________________________________
After the successful inaugural entry in the Raymond Benson 007 novels that was Zero Minus Ten, The Facts of Death plunges Bond into so much intrigue and peril and descriptive globetrotting scenery that Benson suffers no sophomore slump.
James Bond successfully interacts with practically everyone we've ever cared for within MI6, be it Q, Moneypenny, Tanner and both M's to date. Not to mention, he encounters a familiar friend when he travels to Texas. The plot while radical is certainly not outside of the realm of feasibility and the pace and plot keep moving steadily. The story is well crafted and there are no holes. We find ourselves very well engaged by Benson's version of Bond (which is the closest we've seen to Fleming's in quite some time) all while he mentally harks back to the missions we loved so long ago.
4 out of 5 stars.
July 15, 2023
4 stars for the plot and the setting of a drama based on the historical animosity of Greece and Turkey seen most clearly in their dispute over Cyprus.
I also liked the Ancient Greek God connections and the ideas of terrorism through mathematics.
Written well before Covid19, but still brings goosebumps with our experiences of the terror of an indiscriminate disease. In this fiction our recent struggles makes these deadly viruses without a reliable vaccine all the more disturbing.
We have already alluded to this author not being Fleming in earlier reviews. But welcoming the writing, in the spirit of 007 and making James Bond live still and face new adventures for us to enjoy.
I am not sure that memory serves me right but I never remembered the graphic sexual escapades of an under the covers secret agent. But then I might be getting too old for these kind of action scenes.
Clearly, the principle of confrontation, escape due to Q’s clever inventions, but ultimate capture and facing death only to escape once more before being able to thwart the nasty villains lives on in these novels. I do feel and may have already said, but I feel the writing not only draws from the original books by Ian Fleming but mirrors some of the films made about our favourite secret agent.
I like that no real liberties are taken with a character we all love and feel we know but again was annoyed by the literary links with earlier cases and blatant name dropping.
The positives however far out weight any quibbles I have and I will be drawn to read more of these faux Bond books.
I also liked the Ancient Greek God connections and the ideas of terrorism through mathematics.
Written well before Covid19, but still brings goosebumps with our experiences of the terror of an indiscriminate disease. In this fiction our recent struggles makes these deadly viruses without a reliable vaccine all the more disturbing.
We have already alluded to this author not being Fleming in earlier reviews. But welcoming the writing, in the spirit of 007 and making James Bond live still and face new adventures for us to enjoy.
I am not sure that memory serves me right but I never remembered the graphic sexual escapades of an under the covers secret agent. But then I might be getting too old for these kind of action scenes.
Clearly, the principle of confrontation, escape due to Q’s clever inventions, but ultimate capture and facing death only to escape once more before being able to thwart the nasty villains lives on in these novels. I do feel and may have already said, but I feel the writing not only draws from the original books by Ian Fleming but mirrors some of the films made about our favourite secret agent.
I like that no real liberties are taken with a character we all love and feel we know but again was annoyed by the literary links with earlier cases and blatant name dropping.
The positives however far out weight any quibbles I have and I will be drawn to read more of these faux Bond books.
July 31, 2011
The Facts of Death is Raymond Benson’s third addition to the James Bond series – if you count the novelisation of Tomorrow Never Dies – reads more like a screenplay for a Bond movie with the ridiculous gadget-laden Jaguar XK8 being even more outrageous than any of the cars in the films. This is not such a bad thing though. Where Ian Fleming tried to write – almost – realistic espionage thrillers, John Gardner fell afoul of trying to mix the realism with the fantasy of the movies and ending up with neither one thing or the other, Benson realises that this is pure fantasy and unashamedly just goes for it! Benson’s style sort of works too, in the sense that this novel is very entertaining – if totally unrealistic – and the book does not get bogged down by the madness of the plot.
A series of terrorist attacks have been taking place in Greece and Cyprus where the agent of death is a toxin; the connection is that each attack is numbered and an ancient Greek god is always found nearby. When the fourth victim is M’s lover – Alfred Hutchinson – things are brought a little too close to home. Bond tracks the Number Killer from London to Texas and back to Greece and Cyprus unearthing along the way a sinister cult of fanatics that follow the teachings of Pythagoras.
A series of terrorist attacks have been taking place in Greece and Cyprus where the agent of death is a toxin; the connection is that each attack is numbered and an ancient Greek god is always found nearby. When the fourth victim is M’s lover – Alfred Hutchinson – things are brought a little too close to home. Bond tracks the Number Killer from London to Texas and back to Greece and Cyprus unearthing along the way a sinister cult of fanatics that follow the teachings of Pythagoras.
June 12, 2020
A good Bond book - more action, less talking. Not as many surprises as other Bond books, but once again he saved the World. Interesting enough the last chapter is "The World is not Enough", which will be the title of his next book, taken from the movie screenplay. He just never stays with the same woman. Sad
May 25, 2010
I liked this book better than the former one; Mr Benson is getting close to portraying Bond as a cold blooded, drunk, SOB. He is not there yet, I still get the feeling he is writing with a movie in mind.
The story is good, and I like the references to past stories, and the book shows the author did his research.
My grievances with the book is that the ending and some of the story is written specifically for a movie, the dialog is sometimes ludicrous, and the situations are not believable.
It's not Fleming or Gardner, but Mr. Benson is getting better.
The story is good, and I like the references to past stories, and the book shows the author did his research.
My grievances with the book is that the ending and some of the story is written specifically for a movie, the dialog is sometimes ludicrous, and the situations are not believable.
