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Double O Trilogy #3
Hurricane Room
James Bond returns in the final installment of Kim Sherwood’s thrilling Double O Trilogy, and he must team up with the rest of the Double O Section to stop a threat from inside the agency itself.
Bond is alive
But after mental and physical torture at the hands of Colonel Mora, the diabolical head of private military company Rattenfänger, 007 is not the same man he once was. Has the unbreakable agent finally been broken? Or is MI6’s most lethal spy simply waiting for the right moment to exact revenge? Johanna Harwood, 003, has made it her mission to convince him to trust her again, because MI6 needs their deadliest weapon now more than ever...
There’s a traitor inside the gates
Bond may be back, but the Double O division is barely holding on. Conrad Harthrop-Vane, 000, has turned traitor. He has been systematically taking out his fellow agents right under the noses of those in power, and now he has abducted Moneypenny. To make matters worse, he may have had help from inside the organization. Joseph Dryden, 004, is left to hold down the fort in Moneypenny’s absence, but enemies are closing in on all sides.
The final showdown is about to begin
Rattenfänger is planning a cyberattack on an unimaginable scale— one that would sever the internet, leaving the Western world at Mora’s mercy. It’s up to Bond, the rest of the Double O’s, and a few other trusted allies to unmask the traitors working with Mora. Can they save the world—and the soul of 007?
Bond is alive
But after mental and physical torture at the hands of Colonel Mora, the diabolical head of private military company Rattenfänger, 007 is not the same man he once was. Has the unbreakable agent finally been broken? Or is MI6’s most lethal spy simply waiting for the right moment to exact revenge? Johanna Harwood, 003, has made it her mission to convince him to trust her again, because MI6 needs their deadliest weapon now more than ever...
There’s a traitor inside the gates
Bond may be back, but the Double O division is barely holding on. Conrad Harthrop-Vane, 000, has turned traitor. He has been systematically taking out his fellow agents right under the noses of those in power, and now he has abducted Moneypenny. To make matters worse, he may have had help from inside the organization. Joseph Dryden, 004, is left to hold down the fort in Moneypenny’s absence, but enemies are closing in on all sides.
The final showdown is about to begin
Rattenfänger is planning a cyberattack on an unimaginable scale— one that would sever the internet, leaving the Western world at Mora’s mercy. It’s up to Bond, the rest of the Double O’s, and a few other trusted allies to unmask the traitors working with Mora. Can they save the world—and the soul of 007?
384 pages, Hardcover
First published May 19, 2026
About the author
Kim Sherwood
6 books165 followersKim Sherwood is an author and creative writing lecturer at the University of Edinburgh, where she lives in the city. Kim Sherwood’s first novel, Testament (2018), won the Bath Novel Award and Harper’s Bazaar Big Book Award. It was longlisted for the Desmond Elliot Prize and shortlisted for the Author’s Club Best First Novel Pick. In 2019, she was shortlisted for The Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award. Her second book, Double or Nothing (2022), is the first in a trilogy commissioned by the Ian Fleming Estate to expand the world of James Bond. Her next novel, A Wild & True Relation, was described by Hilary Mantel as “a rarity – a novel as remarkable for the vigour of the storytelling as for its literary ambition. Kim Sherwood is a writer of capacity, potency and sophistication.”
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
June 15, 2026
I finaly finished the last book in this trilogy. I mentioned before that the weakness with a trilogy is that stories should be able to be read on their own. Fleming did the Blofeld trilogy all stand alone novels and all were excellent. This novel needed a re-read of the previous two installments and I was not interested enough. The various 00's story lines where absolutely okay once 007 became part of the story it was more about him then any other 00. The previous two books were mostly fun because it was not 007 who did the action.
Another aspect was the overuse of various 007 historical facts and characters, I would have been totally fine without them. I would not miss them.
The usual story 007 has to save the world from some outrageious plot by some baddie that wants to rule the world through IA and a superprogram called the five eyes.
And 007 is even more Terminator than in any of the other books or movies. Which hé is certainly not in the Fleming books.
All in all a less satisfying ending to anotherwise decent trilogy in which I prefer the previous 2 books with the 00's and almost no 007.
Next up M.W. Craven's young Bond and Higsons 007 novel in September.
And then there is the Q novel with its sequel on the horizon.I still have to finish that 007-universe novel.
With no clear future for the next 007 movie there are plenty novels to read or re-read.
Another aspect was the overuse of various 007 historical facts and characters, I would have been totally fine without them. I would not miss them.
The usual story 007 has to save the world from some outrageious plot by some baddie that wants to rule the world through IA and a superprogram called the five eyes.
And 007 is even more Terminator than in any of the other books or movies. Which hé is certainly not in the Fleming books.
All in all a less satisfying ending to anotherwise decent trilogy in which I prefer the previous 2 books with the 00's and almost no 007.
Next up M.W. Craven's young Bond and Higsons 007 novel in September.
And then there is the Q novel with its sequel on the horizon.I still have to finish that 007-universe novel.
With no clear future for the next 007 movie there are plenty novels to read or re-read.
July 6, 2026
The trilogy of the expanded double-0 world limps to a conclusion. While the central premise is good, the faults that have hampered this series from the start are repeated here: too many characters, a convoluted plot that is difficult to follow, no sense of place as we hop around the world and a disorientating sense of time (while some scenes play out in real time, they are intercut with scenes where characters travel around the world in the blink of an eye when actually days should have passed). Reading the first 2 books is a must to have any sense of what is happening, but even then, back story is referred to that made me wonder if I had missed something in the earlier books. There is an obsession with bizarre details (why do we need to be told 6 times that elderly M wears Converse trainers? Why on earth is M wearing Converse trainers?), factual inaccuracies (Big Ben cannot be ticking because Big Ben is a bell, not a clock), downright silliness (polar bear, anyone?), and eye rolling clunkiness (the evil AI software is named 'X', haha, very clever). As before the whole thing is derivative of earlier Bond, with no distinction between Fleming's books or the films, its all jumbled together. Even the most recent film No Time To Die is mined for a DNA-specific virus (which is mentioned, then strangely disappears with no resolution whatsoever). Unlike the earlier books, Bond makes a significant appearance, which rather undermines the idea of setting up a world within Bond but not centered on him, and this version of Bond, for unknown reasons, spouts a lot of poetry. There's a streak of misandry throughout, and all the double 0's have a healthy left wing hatred of the country and system they are fighting to preserve. Mora is a decent bad guy, but does very little. Of the double 0's Harwood is the only one who makes an impact and could potentially carry on into further adventures. Overall, the idea of expanding the Bond universe is a sound one, but this trilogy fails to successfully deliver.
June 7, 2026
Kim Sherwood's third and final novel in her Double O series is another fast paced, action packed adventure.
Sherwood writes snappy dialogue and some fine action scenes. There are plenty of references to previous James Bond adventures (novels and films) but not too many to become annoying, which does happen with other 007 authors. It's been good to see some of Bond's allies return throughout this series, but sometimes she squeezes in too many characters from Ian Fleming's books. Perhaps she was trying to please everyone.
I was very pleased to see that she references the fact (taken from Fleming's novels) that you are given mandatory retirement from the Double O Section when you reach the age of forty-five. I wish the makers of the Bond films would take note of this!
There were times during Hurricane Room when my attention wandered and some of the action sequences became a bit repetitive. However, it was still a good read, even though not in the same league as Fleming.
Double O agent Johanna Harwood (named after one of the screenwriters of Dr No & From Russia with Love) was a wonderful creation and my favourite character from the series. I found her far more interesting than 007 himself and that was a very pleasant surprise indeed.
Sherwood writes snappy dialogue and some fine action scenes. There are plenty of references to previous James Bond adventures (novels and films) but not too many to become annoying, which does happen with other 007 authors. It's been good to see some of Bond's allies return throughout this series, but sometimes she squeezes in too many characters from Ian Fleming's books. Perhaps she was trying to please everyone.
I was very pleased to see that she references the fact (taken from Fleming's novels) that you are given mandatory retirement from the Double O Section when you reach the age of forty-five. I wish the makers of the Bond films would take note of this!
There were times during Hurricane Room when my attention wandered and some of the action sequences became a bit repetitive. However, it was still a good read, even though not in the same league as Fleming.
Double O agent Johanna Harwood (named after one of the screenwriters of Dr No & From Russia with Love) was a wonderful creation and my favourite character from the series. I found her far more interesting than 007 himself and that was a very pleasant surprise indeed.
May 29, 2026
Mora was a great villain
He was well written and he was the baddest villain I've read in a while.
Hurricane Room should definitely be adapted into a movie.
He was well written and he was the baddest villain I've read in a while.
Hurricane Room should definitely be adapted into a movie.
April 4, 2026
Thanks to the author for an advance copy of this fabulous book. Action packed from the start. My favorite of the trilogy. The subtle drips of Bond lore is spread throughout, which I love. She has created a new cast of characters that I hope are utilized in some way in the future. To have Bond in action with a new generation of agents is just what we needed. The trilogy is a must read. Highly recommended
May 25, 2026
I was almost tearing up at the end. (I never used to cry at books; then I hit early 20s and practically do it all the time.)
What a beautiful interpretation of the Bond universe. What a beautiful interpretation of Bond himself! What wonderful characters (Dryden and Luke - don’t even). What a finale.
Kim’s writing can sometimes be a bit expository and detail-heavy for my liking, but her handling of this world is so wonderful, so what the hell?
This is a fantastic finale. I would fervently recommend Kim’s Double O Bond trilogy.
PLOT:
The most beautiful thing about this novel is that
It's wonderful stuff. I loved this book. Kim's writing style is, as I said, not always my favourite writing style for a novel, but she understands Ian Fleming like the back of her hand, and represents the themes of Bond so beautifully.
What a beautiful interpretation of the Bond universe. What a beautiful interpretation of Bond himself! What wonderful characters (Dryden and Luke - don’t even). What a finale.
Kim’s writing can sometimes be a bit expository and detail-heavy for my liking, but her handling of this world is so wonderful, so what the hell?
This is a fantastic finale. I would fervently recommend Kim’s Double O Bond trilogy.
PLOT:
The most beautiful thing about this novel is that
It's wonderful stuff. I loved this book. Kim's writing style is, as I said, not always my favourite writing style for a novel, but she understands Ian Fleming like the back of her hand, and represents the themes of Bond so beautifully.
May 28, 2026
This final instalment in a fantastic trilogy wraps things up beautifully. A story in the Bond universe in which Bond is mostly missing and other 00s look for him has been a genius idea, I'd love to see much more of Harwood and Dryden's adventures, and Bond's return here, vulnerable, distrusting but still a blunt instrument, adds to the fun by showing him in a new light. The baddy's scheme to target the undersea cables that deliver the internet is literally ripped from the headlines, and it's non-stop action - there could have been a fourth volume there's so much to pack in with five 00s, Moneypenny, Felix, M, the Q computer... Sherwood, for me, has been the best continuation author and I hope her ideas don't get thrown out when a new writer comes in.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Hurricane Room: Or How I Learned James Bond Isn't the Only One Who Can Save the World (And Look Good Doing It)
Look, I need to confess something: I'm am a huge James Bond fan. *I've seen all the movies. Read all the books. Wrote reviews on them too. For the last three years, I have eagerly followed Kim Sherwood's Double-O trilogy. It is a series where Bond goes missing. Other Double-O agents have to save the day. It's like finding out your favorite restaurant has a whole secret menu you never knew about. If you're anything like me, you would definitely order everything on a secret menu. Obviously.
The Setup (Bond Is Gone, Everyone Panic)
Here's the deal: This is the third and final book in the trilogy. James Bond has been missing for the last two books. The Ian Fleming Estate recruited Kim Sherwood—a hardcore Bond fan and fantastic writer—to answer the question, "What if 007 wasn't around and MI6 had to rely on their OTHER highly-trained operatives?" Which, honestly, seems like good organizational planning.
Meet Your New Double-O Agents (They're Better Than You Think)
The star of this show is Johanna Harwood, 003, who is somehow even more badass than Bond himself. Is that possible? APPARENTLY. There's a scene where she outsmarts and survives a band of soldiers while NAKED in a RUSSIAN FOREST. Let me repeat that: naked, Russian forest, multiple armed soldiers. And she wins.
Then there's Joseph Dryden, 004, who's basically holding down MI6 while everything falls apart around him. And Conrad Harthrop-Vane, 000—yes, TRIPLE-O—who has turned traitor and is systematically taking out his fellow agents. *That's a terrible employee.* The worst! Someone needs to talk to HR.
## Bond Is Back (But Is He Really?)
So Bond does return in this book? Spoiler alert-----> I guess. But it's literally in the description. After being tortured by Colonel Mora, the head of a private military company called Rattenfänger. *Great name. Very villain-y.* Right? Bond has been through mental and physical torture, and he's not the same guy. Has the unbreakable agent finally been broken? Or is he just waiting for the right moment to go full Bond on everyone?
Johanna has made it her mission to get Bond to trust her again, because MI6 needs him. There's a traitor inside the agency, Moneypenny has been abducted, and Rattenfänger is planning a cyberattack that would basically shut down the entire internet and leave the Western world at their mercy. *No internet? That's the real horror story.* Finally, a threat I can truly understand.
Why This Works (Surprisingly Well)
Here's what I loved: Kim Sherwood clearly knows and loves this world. You can feel it on every page. The action is Bond-level spectacular—chases, fights, espionage, gadgets, the whole deal. But what really got me was that I actually cared about these new Double-O agents. They're not just Bond substitutes; they're fully realized characters with their own skills, flaws, and reasons for existing.
The mystery of what happened to Bond carries through the trilogy and gets resolved here in ways that feel earned. The traitor plot kept me guessing. *Did you guess right?* Absolutely not, but that's kind of the point of a mystery. And the final showdown has everything you want: high stakes, clever spy work, emotional payoffs, and enough action to make you forget you're sitting on your couch in sweatpants.
The "I Want This as a Film Series" Factor
And here's the thing: this SHOULD be a film series. Or a TV show. Or something. These characters deserve to be on screen. Johanna Harwood navigating a Russian forest while naked and armed with nothing but her wits? That's cinema, baby. Who doesn't want to see more spy movies? Well, I WANT TO SEE *THESE* SPY MOVIES.
The book balances multiple storylines. Bond's recovery and revenge, the hunt for the traitor, the race to stop the cyberattack, Moneypenny's abduction. Somehow it manages to keep all the plates spinning without dropping any. That's hard to do. I've read books that can't juggle two plotlines without everything collapsing.
The Verdict
"Hurricane Room" is the final installment in an excellent trilogy, and even coming in cold at book three, I had a great time. Kim Sherwood has expanded the Bond universe in ways that feel both fresh and respectful of the source material. The action is top-notch. The characters are compelling. The stakes feel real. And most importantly, it made me care about what happens to people other than Bond in this world.
If you're a Bond fan and you haven't read this trilogy, you're missing out on something special. If you're NOT a Bond fan but like spy thrillers with great characters and clever plotting, give it a shot anyway.
Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go stand in my backyard and pretend I'm surviving in a Russian forest.
Look, I need to confess something: I'm am a huge James Bond fan. *I've seen all the movies. Read all the books. Wrote reviews on them too. For the last three years, I have eagerly followed Kim Sherwood's Double-O trilogy. It is a series where Bond goes missing. Other Double-O agents have to save the day. It's like finding out your favorite restaurant has a whole secret menu you never knew about. If you're anything like me, you would definitely order everything on a secret menu. Obviously.
The Setup (Bond Is Gone, Everyone Panic)
Here's the deal: This is the third and final book in the trilogy. James Bond has been missing for the last two books. The Ian Fleming Estate recruited Kim Sherwood—a hardcore Bond fan and fantastic writer—to answer the question, "What if 007 wasn't around and MI6 had to rely on their OTHER highly-trained operatives?" Which, honestly, seems like good organizational planning.
Meet Your New Double-O Agents (They're Better Than You Think)
The star of this show is Johanna Harwood, 003, who is somehow even more badass than Bond himself. Is that possible? APPARENTLY. There's a scene where she outsmarts and survives a band of soldiers while NAKED in a RUSSIAN FOREST. Let me repeat that: naked, Russian forest, multiple armed soldiers. And she wins.
Then there's Joseph Dryden, 004, who's basically holding down MI6 while everything falls apart around him. And Conrad Harthrop-Vane, 000—yes, TRIPLE-O—who has turned traitor and is systematically taking out his fellow agents. *That's a terrible employee.* The worst! Someone needs to talk to HR.
## Bond Is Back (But Is He Really?)
So Bond does return in this book? Spoiler alert-----> I guess. But it's literally in the description. After being tortured by Colonel Mora, the head of a private military company called Rattenfänger. *Great name. Very villain-y.* Right? Bond has been through mental and physical torture, and he's not the same guy. Has the unbreakable agent finally been broken? Or is he just waiting for the right moment to go full Bond on everyone?