It's not Fleming or Gardner, but Mr. Benson is getting better.
April 5, 2020
James Bond vs an evil sperm bank run by a cult that worships the ancient Greek mathematician Pythagoras. Yes that's the actual plot. He also calls a henchman a 'rotter' at one point. It's not great.
January 6, 2024
I hate to talk down on a Raymond Benson novel, especially considering I just finished the final one. I still think this is a good book, but one that I won't return to in full, apart from the Texas bit. This novel is just filled to the brim with "Bond is about to die! Oh wait, just before he's supposed to get shot someone saves the day." This happens over 5 times in the book, and the final 1/3 just seems like it's primarily that.
The villains and plot are rather interesting, I like the Pythagoras and Greek story, and the femme fatales were pretty well written and I liked them. The only issue I have with this book is the presentation. The overdrawn, line-crossing plots are just too confusing and unnecessary. Double crossings can be cool, but not when there's this many. The MI6 crew here are REALLY good though. Seeing M and Sir Miles in the same room was awesome, and the Q scene in this book was really fun and a callback to both Goldfinger and the Brosnan movies coming to mind. M's personal interest in the plot was not as cool as I wanted it to be, but it was one of the few innovations in this novel.
I will certainly be rereading some of Benson's novels in the future, but this will probably not be one of them. Not soon at least. I still enjoyed it, just less so than all the others.
The villains and plot are rather interesting, I like the Pythagoras and Greek story, and the femme fatales were pretty well written and I liked them. The only issue I have with this book is the presentation. The overdrawn, line-crossing plots are just too confusing and unnecessary. Double crossings can be cool, but not when there's this many. The MI6 crew here are REALLY good though. Seeing M and Sir Miles in the same room was awesome, and the Q scene in this book was really fun and a callback to both Goldfinger and the Brosnan movies coming to mind. M's personal interest in the plot was not as cool as I wanted it to be, but it was one of the few innovations in this novel.
I will certainly be rereading some of Benson's novels in the future, but this will probably not be one of them. Not soon at least. I still enjoyed it, just less so than all the others.
August 1, 2023
The Raymond Benson continuation Bond novels remain the one corner of the Bond continuation canon that I've yet to fully explore, partly because I don't own all of them and they are pretty hard to come by here in South Africa. Another reason is that I like the fact that there are still some Bond novels currently out there in the world for me to track down and read. The other reason is that opinions on Benson's books tend to lean toward the negative. Curiously, the first Bond novel I ever read was a Benson - Zero Minus Ten. About five years ago I read High Time to Kill. I though that both of those were enjoyable Bond adventures even if they didn't rank particularly highly in my Bond novel ranking.
So recently I decided that it was about time that I ticked another of Benson's novel off my list, and one that I've owned for a while but haven't read was The Facts of Death. So I read it over the last week, and like the two previous Benson novels that I read, I enjoyed it. It's definitely not going to be at the bottom of my ranking (Carte Blanche holds that position). However, over the last couple of years my reading diet has consisted mainly of the likes of Len Deighton, Mick Herron, John Le Carre and Adam Hall. So immediately the fantastical elements, occasional crass humour, and scarcely believable sexual encounters in Benson's novel were unsettling. But I entered into the spirit of it, and as I mentioned before, found the novel pretty entertaining. I enjoyed Bond's reunion with Felix, although Felix speeding around on a motorised wheelchair during one of the action scenes did create a rather ridiculous image in my mind. I also enjoyed Bond encountering the retired Sir Miles Messervy, but on the other hand it felt rather strange when the current female M is found in a vulnerable position with a dead lover on her hands.
I was also struck by the number of deaths in this novel. Apart from the people killed in the action scenes, several hundred people are killed as a result of the villain's biological warfare plot. I can't think of another Bond novel with so much loss of life.
The locations in the novel were decent, although the description of place was sadly lacking Fleming's brilliant journalistic eye for interesting detail. As in almost all continuation novels, the contextual information supplied about the locations read like a Wikipedia entry (or as this is a 1998 novel, perhaps Microsoft Encarta is a more suitable comparison).
So I've now read three of Benson's six original novels, and despite my criticisms I'm reasonably confident that I will find sufficient entertainment in the remaining three to get me enthusiastic about reading them in the near future. Now, I just need to lay my hands on a copy of Doubleshot.
So recently I decided that it was about time that I ticked another of Benson's novel off my list, and one that I've owned for a while but haven't read was The Facts of Death. So I read it over the last week, and like the two previous Benson novels that I read, I enjoyed it. It's definitely not going to be at the bottom of my ranking (Carte Blanche holds that position). However, over the last couple of years my reading diet has consisted mainly of the likes of Len Deighton, Mick Herron, John Le Carre and Adam Hall. So immediately the fantastical elements, occasional crass humour, and scarcely believable sexual encounters in Benson's novel were unsettling. But I entered into the spirit of it, and as I mentioned before, found the novel pretty entertaining. I enjoyed Bond's reunion with Felix, although Felix speeding around on a motorised wheelchair during one of the action scenes did create a rather ridiculous image in my mind. I also enjoyed Bond encountering the retired Sir Miles Messervy, but on the other hand it felt rather strange when the current female M is found in a vulnerable position with a dead lover on her hands.
I was also struck by the number of deaths in this novel. Apart from the people killed in the action scenes, several hundred people are killed as a result of the villain's biological warfare plot. I can't think of another Bond novel with so much loss of life.