Johanna has made it her mission to get Bond to trust her again, because MI6 needs him. There's a traitor inside the agency, Moneypenny has been abducted, and Rattenfänger is planning a cyberattack that would basically shut down the entire internet and leave the Western world at their mercy. *No internet? That's the real horror story.* Finally, a threat I can truly understand.
Why This Works (Surprisingly Well)
Here's what I loved: Kim Sherwood clearly knows and loves this world. You can feel it on every page. The action is Bond-level spectacular—chases, fights, espionage, gadgets, the whole deal. But what really got me was that I actually cared about these new Double-O agents. They're not just Bond substitutes; they're fully realized characters with their own skills, flaws, and reasons for existing.
The mystery of what happened to Bond carries through the trilogy and gets resolved here in ways that feel earned. The traitor plot kept me guessing. *Did you guess right?* Absolutely not, but that's kind of the point of a mystery. And the final showdown has everything you want: high stakes, clever spy work, emotional payoffs, and enough action to make you forget you're sitting on your couch in sweatpants.
The "I Want This as a Film Series" Factor
And here's the thing: this SHOULD be a film series. Or a TV show. Or something. These characters deserve to be on screen. Johanna Harwood navigating a Russian forest while naked and armed with nothing but her wits? That's cinema, baby. Who doesn't want to see more spy movies? Well, I WANT TO SEE *THESE* SPY MOVIES.
The book balances multiple storylines. Bond's recovery and revenge, the hunt for the traitor, the race to stop the cyberattack, Moneypenny's abduction. Somehow it manages to keep all the plates spinning without dropping any. That's hard to do. I've read books that can't juggle two plotlines without everything collapsing.
The Verdict
"Hurricane Room" is the final installment in an excellent trilogy, and even coming in cold at book three, I had a great time. Kim Sherwood has expanded the Bond universe in ways that feel both fresh and respectful of the source material. The action is top-notch. The characters are compelling. The stakes feel real. And most importantly, it made me care about what happens to people other than Bond in this world.
If you're a Bond fan and you haven't read this trilogy, you're missing out on something special. If you're NOT a Bond fan but like spy thrillers with great characters and clever plotting, give it a shot anyway.
Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go stand in my backyard and pretend I'm surviving in a Russian forest.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
James Bond is back… but more importantly, the Double 0 section is back, battered and still reeling from the events of Double or Nothing and A Spy Like Me. As with the previous books, The Hurricane Room proves that Kim Sherwood’s greatest innovation isn’t simply reviving Bond, but expanding his world beyond a single superspy and turning the Double 0 agents into a fractured, emotionally scarred team struggling to survive betrayal from within and attacks from without.
In my review of A Spy Like Me, I praised Sherwood’s ability to deliver “all the Bond tropes readers have come to expect: globetrotting, glamorous women and gadgets” while making the surprising decision to keep Bond himself largely absent. That gamble paid off because the supporting cast — particularly Johanna Harwood’s 003 and a revitalised Moneypenny — were compelling enough to carry the story on their own. Here, Sherwood builds on those strengths while finally bringing Bond back into the spotlight in a much larger role.
After two years as a prisoner of Rattenfänger, Bond is rescued from Russia by 003, but escape is only the beginning. What follows is a relentless, high-stakes thriller involving cyber warfare, AI, sabotage of undersea fibre-optic cables, shifting allegiances within MI6, and a terrifyingly plausible global threat shaped by the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. Sherwood modernises Bond exceptionally well, replacing Cold War nostalgia with contemporary fears about digital infrastructure, information warfare, and technological vulnerability.
What continues to make this trilogy stand out is how human the characters feel. The Double 0 agents are not slick invulnerable superheroes; they are damaged, mistrustful, and often unsure who is on their side. The paranoia surrounding the mole inside the organisation gives the novel constant tension, while Moneypenny’s expanded role remains one of Sherwood’s smartest decisions across the trilogy. Colonel Mora and Rattenfänger also emerge as genuinely sinister Bond villains, larger-than-life yet grounded enough to feel threatening.
Sherwood’s prose can occasionally feel dense and overstuffed, particularly during exposition-heavy sections, but the pace rarely slows for long. The novel moves at breakneck speed through Siberia, Japan, and beyond, delivering cinematic action sequences, twists, betrayals, and an explosive finale worthy of classic Bond.
Overall, The Hurricane Room is the strongest instalment of the trilogy and a hugely satisfying conclusion. Sherwood honours the legacy of Ian Fleming while confidently dragging Bond into the modern world, proving there is still plenty of life left in the Double 0 section. A smart, timely, adrenaline-fuelled thriller that goes out with a bang — several of them.
Thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK/Hemlock Press and the author for an advance copy.
In my review of A Spy Like Me, I praised Sherwood’s ability to deliver “all the Bond tropes readers have come to expect: globetrotting, glamorous women and gadgets” while making the surprising decision to keep Bond himself largely absent. That gamble paid off because the supporting cast — particularly Johanna Harwood’s 003 and a revitalised Moneypenny — were compelling enough to carry the story on their own. Here, Sherwood builds on those strengths while finally bringing Bond back into the spotlight in a much larger role.
After two years as a prisoner of Rattenfänger, Bond is rescued from Russia by 003, but escape is only the beginning. What follows is a relentless, high-stakes thriller involving cyber warfare, AI, sabotage of undersea fibre-optic cables, shifting allegiances within MI6, and a terrifyingly plausible global threat shaped by the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. Sherwood modernises Bond exceptionally well, replacing Cold War nostalgia with contemporary fears about digital infrastructure, information warfare, and technological vulnerability.
What continues to make this trilogy stand out is how human the characters feel. The Double 0 agents are not slick invulnerable superheroes; they are damaged, mistrustful, and often unsure who is on their side. The paranoia surrounding the mole inside the organisation gives the novel constant tension, while Moneypenny’s expanded role remains one of Sherwood’s smartest decisions across the trilogy. Colonel Mora and Rattenfänger also emerge as genuinely sinister Bond villains, larger-than-life yet grounded enough to feel threatening.
Sherwood’s prose can occasionally feel dense and overstuffed, particularly during exposition-heavy sections, but the pace rarely slows for long. The novel moves at breakneck speed through Siberia, Japan, and beyond, delivering cinematic action sequences, twists, betrayals, and an explosive finale worthy of classic Bond.
Overall, The Hurricane Room is the strongest instalment of the trilogy and a hugely satisfying conclusion. Sherwood honours the legacy of Ian Fleming while confidently dragging Bond into the modern world, proving there is still plenty of life left in the Double 0 section. A smart, timely, adrenaline-fuelled thriller that goes out with a bang — several of them.
Thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK/Hemlock Press and the author for an advance copy.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK/Hemlock Press, and Kim Sherwood for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
The Hurricane Room was an explosive, action-packed conclusion to Kim Sherwood’s Double O trilogy and easily my favorite book of the series. Sherwood has done such an impressive job expanding the James Bond universe beyond just 007, creating a fractured, emotionally damaged team of Double O agents who are every bit as compelling as Bond himself.
After being held prisoner by the terrorist organization Rattenfänger for two years, James Bond is finally found by 003, Johanna Harwood. But escaping Russia is only the beginning. Bond no longer knows who he can trust, MI6 is splintering from within, Moneypenny has been captured, agents are switching sides, and Rattenfänger is preparing to unleash a terrifying cyber attack capable of destabilizing the West.
What I’ve loved most about this trilogy is how modern and relevant it feels. Sherwood moves Bond away from Cold War nostalgia and into contemporary fears involving cyber warfare, AI, surveillance, misinformation, and global instability tied to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. It makes the stakes feel incredibly real while still delivering everything you want from a Bond thriller — dangerous missions, betrayals, gadgets, globe-trotting action, impossible escapes, and larger-than-life villains.
Johanna Harwood continues to be one of the standout characters of the series for me. I loved seeing Bond return to a larger role here, but Sherwood never lets him completely overshadow the rest of the Double O section. The team dynamics, mistrust, and emotional damage running through MI6 added so much tension to the story. Moneypenny also continues to shine in her expanded role, which has honestly been one of the smartest choices across this trilogy.
The pacing is relentless once the story gets going. There’s constant movement between Russia, Japan, and multiple high-stakes operations, with cinematic action scenes that felt like they were made for the big screen. The final stretch of the novel was especially gripping and absolutely delivered the kind of explosive Bond finale I was hoping for.