The locations in the novel were decent, although the description of place was sadly lacking Fleming's brilliant journalistic eye for interesting detail. As in almost all continuation novels, the contextual information supplied about the locations read like a Wikipedia entry (or as this is a 1998 novel, perhaps Microsoft Encarta is a more suitable comparison).
So I've now read three of Benson's six original novels, and despite my criticisms I'm reasonably confident that I will find sufficient entertainment in the remaining three to get me enthusiastic about reading them in the near future. Now, I just need to lay my hands on a copy of Doubleshot.
March 30, 2024
Book Review - The Facts of Death - Raymond Benson
Author Raymond Benson’s “The Facts of Death” is a somewhat offbeat James Bond novel that is ultimately very compelling. It drags slightly in the middle of the story, but ultimately picks up and is well worth a read. The story opens with biological terror attacks around the world. Quickly, it cuts to James Bond in Cyprus where biological attacks are occurring against British and Greek military forces. Benson educates readers on some Cypriot history, introduces a sexy Greek agent, and encounters a terrorist cult that worships an ancient mathematician. Back in London, M's lover is killed by the terrorist cult and then the story takes an unusual turn as the plot moves to Texas. There, Bond investigates a sperm bank that the US CIA’s Felix Leiter believes is working for both an American arms smuggling ring and the terrorist cult. There are far too many conversations about semen, sperm donation, and Tex-Mex restaurants in these passages for me. But it does make perfect sense for the plot line but is weird territory for a Bond novel in my opinion The story eventually returns to Cyprus and Greece for an exotic, violent, and action packed conclusion. It also includes typical James Bond 'travelogue' scenes including a memorable casino sequence and delicious dinner in Greece. Even an ‘off-the-cuff’ James Bond novel is still really good and Raymond Benson is my favorite Bond novelist. Minus the Texas sperm bank sequence, this is still a pretty good James Bond novel…
Author Raymond Benson’s “The Facts of Death” is a somewhat offbeat James Bond novel that is ultimately very compelling. It drags slightly in the middle of the story, but ultimately picks up and is well worth a read. The story opens with biological terror attacks around the world. Quickly, it cuts to James Bond in Cyprus where biological attacks are occurring against British and Greek military forces. Benson educates readers on some Cypriot history, introduces a sexy Greek agent, and encounters a terrorist cult that worships an ancient mathematician. Back in London, M's lover is killed by the terrorist cult and then the story takes an unusual turn as the plot moves to Texas. There, Bond investigates a sperm bank that the US CIA’s Felix Leiter believes is working for both an American arms smuggling ring and the terrorist cult. There are far too many conversations about semen, sperm donation, and Tex-Mex restaurants in these passages for me. But it does make perfect sense for the plot line but is weird territory for a Bond novel in my opinion The story eventually returns to Cyprus and Greece for an exotic, violent, and action packed conclusion. It also includes typical James Bond 'travelogue' scenes including a memorable casino sequence and delicious dinner in Greece. Even an ‘off-the-cuff’ James Bond novel is still really good and Raymond Benson is my favorite Bond novelist. Minus the Texas sperm bank sequence, this is still a pretty good James Bond novel…
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October 1, 2021I can’t quite identify why, without taking a lot more serious critical analysis time than I have to devote to the 007 series, but I feel about Raymond Benson’s entries that he managed to restore something of Fleming that had been at least relegated to the second tier, if not entirely lost in John Gardner’s later Bond books. The Facts of Death continues Benson’s sequence of original Bond novels, following on Zero Minus Ten. Perhaps one aspect that pleases me about Benson’s work is the regular allusion to even the oldest of the series. Benson, as editor of a 007 encyclopedia, knows the corpus, and brings it into focus frequently. Not to say that Gardner never did this. Again, inchoate sentiments. But I like where Benson steered the ship during his brief turn at the helm.
September 4, 2012
For a Bond novel, I thought this flowed much better than the first of Mr. Benson's novels. I enjoyed the plot, and the Bond girls abound. We still deal with a lot of villain "monologuing" and the perplexing quality of these bad guys to not just shoot Bond instead of giving him the chance to escape. Of course, that's all part of the reason why you read a Bond book. I will continue to read on. I think with the second new adventure, Mr. Benson is hitting his stride.
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July 5, 2008Kijk, dat heb je nu als je je 10-jarige zoon alleen naar de bib laat gaan!
In plaats van met een B-boek, komt hij met dit thuis!
Ik citeer hem even...
Na 5 min : 'tof, al 34 doden'
Na 10 min : 'Coole titel : de geur van de dood'
Na 12 min : 'Een soevereine basis, wa is-da?'
Benieuwd hoelang hij het gaat volhouden.
In plaats van met een B-boek, komt hij met dit thuis!
Ik citeer hem even...
Na 5 min : 'tof, al 34 doden'
Na 10 min : 'Coole titel : de geur van de dood'
Na 12 min : 'Een soevereine basis, wa is-da?'
Benieuwd hoelang hij het gaat volhouden.
January 15, 2018
James Bond has always had villains who were larger than life, but this particular villain was so larger than life that he was over the top. The shark jumping moment came when Bond had to solve a math problem to defuse a bomb. Thank goodness this was never made into a film.
July 9, 2010
This is not your father's Bond. Back story has been updated to avoid the ravages of aging. Still, good story.
June 16, 2012
Fast paced portrayal of Bond as a maturing agent. Interesting to see Austin TX as one of the locations used in the book. The tidy, formulaic ending of the book was a bit of a disappointment.