I will say the opening can feel slightly overwhelming at first, especially with the number of Double O agents and shifting loyalties involved, so I’d definitely recommend reading the trilogy in order to fully appreciate the characters and ongoing storylines.
Overall, The Hurricane Room is a thrilling, modern Bond novel that successfully honors Ian Fleming’s legacy while confidently pushing the franchise into new territory. Smart, fast-paced, suspenseful, and packed with adrenaline from beginning to end.
Highly recommended for Bond fans and thriller readers alike.
The Hurricane Room was an explosive, action-packed conclusion to Kim Sherwood’s Double O trilogy and easily my favorite book of the series. Sherwood has done such an impressive job expanding the James Bond universe beyond just 007, creating a fractured, emotionally damaged team of Double O agents who are every bit as compelling as Bond himself.
After being held prisoner by the terrorist organization Rattenfänger for two years, James Bond is finally found by 003, Johanna Harwood. But escaping Russia is only the beginning. Bond no longer knows who he can trust, MI6 is splintering from within, Moneypenny has been captured, agents are switching sides, and Rattenfänger is preparing to unleash a terrifying cyber attack capable of destabilizing the West.
What I’ve loved most about this trilogy is how modern and relevant it feels. Sherwood moves Bond away from Cold War nostalgia and into contemporary fears involving cyber warfare, AI, surveillance, misinformation, and global instability tied to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. It makes the stakes feel incredibly real while still delivering everything you want from a Bond thriller — dangerous missions, betrayals, gadgets, globe-trotting action, impossible escapes, and larger-than-life villains.
Johanna Harwood continues to be one of the standout characters of the series for me. I loved seeing Bond return to a larger role here, but Sherwood never lets him completely overshadow the rest of the Double O section. The team dynamics, mistrust, and emotional damage running through MI6 added so much tension to the story. Moneypenny also continues to shine in her expanded role, which has honestly been one of the smartest choices across this trilogy.
The pacing is relentless once the story gets going. There’s constant movement between Russia, Japan, and multiple high-stakes operations, with cinematic action scenes that felt like they were made for the big screen. The final stretch of the novel was especially gripping and absolutely delivered the kind of explosive Bond finale I was hoping for.
I will say the opening can feel slightly overwhelming at first, especially with the number of Double O agents and shifting loyalties involved, so I’d definitely recommend reading the trilogy in order to fully appreciate the characters and ongoing storylines.
Overall, The Hurricane Room is a thrilling, modern Bond novel that successfully honors Ian Fleming’s legacy while confidently pushing the franchise into new territory. Smart, fast-paced, suspenseful, and packed with adrenaline from beginning to end.
Highly recommended for Bond fans and thriller readers alike.
July 9, 2026
What a superb ending to a tumultuous and engaging re-invention of Fleming’s MI5 and OO7. The last in this trilogy takes up where the second, 2024’s A Spy Like Me leaves off with everyone and everything in jeopardy. (See my reviews for both, 1st is Double or Nothing [2023].) and provides non-stop action in this expansion of Fleming’s James Bond universe. It, once again, followed the tried-and true formula for a riveting, cinematic Spy adventure and modernized the plot line with a mixture of old and new villains and agendas, as well as freshening up the roster of OO spies with diverse CHs that are female, gay, Muslim, and assorted others. The primary villain is a creative amalgamation of so many others, and all CHs are accounted for from previous books. The search for the missing 007 continues as others look for a mole within the agency while also contending with a variety of evil initiatives and personal baggage. In four distinct parts, we also get chapters from M’s 1st POV that gives us some interesting tension-filled historical context. Sherwood again provides excellent spy craft, brilliantly choreographed action sequences, just enough explication in the narrative flow, and more than adequate CH development, good setting details (this time London, Moscow, South America, Siberia, Italy, and Japan are among the many venues) as Sherwood uses all the senses, especially climate, to enhance Tone in a continuous build-up of menace and jeopardy with some excellent ST (Sexual Tension). Awesome banter and anyone familiar with Bond will nod and chuckle at mentions of martinis and Aston Martins. Sherwood alludes to Ian Fleming’s original novels (hand in pockets), and the film franchise and musical score and theme song references abound. I do think reading this novel soon after the first two would make for a smoother reading experience because there are lot of moving pieces, changing tableaus, and lots of characters to remember. Johanna’s promise in the first book meets fruition in this one. RED FLAGS: Vivid violence and Brutal torture. The satisfactory ending proves that so many genres are romantic in nature—especially adventures where even with great loss comes some happiness. Don’t get attached to CHs, Sherwood is a brave author who will sacrifice favorites. Could there be another one? I think there is room for the future world to continue. Anyone who enjoyed Fleming, Horowitz’s take on the series, and the novels of Daniel Silva, Strella Rimmington and Jack Carr may also want to pick this one up.
June 26, 2026
I'm grateful to the publisher for sending giving me access to an advance e-copy of Hurricane Room, the third part of Sherwood's 007 trilogy, following Double or Nothing and A Spy Like Me, to consider for review.
I first met Sherwood’s writing with her Testament, a superb book about Holocaust survival, memory and recovering history. So, you might think, quite different from a thriller? Maybe actually not...
Like the earlier earlier books, in Hurricane Room, besides the overarching espionage plot there's a preoccupation with loyalty, trust, survival and identity - and with betrayal. (In one brilliant passage, a character whose forbears survived persecution in Europe, coming to Britain, muses on her possible alternate identity if they'd gone to New York). While that may seem a departure from the classic Bond novels, one might argue that Bond's romantic light-footedness was always hinting at these, but here Sherwood makes the point overt with tension between Bond and Johanna Harwood, 003, Bond’s ex (and in his mind, his betrayer) who has been trying to find him.
Because, yes, Bond is back! Hurricane Room, Book Three, is where Bond comes in. He has been missing, possibly dead, throughout the trilogy so far. That is a think a good move in technical terms, if perhaps a risky one. Reading the first book, a Bond-less 007 world took a bit of getting used to but Sherwood's depiction of Harwood soon made up for that whereas I think that if Bond had been here form the start he’d have overpowered everything. Instead Books one and two gave us other 00s, 000 up to 013, M, Moneypenny and a transformed Q, creating an excellently realised and updated version of the classic Bond setup.
It's also an unsettlingly timely version. This evening I've been watching on the BBC News the new head of GCHQ, speaking at Bletchley Park (where Sherwood Avenue is cheekily mentioned), warning of the dangers to the UK of Russian covert action, including sabotage of infrastructure and, especially, Internet cables. In Hurricane Room we find one of Sherwood's characters, head of Q Branch, standing up at Bletchley Park to warn of the "everywhere war" already being fought. The finale of this book may be the long awaited and traditional shoot-out, but what's being fought for is considerably closer to reality than in the classic Bond books.
In keeping with that, Sherwood has made her own Bond, with recognisable DNA from the original books and films, but she has yeeted him and his backstory into the last quarter of the 20th century and the first quarter of this (the timeline is a bit vague, or he’d be too old). As I said, he’s recognisable, but different. More self aware. Torn between Fleming’s playboy, and… something else. Perhaps Bond needs to grow beyond being 007? Sherwood can hint at that because she’s not writing THE Bond, but A Bond. (The endless debate over who should play Bond in the films, always in the air, came into my mind here as my mental image flitted around between Connery and Moore - the classics I grew up with. It is though a silly argument overall as there is no one Bond. Who should play Sherlock Holmes? Depends which Holmes). Perhaps the film makers don’t have that freedom because to many fans now the film ones are the the only Bond they’ll be aware of, and the producers have to deliver an ongoing franchise, not a single trilogy.)
Anyway, it is good. A high stakes threat, which as I've said is more plausible than you might expect, chilling villain, final fight in a remote secret base, touches of continuity. As well as translating the Fleming continuity into her world, Sherwood also rounds out Bond’s history in her own, which helps offset the sense you sometimes get in Fleming’s books and the films of an unanchored character. She also keeps the story abreast of recent geopolitics (difficult, given how preposterous real world plotting has got in recent seasons).
The author also has some fun here. Look out for her dropping the titles of earlier Bond stories, sometimes a bit rearranged. ("She'd been loved by this spy before", "eyes Bond once called golden"). But there are also references to other espionage novels: 00 Branch is headquartered at Regents Park, like Mick Herron's spies, and there also references to an "agent runner in the field" - a nod I think to one of John Le Carré's last books (A very good one, if you haven't read it). There are other homages as well, from near familiar language - One dove was a coincidence. Two were dinner - to names and characters (Vesper, Felix) and of course classic Bondisms (Shaken not stirred). There are the deadpan quips ("Hello Conrad. You seem to have lost face" to an opponent badly scarred in a battle with Bond and Harwood, "I've always been attracted to women walking into water with heavy pockets" - which itself inverts a famous beach scene).