July 17, 2013
Good light read, would've fit in well with the Brosnan Bond movies. A little formulaic, but thoroughly enjoyable. If you like the movies, you'll like this book.
August 10, 2020
Raymond Benson delivers another exciting James Bond oo7 thriller with The Facts of Death. A group of fanatical Greek nationalists with a cult-like reverence for their leader, a purported reincarnation of Pythagoras, have created a biological weapon that spreads like a virus. Amidst a break out of epidemics in L.A. and Tokyo necessitating contact tracing and quarantines, as well as local coverups (was this written in 1998 or 2020?), a spate of seemingly unrelated killings marked with a number and a token to Greek mythology have been occurring in Cyprus. Bond is called on the case as one of the victims is M's boyfriend.
The Fact of Death continues Benson's worthy continuation of the Bond series. This time Bond is given a clear weakness. Much is made of his lack of self-control around attractive women. This gets him into more trouble than usual, and makes for an interesting man-versus-self conflict that has been absent from previous Bond books. Unlike John Gardner's books, which ridiculously portrayed Bond falling head-over-heals in love with every Bond girl, Benson more plausibly suggests the women mean little more than passing diversions to Bond. Though callous, it makes Bond a bit more realistic and flawed.
The book has more flaws that can't be overlooked compared to Benson's previous two efforts. The Bond films (though not the books) are infamous for their shameless product placement, but I don't recall Bond ever eating at a chain restaurant and praising it so highly as he does the Austin branch of Chuy's in The Facts of Death. I was having PTSD recalling Bond's similar gushing over EuroDisney in Never Send Flowers. One wonders what Benson got out of promoting Chuy's so heavily. They must have promised him complimentary chips and salsa at every visit for life, and laughed behind his back because he didn't realize they give that to every customer. Ian Fleming had a flair for describing Bond's exotic meals so the reader could vicariously enjoy them, but when Benson gives the same treatment to enchiladas from a bland casual-dining chain, it is pure silliness.
The Bond formula was a little more blatant this time. When Bond gets captured and tortured for literally the ten-millionth time while the megalomaniacal villain detailed his evil plan, I couldn't help but feel like I had read the scene before and already knew it would end with Bond escaping by the skin of his teeth (as the title of said chapter suggested). However, when Hera described how she would cut off Bond's face piece-by-piece, it did make my skin crawl and for a moment I thought he was in real danger.
Benson clearly loves the James Bond series, and he seamlessly inserts references to previous books, such as Casino Royale and Colonel Sun, as well as subtle nods to Gardner's less-beloved books. Felix Leiter returns, and we meet the son of From Russia With Love's Darko Kerim. This evident love for the series and character, as well as tight pacing and emotional and scenic variety make Benson's books better than the other authors' who have tried to continue the series.
The Fact of Death continues Benson's worthy continuation of the Bond series. This time Bond is given a clear weakness. Much is made of his lack of self-control around attractive women. This gets him into more trouble than usual, and makes for an interesting man-versus-self conflict that has been absent from previous Bond books. Unlike John Gardner's books, which ridiculously portrayed Bond falling head-over-heals in love with every Bond girl, Benson more plausibly suggests the women mean little more than passing diversions to Bond. Though callous, it makes Bond a bit more realistic and flawed.
The book has more flaws that can't be overlooked compared to Benson's previous two efforts. The Bond films (though not the books) are infamous for their shameless product placement, but I don't recall Bond ever eating at a chain restaurant and praising it so highly as he does the Austin branch of Chuy's in The Facts of Death. I was having PTSD recalling Bond's similar gushing over EuroDisney in Never Send Flowers. One wonders what Benson got out of promoting Chuy's so heavily. They must have promised him complimentary chips and salsa at every visit for life, and laughed behind his back because he didn't realize they give that to every customer. Ian Fleming had a flair for describing Bond's exotic meals so the reader could vicariously enjoy them, but when Benson gives the same treatment to enchiladas from a bland casual-dining chain, it is pure silliness.
The Bond formula was a little more blatant this time. When Bond gets captured and tortured for literally the ten-millionth time while the megalomaniacal villain detailed his evil plan, I couldn't help but feel like I had read the scene before and already knew it would end with Bond escaping by the skin of his teeth (as the title of said chapter suggested). However, when Hera described how she would cut off Bond's face piece-by-piece, it did make my skin crawl and for a moment I thought he was in real danger.
Benson clearly loves the James Bond series, and he seamlessly inserts references to previous books, such as Casino Royale and Colonel Sun, as well as subtle nods to Gardner's less-beloved books. Felix Leiter returns, and we meet the son of From Russia With Love's Darko Kerim. This evident love for the series and character, as well as tight pacing and emotional and scenic variety make Benson's books better than the other authors' who have tried to continue the series.
December 5, 2018
Whenever I read a great book by a new author, I feel I’ve read a great book. Whenever I read another great book by the same author, I feel I’ve read a great book by a great author. Such is the case with Raymond Benson’s second “official” James Bond book which came out around 1998.
Benson took over from John Gardner, who had the arduous task of taking over from the original author Ian Fleming. Most thought Fleming’s books were outstanding, yet Gardner’s were received in a much more lukewarm fashion. By the time Gardner was writing the books (he started in the early 1980s), nobody really cared about the literary James Bond anymore, it was all about the movies. (On a slightly unrelated note, none of Gardner’s books were ever made into movies, yet most of Fleming’s were).
Raymond Benson, however has always been a major fan of the books, and it was his intention to resurrect, so to speak, the James Bond of the books. Well, even though his works never made any best seller lists anywhere, it is of my opinion, that he is doing a wonderful job so far.
When I read Benson’s first effort, I expected him to mimic Ian Fleming’s style. Something I wasn’t sure would work. Even though Fleming was very popular, styles change and tastes change, and I’m not sure today’s literary crowd would consume one of these books with the same level of enthusiasm as one might have 60 years ago. Fortunately, it doesn’t seem that Benson is copying Fleming to any great extent, he simply writes a great novel.
His books are not very lengthy, yet seemed packed with adventure. Adventure is not an easy thing to write about with conviction. Oh, sure, it looks great on the movie screen when 007 drives a boat under water, or is thrown out a plane without a parachute, but it’s very difficult to maintain the same level of excitement on a printed page when describing such situations. So Benson knows his limitations, yet still manages to make these stories far from ho-hum.
The plot takes place largely in Greece and, like his first work, incorporates a lot of real life current tension within the plot. There’s a big focus on the Greece-Turkey animosity, and it’s used as a backdrop for the story. There’s been a rash of mysterious illnesses around the world – an infectious virus that is hard to detect is killing any human being that comes in contact with another human being who is already infected. Think of something like Ebola. Well, fortunately the disease is somewhat slow moving, allowing Bond time to go to Greece, investigate, have several sexual encounters, drive a few Q-developed special vehicles, and even visit a sperm bank in Austin, Texas (Benson’s hometown – he wanted to get it in one of his books). Benson gives us just enough detail to where we feel we have a solid understanding of the environment without miring us in the weeds of too much detail.
One curious thing about this particular book, is that Benson seems to be trying to uncover the “real” Bond. Sure, we all know he’s handsome, swarthy, swashbuckling, and good with his fists, but there’s a lot of hurt and emptiness in this man’s life as well. Bond himself seems to be the most vulnerable after one of his many sexual encounters (emphasis on “many”). I’m not really sure this is completely necessary, but these diversions never take away from the action for very long, so it’s a very minor detail.
Raymond Benson is no Ian Fleming – but I don’t mean that is an insult nor a compliment. He simply does a great job bringing 007 back to the books in a very exciting fashion.
Benson took over from John Gardner, who had the arduous task of taking over from the original author Ian Fleming. Most thought Fleming’s books were outstanding, yet Gardner’s were received in a much more lukewarm fashion. By the time Gardner was writing the books (he started in the early 1980s), nobody really cared about the literary James Bond anymore, it was all about the movies. (On a slightly unrelated note, none of Gardner’s books were ever made into movies, yet most of Fleming’s were).
Raymond Benson, however has always been a major fan of the books, and it was his intention to resurrect, so to speak, the James Bond of the books. Well, even though his works never made any best seller lists anywhere, it is of my opinion, that he is doing a wonderful job so far.
When I read Benson’s first effort, I expected him to mimic Ian Fleming’s style. Something I wasn’t sure would work. Even though Fleming was very popular, styles change and tastes change, and I’m not sure today’s literary crowd would consume one of these books with the same level of enthusiasm as one might have 60 years ago. Fortunately, it doesn’t seem that Benson is copying Fleming to any great extent, he simply writes a great novel.
His books are not very lengthy, yet seemed packed with adventure. Adventure is not an easy thing to write about with conviction. Oh, sure, it looks great on the movie screen when 007 drives a boat under water, or is thrown out a plane without a parachute, but it’s very difficult to maintain the same level of excitement on a printed page when describing such situations. So Benson knows his limitations, yet still manages to make these stories far from ho-hum.
The plot takes place largely in Greece and, like his first work, incorporates a lot of real life current tension within the plot. There’s a big focus on the Greece-Turkey animosity, and it’s used as a backdrop for the story. There’s been a rash of mysterious illnesses around the world – an infectious virus that is hard to detect is killing any human being that comes in contact with another human being who is already infected. Think of something like Ebola. Well, fortunately the disease is somewhat slow moving, allowing Bond time to go to Greece, investigate, have several sexual encounters, drive a few Q-developed special vehicles, and even visit a sperm bank in Austin, Texas (Benson’s hometown – he wanted to get it in one of his books). Benson gives us just enough detail to where we feel we have a solid understanding of the environment without miring us in the weeds of too much detail.
One curious thing about this particular book, is that Benson seems to be trying to uncover the “real” Bond. Sure, we all know he’s handsome, swarthy, swashbuckling, and good with his fists, but there’s a lot of hurt and emptiness in this man’s life as well. Bond himself seems to be the most vulnerable after one of his many sexual encounters (emphasis on “many”). I’m not really sure this is completely necessary, but these diversions never take away from the action for very long, so it’s a very minor detail.
Raymond Benson is no Ian Fleming – but I don’t mean that is an insult nor a compliment. He simply does a great job bringing 007 back to the books in a very exciting fashion.
July 9, 2024
After a solid, meticulous first book, I had high hopes #2 (Facts of Death) would be also be good. Or at least entertaining. Instead, it's a sloppy farce.
The first (Zero MInus Ten) was deeply researched and precisely written, and had me picturing Sean Connery's Bond transported to the late 90's. It tried to do a liiiitle too much but was in-scope for a Fleming story or Connery movie.