Most of all though, and more seriously, Sherwood plays, in a gently meta way, with the idea of Bond himself. Harwood reflects that "He struck her as a man out of time, awake for the first day in centuries" which is a sense is every Bond revival, I think. Similarly, as events resolve and danger falls away "There was something staged about him now" which is just... so right. Bond as a character, any Bond, in any book, which any actor, has to be stagey, camp, oiled, poised. This, you feel, is Harwood's problem with him, this is why they couldn't be together. Behind the facade of the spy novel there is a deeply felt and resoundingly true relationship here, and we don't know how that will end. It doesn't feel as though it can come to any good...
I'd highly recommend this book, and the trilogy as a whole. This is Bond - this is writing - of the most compelling, truthful and engaging class.
I first met Sherwood’s writing with her Testament, a superb book about Holocaust survival, memory and recovering history. So, you might think, quite different from a thriller? Maybe actually not...
Like the earlier earlier books, in Hurricane Room, besides the overarching espionage plot there's a preoccupation with loyalty, trust, survival and identity - and with betrayal. (In one brilliant passage, a character whose forbears survived persecution in Europe, coming to Britain, muses on her possible alternate identity if they'd gone to New York). While that may seem a departure from the classic Bond novels, one might argue that Bond's romantic light-footedness was always hinting at these, but here Sherwood makes the point overt with tension between Bond and Johanna Harwood, 003, Bond’s ex (and in his mind, his betrayer) who has been trying to find him.
Because, yes, Bond is back! Hurricane Room, Book Three, is where Bond comes in. He has been missing, possibly dead, throughout the trilogy so far. That is a think a good move in technical terms, if perhaps a risky one. Reading the first book, a Bond-less 007 world took a bit of getting used to but Sherwood's depiction of Harwood soon made up for that whereas I think that if Bond had been here form the start he’d have overpowered everything. Instead Books one and two gave us other 00s, 000 up to 013, M, Moneypenny and a transformed Q, creating an excellently realised and updated version of the classic Bond setup.
It's also an unsettlingly timely version. This evening I've been watching on the BBC News the new head of GCHQ, speaking at Bletchley Park (where Sherwood Avenue is cheekily mentioned), warning of the dangers to the UK of Russian covert action, including sabotage of infrastructure and, especially, Internet cables. In Hurricane Room we find one of Sherwood's characters, head of Q Branch, standing up at Bletchley Park to warn of the "everywhere war" already being fought. The finale of this book may be the long awaited and traditional shoot-out, but what's being fought for is considerably closer to reality than in the classic Bond books.
In keeping with that, Sherwood has made her own Bond, with recognisable DNA from the original books and films, but she has yeeted him and his backstory into the last quarter of the 20th century and the first quarter of this (the timeline is a bit vague, or he’d be too old). As I said, he’s recognisable, but different. More self aware. Torn between Fleming’s playboy, and… something else. Perhaps Bond needs to grow beyond being 007? Sherwood can hint at that because she’s not writing THE Bond, but A Bond. (The endless debate over who should play Bond in the films, always in the air, came into my mind here as my mental image flitted around between Connery and Moore - the classics I grew up with. It is though a silly argument overall as there is no one Bond. Who should play Sherlock Holmes? Depends which Holmes). Perhaps the film makers don’t have that freedom because to many fans now the film ones are the the only Bond they’ll be aware of, and the producers have to deliver an ongoing franchise, not a single trilogy.)
Anyway, it is good. A high stakes threat, which as I've said is more plausible than you might expect, chilling villain, final fight in a remote secret base, touches of continuity. As well as translating the Fleming continuity into her world, Sherwood also rounds out Bond’s history in her own, which helps offset the sense you sometimes get in Fleming’s books and the films of an unanchored character. She also keeps the story abreast of recent geopolitics (difficult, given how preposterous real world plotting has got in recent seasons).
The author also has some fun here. Look out for her dropping the titles of earlier Bond stories, sometimes a bit rearranged. ("She'd been loved by this spy before", "eyes Bond once called golden"). But there are also references to other espionage novels: 00 Branch is headquartered at Regents Park, like Mick Herron's spies, and there also references to an "agent runner in the field" - a nod I think to one of John Le Carré's last books (A very good one, if you haven't read it). There are other homages as well, from near familiar language - One dove was a coincidence. Two were dinner - to names and characters (Vesper, Felix) and of course classic Bondisms (Shaken not stirred). There are the deadpan quips ("Hello Conrad. You seem to have lost face" to an opponent badly scarred in a battle with Bond and Harwood, "I've always been attracted to women walking into water with heavy pockets" - which itself inverts a famous beach scene).
Most of all though, and more seriously, Sherwood plays, in a gently meta way, with the idea of Bond himself. Harwood reflects that "He struck her as a man out of time, awake for the first day in centuries" which is a sense is every Bond revival, I think. Similarly, as events resolve and danger falls away "There was something staged about him now" which is just... so right. Bond as a character, any Bond, in any book, which any actor, has to be stagey, camp, oiled, poised. This, you feel, is Harwood's problem with him, this is why they couldn't be together. Behind the facade of the spy novel there is a deeply felt and resoundingly true relationship here, and we don't know how that will end. It doesn't feel as though it can come to any good...
I'd highly recommend this book, and the trilogy as a whole. This is Bond - this is writing - of the most compelling, truthful and engaging class.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Double O #3
She’s found him,at last. James Bond. However, 003, Johanna Harwood’s actions are unauthorised by MI6 but that’s the least of her worries. Somehow she has to get him out of Russia and evade capture and rebuild his trust and that’s not going to be easy. Meanwhile, Moneypenny has been captured by Colonel Mora, the head of terrorist organisation, Rattenfänger, which it seems has links to the past. To add to the incredibly dangerous situation, MI6 is in turmoil, agents have been turned and who can be trusted is one of 003 and 007’s biggest problems. Its dire straits especially as Rattenfängers plan to seize control of the west cyber intelligence is just about to become a reality. Can Bond and the remaining loyal 00’s save a rapidly worsening situation?
The Ian Fleming estate has recruited Kim Sherwood to write this trilogy. I think she’s definitely done the originals and Ian Fleming 100% justice. The 00’s she has created are terrific characters, especially 003 in Johanna Harwood and 004, Joseph Dryden and her portrayal of Bond is excellent. Of course it wouldn’t be a James Bond book without Moneypenny, M, Q and an unbelievably dangerous enemy in the brilliantly named Rattenfänger. The name strikes evil into your heart, never mind what they intend to do led by Mora, who is evil personified. The whole thing feels very authentic and I’m sure Ian Fleming would nod in approval.
The plot is vast, totally immersive and there’s truly never a dull moment. It brings Bond bang up-to-date with the inclusion of events such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It’s very exciting, it’s audacious and complex with the storytelling feeling cinematic as the loyal 00’s especially Johanna use wit, initiative, guts, untold bravery and apparently have nine lives each! There are shocks aplenty, numerous moments of suspense and tension with plot twist after twist. The ending is an explosive thrill a minute.
The novel has numerous strengths, but I particularly love the fabulous locations that are used, especially in Russia without outstanding descriptions giving a very strong sense of place.
Overall, I’ve enjoyed the series but in my opinion this one is the best, with the trilogy going out with a bang. Or three. Highly recommended to fans of the originals and to thriller fans in general.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to HarperCollins, HarperFiction, Hemlock Press for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review.
She’s found him,at last. James Bond. However, 003, Johanna Harwood’s actions are unauthorised by MI6 but that’s the least of her worries. Somehow she has to get him out of Russia and evade capture and rebuild his trust and that’s not going to be easy. Meanwhile, Moneypenny has been captured by Colonel Mora, the head of terrorist organisation, Rattenfänger, which it seems has links to the past. To add to the incredibly dangerous situation, MI6 is in turmoil, agents have been turned and who can be trusted is one of 003 and 007’s biggest problems. Its dire straits especially as Rattenfängers plan to seize control of the west cyber intelligence is just about to become a reality. Can Bond and the remaining loyal 00’s save a rapidly worsening situation?