But THIS one is like he just blotted down all of his ideas from all of the books and movies and put them in a single storyline. It's a chaotic, random sequence of set-pieces and references. There's a surprising number of obvious typos. It reads badly.
And the technology that's been clearly just penciled in without understanding. Bond tech is always a bit fantastical but never purely magical. A short list: "the Silicon Graphics display" that can do waaaay too much, the then-new in-dash GPS...is also somehow completely self-driving (no). The regular-size car has a bay for a large bat-drone AND a "cruise missile". There's a keyfob that disables any and all kinds of security systems.
The car has "chobham" armour but also needs reactive armor, but also gets holes in it that need filling by self-healing material (a 2 minute understanding would have you pick ONE).
A holographic projector in the car, sure. But one that can holodeck things outside of the car? Siiiiigh. But he didn't imagine a way to start the car other than a key. No guns. No security system.
He just cut-and-pasted all of the then-current topics... into one "bond car".
It's awful and detracts instead of entertains. If this thing ever saw an editor, they need a new line of work.
I had high hopes for this Bond author (who succeeded John Gardner in the role), but his solid first book is not at all replicated here. I'm going to skip the rest of Benson and move on to one of the later authors.
Two stars instead of one because the Bond ladies and a few other sequences are well crafted, and the Greek settings are pleasant. Not sure why I read a 2-star all the way through...
Not Recommended.
The first (Zero MInus Ten) was deeply researched and precisely written, and had me picturing Sean Connery's Bond transported to the late 90's. It tried to do a liiiitle too much but was in-scope for a Fleming story or Connery movie.
But THIS one is like he just blotted down all of his ideas from all of the books and movies and put them in a single storyline. It's a chaotic, random sequence of set-pieces and references. There's a surprising number of obvious typos. It reads badly.
And the technology that's been clearly just penciled in without understanding. Bond tech is always a bit fantastical but never purely magical. A short list: "the Silicon Graphics display" that can do waaaay too much, the then-new in-dash GPS...is also somehow completely self-driving (no). The regular-size car has a bay for a large bat-drone AND a "cruise missile". There's a keyfob that disables any and all kinds of security systems.
The car has "chobham" armour but also needs reactive armor, but also gets holes in it that need filling by self-healing material (a 2 minute understanding would have you pick ONE).
A holographic projector in the car, sure. But one that can holodeck things outside of the car? Siiiiigh. But he didn't imagine a way to start the car other than a key. No guns. No security system.
He just cut-and-pasted all of the then-current topics... into one "bond car".
It's awful and detracts instead of entertains. If this thing ever saw an editor, they need a new line of work.
I had high hopes for this Bond author (who succeeded John Gardner in the role), but his solid first book is not at all replicated here. I'm going to skip the rest of Benson and move on to one of the later authors.
Two stars instead of one because the Bond ladies and a few other sequences are well crafted, and the Greek settings are pleasant. Not sure why I read a 2-star all the way through...
Not Recommended.
April 27, 2024
Cyprus is a divided island, with the Turks occupying one part and the Greeks occupying the other, with UN troops keeping the two apart. Suddenly strange murders start occurring, each with a number nearby along with the statue of a Greek god. James Bond is sent to investigate just in time to almost get dead and spot the culprit, all decked out in biohazard gear. He meets a hot Greek secret service agent and takes a shower. Then he goes home.
In London Bond gets invited to a party and meets M's new boyfriend. He doesn't last long, and then Bond is sent looking for his son in Texas. He meets up with Felix Leighter and his Hispanic girlfriend, goes on a motorcross ride and makes a deposit at a sperm bank. Then he tracks the sperm to Greece and meets a cabal of numerologists who plan to start World War IV. Along the way Bond falls out of a helicopter, falls off a cliff, gets cut up, and fights some vicious animals: a Doberman, a moray eel, and rednecks. His adventures set him up against some of the worst people in the world: Nazis, White Supremacists, people who hear the gods, and the worst people of all, vegetarians.
This is the most movie like of any Bond novel in a long time. The stunts are crazy, the tech is super exotic, and after a slow start moves into one set piece death defying scene after another. We get a lot of melancholy introspection from Bond, and a bit from M as well. Old retired M is featured as well, along with an appearance of the son of the Greek guy from From Russia with Love. Many references are made to previous novels, and we get a good description of Bond's attire, all his meals, plus he plays some Baccarat.
This is a good Bond book that could easily be made into a movie. Some of it is dated, especially the computer parts where info is still sent by fax instead of email. Benson covers all the bases and produces a fine novel with lots of action and a bit of detective work.
In London Bond gets invited to a party and meets M's new boyfriend. He doesn't last long, and then Bond is sent looking for his son in Texas. He meets up with Felix Leighter and his Hispanic girlfriend, goes on a motorcross ride and makes a deposit at a sperm bank. Then he tracks the sperm to Greece and meets a cabal of numerologists who plan to start World War IV. Along the way Bond falls out of a helicopter, falls off a cliff, gets cut up, and fights some vicious animals: a Doberman, a moray eel, and rednecks. His adventures set him up against some of the worst people in the world: Nazis, White Supremacists, people who hear the gods, and the worst people of all, vegetarians.
This is the most movie like of any Bond novel in a long time. The stunts are crazy, the tech is super exotic, and after a slow start moves into one set piece death defying scene after another. We get a lot of melancholy introspection from Bond, and a bit from M as well. Old retired M is featured as well, along with an appearance of the son of the Greek guy from From Russia with Love. Many references are made to previous novels, and we get a good description of Bond's attire, all his meals, plus he plays some Baccarat.