The Ian Fleming estate has recruited Kim Sherwood to write this trilogy. I think she’s definitely done the originals and Ian Fleming 100% justice. The 00’s she has created are terrific characters, especially 003 in Johanna Harwood and 004, Joseph Dryden and her portrayal of Bond is excellent. Of course it wouldn’t be a James Bond book without Moneypenny, M, Q and an unbelievably dangerous enemy in the brilliantly named Rattenfänger. The name strikes evil into your heart, never mind what they intend to do led by Mora, who is evil personified. The whole thing feels very authentic and I’m sure Ian Fleming would nod in approval.
The plot is vast, totally immersive and there’s truly never a dull moment. It brings Bond bang up-to-date with the inclusion of events such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It’s very exciting, it’s audacious and complex with the storytelling feeling cinematic as the loyal 00’s especially Johanna use wit, initiative, guts, untold bravery and apparently have nine lives each! There are shocks aplenty, numerous moments of suspense and tension with plot twist after twist. The ending is an explosive thrill a minute.
The novel has numerous strengths, but I particularly love the fabulous locations that are used, especially in Russia without outstanding descriptions giving a very strong sense of place.
Overall, I’ve enjoyed the series but in my opinion this one is the best, with the trilogy going out with a bang. Or three. Highly recommended to fans of the originals and to thriller fans in general.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to HarperCollins, HarperFiction, Hemlock Press for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The new Bond trilogy goes out with a bang.
After a slightly confusing prelude section, "Hurricane Room" opens shortly after the events of "A Spy Like Me". Joanne Harwood, 003, has finally tracked down James Bond, 007. He's spent two years as the prisoner of Mora, head of the Rattenfänger group and isn't in good shape. All she has to do now is get him out of Russia, and defeat the group from taking over the Western world's intelligence network. Soon she and Bond are on the run, pursued by former colleagues, now enemies, the Russian intelligence services, and sundry others. Moneypenny is no help -she's been taken prisoner too, and even M seems a lost cause.
In what is certainly the most riveting book in the trilogy, the reader is finally rewarded with a non-stop rollercoaster ride, with chases, underground bases, and three-dimensional baddies. It's a sprawling story, with an interesting premise, perhaps just a few too many threads to keep track of, but ultimately a Bond story worthy of the big screen. The final 100 pages certainly wouldn't shame a 60's blockbuster movie. Those who have followed the trilogy should be satisfied with the tying up of plotlines, and the fates of the various characters.
So, in summary, - Bond is back. Having been little more than a ghost in books one and two, he emerges as a broken soul, whose only motivation is to get revenge on the man who held him prisoner for two years. But we do get to see deeper inside the man, something Fleming never really did. Back too, are the others in the OO-section - it's just a pity it's so tricky remembering who is 000, 003, 004 etc.
I'd definitely recommend reading books one and two before diving into this book - and your patience will be rewarded.
After a slightly confusing prelude section, "Hurricane Room" opens shortly after the events of "A Spy Like Me". Joanne Harwood, 003, has finally tracked down James Bond, 007. He's spent two years as the prisoner of Mora, head of the Rattenfänger group and isn't in good shape. All she has to do now is get him out of Russia, and defeat the group from taking over the Western world's intelligence network. Soon she and Bond are on the run, pursued by former colleagues, now enemies, the Russian intelligence services, and sundry others. Moneypenny is no help -she's been taken prisoner too, and even M seems a lost cause.
In what is certainly the most riveting book in the trilogy, the reader is finally rewarded with a non-stop rollercoaster ride, with chases, underground bases, and three-dimensional baddies. It's a sprawling story, with an interesting premise, perhaps just a few too many threads to keep track of, but ultimately a Bond story worthy of the big screen. The final 100 pages certainly wouldn't shame a 60's blockbuster movie. Those who have followed the trilogy should be satisfied with the tying up of plotlines, and the fates of the various characters.
So, in summary, - Bond is back. Having been little more than a ghost in books one and two, he emerges as a broken soul, whose only motivation is to get revenge on the man who held him prisoner for two years. But we do get to see deeper inside the man, something Fleming never really did. Back too, are the others in the OO-section - it's just a pity it's so tricky remembering who is 000, 003, 004 etc.
I'd definitely recommend reading books one and two before diving into this book - and your patience will be rewarded.
May 29, 2026
I will confess that I am a James Bond fan. I have seen the movies and read the books. Kim Sherwood’s trilogy captures all of the action and adventure that I expected. This is the third book in her trilogy. If you have not read the previous books, you are still in for a rollercoaster ride. Bond was believed to be dead, but at the end of the second book he was found alive but damaged in both body and soul, having been tortured for months. This third book begins with a young Bond meeting the man who would become M before picking up with his rescue by Johanna Harwood, 003. As they escape through Russia, they are pursued by Russian Intelligence as well as a treacherous 00. Sherwood alternates between their escape and the 00 Section, which is in turmoil. Conrad Harthrop-Vane, 000, has turned traitor and is eliminating the other agents. He has also kidnapped Moneypenny. She is being held by Colonel Mora, head of a private army, whose goal is a cyberattack that would shut down the internet, causing worldwide chaos.
Bond and Johanna have a history together. As they flee his captors, she must also regain his trust. Sherwood also brings back several characters from Bond’s past, including Tanaka, his former father-in-law and Felix Leiter. If the 00 Section is to survive, Bond and Harwood must stop Mora and rescue Moneypenny. It will lead to a showdown that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Cinematic in scope, it is a story of revenge with constant action, twists and a traitor within MI6 that comes as a real surprise. Whether or not you are a Bond fan, Hurricane Room is a great thriller and should not be missed. I would like to thank NetGalley and William Morrow Publishing for providing his book.
Bond and Johanna have a history together. As they flee his captors, she must also regain his trust. Sherwood also brings back several characters from Bond’s past, including Tanaka, his former father-in-law and Felix Leiter. If the 00 Section is to survive, Bond and Harwood must stop Mora and rescue Moneypenny. It will lead to a showdown that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Cinematic in scope, it is a story of revenge with constant action, twists and a traitor within MI6 that comes as a real surprise. Whether or not you are a Bond fan, Hurricane Room is a great thriller and should not be missed. I would like to thank NetGalley and William Morrow Publishing for providing his book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Hurricane Room is Kim Sherwood’s third double-O book in the trilogy authorised by the Fleming estate.
I can see the attraction of trying to expand a Bond universe, but the whole point of Bond is that he’s a sole agent, not playing particularly well with others. Having other double-O agents isn’t new but giving them the limelight is. It’s a strange concept too to have double-Os with numbers greater than 9.
To be fair I wasn’t a great fan of the first two books as it seemed wrong not to have, essentially, a James Bond story without James Bond. Anyway, Hurricane Room addresses this by bringing Bond back into the fray.
He’s not quite the Bond we recognise, having been affected by a long captivity and torture. Think a combination of Die Another Day and Skyfall. He’s a changed man - in need of revenge and struggling with trust.
The title refers to a mental "safe room" where James Bond retreats in times of extreme danger. This was a concept introduced by Ian Fleming in From Russia, with Love.
The story is firmly a spy thriller having classic Bond hallmarks; suggestive banter, martinis, and a trope type death trap.
There are a number of callbacks/Easter eggs that Bond fans will recognise and understand. If you’re not a hardcore Bond fan you’ll probably enjoy the story but might miss some of these subtleties.
It is an action driven, complex, plot. You need to have read Kim Sherwood’s two previous double-O books to understand the story fully.
Better than the first two of the trilogy. More Bond than those!
Thanks to the NetGalley and publisher for a the opportunity to read and review the prerelease novel in return for honest feelings and review.
I can see the attraction of trying to expand a Bond universe, but the whole point of Bond is that he’s a sole agent, not playing particularly well with others. Having other double-O agents isn’t new but giving them the limelight is. It’s a strange concept too to have double-Os with numbers greater than 9.
To be fair I wasn’t a great fan of the first two books as it seemed wrong not to have, essentially, a James Bond story without James Bond. Anyway, Hurricane Room addresses this by bringing Bond back into the fray.
He’s not quite the Bond we recognise, having been affected by a long captivity and torture. Think a combination of Die Another Day and Skyfall. He’s a changed man - in need of revenge and struggling with trust.
The title refers to a mental "safe room" where James Bond retreats in times of extreme danger. This was a concept introduced by Ian Fleming in From Russia, with Love.
The story is firmly a spy thriller having classic Bond hallmarks; suggestive banter, martinis, and a trope type death trap.
There are a number of callbacks/Easter eggs that Bond fans will recognise and understand. If you’re not a hardcore Bond fan you’ll probably enjoy the story but might miss some of these subtleties.
It is an action driven, complex, plot. You need to have read Kim Sherwood’s two previous double-O books to understand the story fully.
Better than the first two of the trilogy. More Bond than those!
Thanks to the NetGalley and publisher for a the opportunity to read and review the prerelease novel in return for honest feelings and review.
July 10, 2026
I have to say it: HURRICANE ROOM is the strongest in the series. Sherwood delivers action, deception, and heat as we conclude our time with 003 and the rest of the Double O Section.
There is no way I can give an accurate synopsis of this wild ride I just went on. The intricacies and layers of the relationships and threats are so complex that something would be missed. So...just read it.
HURRICANE ROOM, as with Sherwood's other books in the series, feels like an extension of the original Bond novels. From the high-octane action scenes to the way duplicity is portrayed to the manner in which the story unfolds at a pace that keeps you on the edge of your seat, it has all the elements you want in a spy tale.
There is some part of me that cannot believe that this is the conclusion. And yet, it feels right. Sherwood gives her readers exactly what they want and deserve. Bravo.
Series Note: I rarely say this, but read all the books. If you just pick up this one, you will be lost. There is such a wonderfully complex narrative built from book one that it is well worth the time spent reading them.
Reviewer Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Highly Caffeinated Rating of… ☕ ☕ ☕ ☕
✦ ✦ ✦ ✦
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✦ ✦ ✦ ✦
There is no way I can give an accurate synopsis of this wild ride I just went on. The intricacies and layers of the relationships and threats are so complex that something would be missed. So...just read it.
HURRICANE ROOM, as with Sherwood's other books in the series, feels like an extension of the original Bond novels. From the high-octane action scenes to the way duplicity is portrayed to the manner in which the story unfolds at a pace that keeps you on the edge of your seat, it has all the elements you want in a spy tale.
There is some part of me that cannot believe that this is the conclusion. And yet, it feels right. Sherwood gives her readers exactly what they want and deserve. Bravo.
Series Note: I rarely say this, but read all the books. If you just pick up this one, you will be lost. There is such a wonderfully complex narrative built from book one that it is well worth the time spent reading them.
Reviewer Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Highly Caffeinated Rating of… ☕ ☕ ☕ ☕
✦ ✦ ✦ ✦
Follow the Art, Books, & Coffee:
Website | Instagram | Facebook Group
✦ ✦ ✦ ✦
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
❤️ Blurb -
James Bond returns and the Double O agents make their last stand in this gripping and explosive spy thriller.
The return of 007
Agent 003, Joanna Harwood, has finally found James Bond after years of searching. All she has to do is get him out of Russia alive and convince him to trust her again.
A mission for revenge
But Bond trusts no one. And he wants revenge on Mora, the monstrous figure at the head of Rattenfänger – a terrorist organisation with links to the past.
The final showdown
MI6’s Double O section is in pieces. Moneypenny is captured. Agents have switched sides. And Rattenfänger’s plans for hijacking the cyber-intelligence of the West are finally about to be realised.
Bond and the remaining Double Os must work together to save the world – and figure out which of them are still loyal…
💛 Review -
Even though I hadn't read anything by the author or the rest of the series, I still enjoyed the book and soon understood who was who and what was going on. I really enjoyed this novel. It was so action packed and full of adventure that sometimes I forgot that I was reading and was swept away with the characters in the book. I found the story was easy to follow, had good pacing and a great cast of characters. I highly recommend it and I look forward to reading more by the author.
💙 Thank you to Harper Fiction and the author Kim Sherwood for my proof copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
James Bond returns and the Double O agents make their last stand in this gripping and explosive spy thriller.
The return of 007
Agent 003, Joanna Harwood, has finally found James Bond after years of searching. All she has to do is get him out of Russia alive and convince him to trust her again.
A mission for revenge
But Bond trusts no one. And he wants revenge on Mora, the monstrous figure at the head of Rattenfänger – a terrorist organisation with links to the past.
The final showdown
MI6’s Double O section is in pieces. Moneypenny is captured. Agents have switched sides. And Rattenfänger’s plans for hijacking the cyber-intelligence of the West are finally about to be realised.
Bond and the remaining Double Os must work together to save the world – and figure out which of them are still loyal…
💛 Review -
Even though I hadn't read anything by the author or the rest of the series, I still enjoyed the book and soon understood who was who and what was going on. I really enjoyed this novel. It was so action packed and full of adventure that sometimes I forgot that I was reading and was swept away with the characters in the book. I found the story was easy to follow, had good pacing and a great cast of characters. I highly recommend it and I look forward to reading more by the author.
💙 Thank you to Harper Fiction and the author Kim Sherwood for my proof copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
June 30, 2026
The final Double O novel in Kim Sherwood's series. The cover says James Bond is Alive. obliviously they didn't get the message from the last Bond movie.
The last book in this trilogy had 003, Johanna Harwood getting into the secret lair of the Rattenfanger organization to discover James Bond alone in what is termed the Hurricane Room. Throughly beat out and a bit despondent, 007 is in living a life of a prisoner. Yet the brave Johanna talks him down from killing her and together they breakout and on the loose.
That's not all there is an another traitor in the Double O team and they are fairly high up the chain. Bond knows who it is, so now he and Johanna have to fight their way to Japan where Tiger Tanaka can get them home. It's not an easy task.
But wait, there's more! Miss Moneypenny, now running the Double O has been kidnapped by Rattenfagner and is being held up in the Arctic Circle and Joseph Dryden 004 is now in Moneypenny's place. And idk that wasn't enough Rattenfagan is bent on taking Q the mighty computer of MI6
Old friends including Marc Angelo Draco, Rene Mathis, Tiger Tanaka and many of Bond's friends from the past come to aid of Bond and Johanna.
Although the dates are confusing, since this seems to be a new James Bond, younger than Ian Fleming's would be. I did find this book a lot more interesting read than the first two. There is and ending, but one wonder if Johanna Harwood, won't return in another thriller.
The last book in this trilogy had 003, Johanna Harwood getting into the secret lair of the Rattenfanger organization to discover James Bond alone in what is termed the Hurricane Room. Throughly beat out and a bit despondent, 007 is in living a life of a prisoner. Yet the brave Johanna talks him down from killing her and together they breakout and on the loose.
That's not all there is an another traitor in the Double O team and they are fairly high up the chain. Bond knows who it is, so now he and Johanna have to fight their way to Japan where Tiger Tanaka can get them home. It's not an easy task.
But wait, there's more! Miss Moneypenny, now running the Double O has been kidnapped by Rattenfagner and is being held up in the Arctic Circle and Joseph Dryden 004 is now in Moneypenny's place. And idk that wasn't enough Rattenfagan is bent on taking Q the mighty computer of MI6
Old friends including Marc Angelo Draco, Rene Mathis, Tiger Tanaka and many of Bond's friends from the past come to aid of Bond and Johanna.
Although the dates are confusing, since this seems to be a new James Bond, younger than Ian Fleming's would be. I did find this book a lot more interesting read than the first two. There is and ending, but one wonder if Johanna Harwood, won't return in another thriller.
June 22, 2026
Bold, stylish, and wonderfully nostalgic, this felt like stepping back into the world of classic James Bond. While it is part of a trilogy, I actually found this instalment more enjoyable when viewed in isolation, although having the wider backstory certainly helps as the story can feel slightly disjointed for anyone jumping in without that foundation.
What this novel captures so well is the essence of old-school Bond: the swagger, sophistication, larger-than-life action, and sense of adventure that has made the character so enduring. The villain works particularly well, with that slightly unlikely but memorable quality that has often been a key ingredient in the most beloved Bond stories. There is also a welcome light-heartedness throughout, with humour and sharp dialogue keeping the pace moving and preventing the action from becoming too heavy.
The only downside is that I was left wanting a little more. It is an undeniably entertaining read, but it is also quite lightweight compared with some of the more complex entries in the franchise. However, there is also an argument that this simplicity is part of its charm. It understands what it wants to be and delivers that experience confidently.
Sometimes adding more can dilute what already works, and this succeeds because it embraces the classic Bond formula rather than trying to reinvent it.
What this novel captures so well is the essence of old-school Bond: the swagger, sophistication, larger-than-life action, and sense of adventure that has made the character so enduring. The villain works particularly well, with that slightly unlikely but memorable quality that has often been a key ingredient in the most beloved Bond stories. There is also a welcome light-heartedness throughout, with humour and sharp dialogue keeping the pace moving and preventing the action from becoming too heavy.