This is a good Bond book that could easily be made into a movie. Some of it is dated, especially the computer parts where info is still sent by fax instead of email. Benson covers all the bases and produces a fine novel with lots of action and a bit of detective work.
February 15, 2024
Rating 3.5
I did enjoy this Bond novel mostly.
When John Gardner continued the Bond novels I read them all as they were published and enjoyed reading the majority of them - the downside for me was he attempted to meld his novels with the movies to create a whole and it didn’t quite work for me. Also read all of the RB novels upon original publication.
RB doesn’t try to do that despite penning a couple of movie novelisations, he really only links to the movies via the MI6 characters such as M, Q, Tanner etc
This novel started strongly I thought, with the initial mystery being introduced, then adding in the murder of M’s ‘friend’ and the rest of the plot following on from that. It moved around several locations in the world which is a very Bond-movie thing to do, Fleming not so much country hopping.
I am undecided whether to keep the rating at 4 or downgrade to 3. Reasons are :- Felix Leiter using his motorised wheelchair , despite being technically feasible felt over the top for me (although would probably work in a movie); the Decada felt very much like a modern version of Spectre even down to members being numbered; the ‘sexy’ scenes read quite cringey for me; the actual reasoning behind the various assassinations and terror attacks felt quite thin and not very well developed; an interesting plot point though was the use of Greek-Turkish relations where Cyprus is concerned which was something I couldn’t remember having been used before.
Overall then a bit of a mixed bag for this re-read : fast paced, enjoyable Bond action, not too far fetched really as far as gadgets and villains are concerned. Solid recommendation for any one looking for a Bond novel they haven’t read before.
I did enjoy this Bond novel mostly.
When John Gardner continued the Bond novels I read them all as they were published and enjoyed reading the majority of them - the downside for me was he attempted to meld his novels with the movies to create a whole and it didn’t quite work for me. Also read all of the RB novels upon original publication.
RB doesn’t try to do that despite penning a couple of movie novelisations, he really only links to the movies via the MI6 characters such as M, Q, Tanner etc
This novel started strongly I thought, with the initial mystery being introduced, then adding in the murder of M’s ‘friend’ and the rest of the plot following on from that. It moved around several locations in the world which is a very Bond-movie thing to do, Fleming not so much country hopping.
I am undecided whether to keep the rating at 4 or downgrade to 3. Reasons are :- Felix Leiter using his motorised wheelchair , despite being technically feasible felt over the top for me (although would probably work in a movie); the Decada felt very much like a modern version of Spectre even down to members being numbered; the ‘sexy’ scenes read quite cringey for me; the actual reasoning behind the various assassinations and terror attacks felt quite thin and not very well developed; an interesting plot point though was the use of Greek-Turkish relations where Cyprus is concerned which was something I couldn’t remember having been used before.
Overall then a bit of a mixed bag for this re-read : fast paced, enjoyable Bond action, not too far fetched really as far as gadgets and villains are concerned. Solid recommendation for any one looking for a Bond novel they haven’t read before.
October 6, 2020
During these days that I spent confined to home, I found myself immersed in the pages of this novel of the adventures of British spy James Bond, or Agent 007, in which its author Raymond Benson preceded his time by far ...! Although it was first published in 1998, it speaks about the Turkish-Greek conflict in the eastern Mediterranean, and its events revolve around a terrorist organization that manages to manufacture a deadly virus and seeks to cause a global pandemic, before the organization itself intervenes and plans to offer the anti-virus drug for billions of dollars...! Bond finds himself on an adventure that takes him from London to Austin, Texas, to Athens, Cyprus...!
The story contains all the elements usually found in James Bond adventures: picturesque locations, fast cars, gadgets and inventions, chases on land, sea and air, fights with bare hands and weapons, a diabolical villain, his freak assistant... and women...!
Benson was able to weave it all in a framework of excitement and suspense, that leaves the reader with no choice in setting the book aside until finishing it, wishing that the story had lasted longer...!
It was wonderful in every sense of the word. I am surprised that it - or any of Benson's other stories - has not been converted into cinematic films, as I think it will be better than the ones they are making now, and have moved Bond far away from his origins in books and novels.
I think I will spend more time with another work by the same author, as my trip with him has been more than enjoyable.
- Alaa
The story contains all the elements usually found in James Bond adventures: picturesque locations, fast cars, gadgets and inventions, chases on land, sea and air, fights with bare hands and weapons, a diabolical villain, his freak assistant... and women...!
Benson was able to weave it all in a framework of excitement and suspense, that leaves the reader with no choice in setting the book aside until finishing it, wishing that the story had lasted longer...!
It was wonderful in every sense of the word. I am surprised that it - or any of Benson's other stories - has not been converted into cinematic films, as I think it will be better than the ones they are making now, and have moved Bond far away from his origins in books and novels.
I think I will spend more time with another work by the same author, as my trip with him has been more than enjoyable.
- Alaa
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 1, 2024
With his second book, Benson continues to offer us a Bond of his time while still being true to Fleming, sometimes too much, by giving a lot of details about everything. The plot brings Bond to the USA, we all know where it's going, and Greece, a country that 007 doesn't know much about. It is refreshing to know that Bond doesn't know Greek, must be one of the few languages he doesn't talk. Greece is as detailed as Hong Kong was in his previous book, easily transporting the reader and showing all the research that went into this book.
The car that Q provides him, a Jaguar that could rival with any Bond car of the movies of that era, seems a bit too well equipped for 1998, but it was designed by real people from Jaguar with gadgets that could really be integrated to it.
Benson keeps the reader's attention by multiplying the action sequences, keeping us on our toes, letting us try to figure out how Bond will get out of the next sticky situation.
It is a great Bond novel, proving that Benson still deserved the passing of the torch.
The car that Q provides him, a Jaguar that could rival with any Bond car of the movies of that era, seems a bit too well equipped for 1998, but it was designed by real people from Jaguar with gadgets that could really be integrated to it.
Benson keeps the reader's attention by multiplying the action sequences, keeping us on our toes, letting us try to figure out how Bond will get out of the next sticky situation.
It is a great Bond novel, proving that Benson still deserved the passing of the torch.
July 28, 2024
Not a bad premise, and it feels positively Bondian in the cinema sense if not the Fleming sense (tons of ridiculous Easter eggs to the films in here that make no logical sense chronologically) but it is a good time. Can’t really imagine Bond traipsing around rural Texas but the minor islands of Greece in a plot about England saving the world from Eastern nation drudgery (love this “both sides are crazy” stuff) is exactly the kind of imperialistic nonsense I both love and loathe about this series. All in all a fun summer read but ya know - I don’t really need Bond to be the biggest misogynist possible in order to believe it’s the real mccoy.
March 22, 2025
It’s books like this one that make you appreciate middling 3 star thrillers. The Facts of Death attempts to answer the long discussed question of how many times in one book can you have a character say, “well, since you’re about to die, I’ll tell you my whole plan and back story” before going on a two page monologue that ends with the guy who was “about to die” escaping just fine. What a chore this was to get through. It was a fun at first, considering I’ve never read another Bond book, but by the half way point I’m thinking… how formulaic and tropey can this possibly get? And it only doubles down.
August 9, 2024
3 Stars
It has been a couple months since I finished this book so I don’t exactly remember all the details of its plot and characters. However, I do clearly recall the feeling I had as I read the final chapter - A perfectly passable Bond novel but I won’t be here for another Benson entry in the series.
It lacked some of the best elements of the author’s debut effort, “Zero Minus Ten”, while retaining a lot of its vices - over the top action sequences, implausible escapes. Not a terrible book but just gave me the feeling my time would be better served elsewhere than reading the next instalment by Raymond Benson.
It has been a couple months since I finished this book so I don’t exactly remember all the details of its plot and characters. However, I do clearly recall the feeling I had as I read the final chapter - A perfectly passable Bond novel but I won’t be here for another Benson entry in the series.
It lacked some of the best elements of the author’s debut effort, “Zero Minus Ten”, while retaining a lot of its vices - over the top action sequences, implausible escapes. Not a terrible book but just gave me the feeling my time would be better served elsewhere than reading the next instalment by Raymond Benson.
July 24, 2025
A fast and enjoyable read.
It's basically a what if No Time To Die was a 90s Brosnan book lol It's very camp, but I liked that it had moments between M and Bond that felt more like something you'd see in the Craig movies.
The only thing that didn't convince me was the mystery format. I don't get why the author decided to keep hidden the identities of those who were members of Decada. It also didn't feel very Bondian. In Fleming's books, they usually say immediately who the villain is lmao But again, it would have worked out if the author had thought of some really clever twist.
Still, I had a great time with it.
It's basically a what if No Time To Die was a 90s Brosnan book lol It's very camp, but I liked that it had moments between M and Bond that felt more like something you'd see in the Craig movies.
The only thing that didn't convince me was the mystery format. I don't get why the author decided to keep hidden the identities of those who were members of Decada. It also didn't feel very Bondian. In Fleming's books, they usually say immediately who the villain is lmao But again, it would have worked out if the author had thought of some really clever twist.
Still, I had a great time with it.
February 19, 2018
Great story with weird pacing
Honestly, there's only one thing that is a major issue for this novel. Specifically it's the weird pacing and structure of time. There isn't much in the way of explanation in the amount of time passed from the beginning of the story to the end. While the weird approach to time is something that can distract from the story, you're able to get around the pacing and time, you've got a very enjoyable 007 story.
Honestly, there's only one thing that is a major issue for this novel. Specifically it's the weird pacing and structure of time. There isn't much in the way of explanation in the amount of time passed from the beginning of the story to the end. While the weird approach to time is something that can distract from the story, you're able to get around the pacing and time, you've got a very enjoyable 007 story.
April 5, 2020
This entry was written during the Brosnan era of Bond. In fact the author did the novelization of one of his movies. It reads like it could have been for his or Moore's Bond. I like that he shows the previous M in retirement. He subscribes to the idea that M is an initial for the office holder, such as Messervy. He gives the Judi Dench M, a last name starting with M as well. It is a good read.
December 25, 2020
Entertaining
With a compelling madman and his criminal organization seeking to destroy civilization with chemical weapons, Benson has created an entertaining story, and constructed a compelling plot with a cool gadget filled car chase, a nice game of baccarat, and naughty bed diplomacy, and other intrigue that give the story flavor and weight. This is one of Benson’s better Bond novels.
With a compelling madman and his criminal organization seeking to destroy civilization with chemical weapons, Benson has created an entertaining story, and constructed a compelling plot with a cool gadget filled car chase, a nice game of baccarat, and naughty bed diplomacy, and other intrigue that give the story flavor and weight. This is one of Benson’s better Bond novels.
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