The only downside is that I was left wanting a little more. It is an undeniably entertaining read, but it is also quite lightweight compared with some of the more complex entries in the franchise. However, there is also an argument that this simplicity is part of its charm. It understands what it wants to be and delivers that experience confidently.
Sometimes adding more can dilute what already works, and this succeeds because it embraces the classic Bond formula rather than trying to reinvent it.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Kim Sherwood's Hurricane Room is the third volume in her James Bond adventures - albeit the life of that superspy seen through the prism of her central characters, notably Agent 003 Joanna Harwood. After the thrilling Double or Nothing and A Spy Like Me, we know Sherwood is capable of writing both the big action set pieces whilst also giving an emotional core to her work and to her characters - something which was missing in others versions of Ian Fleming's Bond.
Hurricane Room feels very timely with the hijacking of computer systems, A.I. and the war in Ukraine all featuring in various ways. Sherwood even finds one of those Bond-movie sequences involving deadly animals - snakes here - which nod to the series past whilst being thrilling on their own.
This series has been a highlight of modern Bond storytelling in prose and Sherwood really feels like she's on top form here. This is a fast-paced, thrilling adventure which builds not only Joanna Harwood up, but colours in Bond and particularly Miss Moneypenny in interesting light. I really hope Sherwood keeps the keys to the Bond series as I'd love to spend some more time in her version of this world.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.
Hurricane Room feels very timely with the hijacking of computer systems, A.I. and the war in Ukraine all featuring in various ways. Sherwood even finds one of those Bond-movie sequences involving deadly animals - snakes here - which nod to the series past whilst being thrilling on their own.
This series has been a highlight of modern Bond storytelling in prose and Sherwood really feels like she's on top form here. This is a fast-paced, thrilling adventure which builds not only Joanna Harwood up, but colours in Bond and particularly Miss Moneypenny in interesting light. I really hope Sherwood keeps the keys to the Bond series as I'd love to spend some more time in her version of this world.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The final book of the Double 0 Trilogy. Could be read as a stand alone but i definitely recommend you read first two books as this follows on from the events in the previous reads. All the usual suspects are here but this trilogy focussed on all the 00’s and whilst Bond barely featured in the previous books he has a larger presence in this one.
Briefly, after two years as a prisoner of Rattenfänger James Bond is back but having been rescued by 003 (Johanna Harwood) they still have to escape from Russia. This involves a treacherous trek through Siberia to reach Japan as he is determined to wreck revenge on Colonel Mora and his Rattenfänger Group. Meanwhile the Double O team is splintered with some having switched sides, Moneypenny has been captured by Rattenfänger and there are only a few agents left who trust each other as there is clearly a mole inside the team.
My favourite of the three books although the whole series has been very entertaining. I loved how up to date the author kept this with the Russian/Ukraine war, AI and the potential effects of the destruction of undersea digital fibre optic cables. This is typical Bond book, an adrenaline filled read with an explosive finale that felt very authentic. Great series. 4,5⭐️
Briefly, after two years as a prisoner of Rattenfänger James Bond is back but having been rescued by 003 (Johanna Harwood) they still have to escape from Russia. This involves a treacherous trek through Siberia to reach Japan as he is determined to wreck revenge on Colonel Mora and his Rattenfänger Group. Meanwhile the Double O team is splintered with some having switched sides, Moneypenny has been captured by Rattenfänger and there are only a few agents left who trust each other as there is clearly a mole inside the team.
My favourite of the three books although the whole series has been very entertaining. I loved how up to date the author kept this with the Russian/Ukraine war, AI and the potential effects of the destruction of undersea digital fibre optic cables. This is typical Bond book, an adrenaline filled read with an explosive finale that felt very authentic. Great series. 4,5⭐️
June 2, 2026
Sherwood not only sticks the landing, but also rounds off her excellent trilogy with its best entry. Hurricane Room is a fantastic read, packed with allusions to Fleming without straying too far into pastiche, and somehow manages to tie up a lot of story threads in a satisfying way (I can imagine some readers not being thrilled about the ending, but I thought it was earned and sensitively told). There's a recurring theme of fathers and father figures - real, imagined and sometimes even unwanted - and the influence which flows in both directions between generations, but that's something which might require an essay to arrange and articulate my thoughts. The Bond of Hurricane Room is melancholy and broken rather than in superhero mode, and this is typically my favourite kind of Bond - a far more complex, complicated and interesting character than given credit for by a lot of people (including Fleming himself, even if only in self-deprecation), and Sherwood's most successful creation (003) is a perfect foil for this version of the character. There's even a genuine punch-the-air moment, a moment of catharsis informed by everything which led up to it, and what more can you ask for than that?
April 17, 2026
Many thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collin’s for this arc. I received this book in exchange for my honest review. My thoughts are entirely my own.
In this book we finally see Johanna Harwood save 007 himself Mr. James Bond. But after almost two years of captivity James has been in his hurricane room and doesn’t know who he can trust. James and Johanna try to get back and save Moneypenny from Mora and the traitor 000 and stop them from trying to rule the world. I was so glad when both 000 and Mora meet their just desserts and James Bond saying “I’m 007, Bond, James Bond” and while reading this final book I decided to watch the James Bond movies and am currently on Thunderball. I am so glad that James and Johanna got their happy ending after all that they have gone through. I cannot believe that this is the last book in the trilogy but at least I can still read the first book in the series that I still haven’t read yet.
In this book we finally see Johanna Harwood save 007 himself Mr. James Bond. But after almost two years of captivity James has been in his hurricane room and doesn’t know who he can trust. James and Johanna try to get back and save Moneypenny from Mora and the traitor 000 and stop them from trying to rule the world. I was so glad when both 000 and Mora meet their just desserts and James Bond saying “I’m 007, Bond, James Bond” and while reading this final book I decided to watch the James Bond movies and am currently on Thunderball. I am so glad that James and Johanna got their happy ending after all that they have gone through. I cannot believe that this is the last book in the trilogy but at least I can still read the first book in the series that I still haven’t read yet.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
James Bond has been kept prisoner by an organization called Rattenfanger after being betrayed by someone within MI6. Now he has been found he seems a shell of his former self, not knowing who to trust.
This is the third book in a trilogy and can be read as a standalone, but it may help with keeping track of so many characters if you have read the first two books. Hurricane Room is a classic Bond story of non-stop action, daring escapes, survival in extreme situations and a relentless hunt for a master criminal. There are some great characters including the 000s, Moneypenny, M, Q and their quarry Mora in this sometimes quite complex plot. In the second half of the book especially, the action is quite enthralling and it is easy to imagine this transferring to the large screen.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC
This is the third book in a trilogy and can be read as a standalone, but it may help with keeping track of so many characters if you have read the first two books. Hurricane Room is a classic Bond story of non-stop action, daring escapes, survival in extreme situations and a relentless hunt for a master criminal. There are some great characters including the 000s, Moneypenny, M, Q and their quarry Mora in this sometimes quite complex plot. In the second half of the book especially, the action is quite enthralling and it is easy to imagine this transferring to the large screen.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Agent 003, Joanna Harwood, has finally found James Bond after years of searching. All she has to do is get him out of Russia alive and convince him to trust her again. But Bond trusts no one. And he wants revenge on Mora, the monstrous figure at the head of Rattenfänger – a terrorist organisation with links to the past. MI6’s Double O section is in pieces. Moneypenny is captured. Agents have switched sides. And Rattenfänger’s plans for hijacking the cyber-intelligence of the West are finally about to be realised. Bond and the remaining Double Os must work together to save the world.
This is the third book in the trilogy & at last Bond appears. I’d recommend reading in order to fully appreciate it. Well written, fast paced , strong characters & I thoroughly enjoyed it. If you love Bond then this trilogy is for you
I voluntarily read and reviewed a special copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own
This is the third book in the trilogy & at last Bond appears. I’d recommend reading in order to fully appreciate it. Well written, fast paced , strong characters & I thoroughly enjoyed it. If you love Bond then this trilogy is for you
I voluntarily read and reviewed a special copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own
May 27, 2026
The final entry in the Double-O series and it’s a fitting climax to the trilogy.
This is a tight and bright novel that is a taut thriller, packed with action and races the reader to the thrilling conclusion.
I’ve really enjoyed each of the books in this series and Kim does a fantastic job of making her characters feel just as deserving and interesting and worthy of your time and attention as all of the fan favourite Fleming characters which appear here.
Recommended?: well if you’ve read books one and two it’s a must isn’t it? If you haven’t, you really should. Modern, thrilling, beautifully written, enjoyable in the plotting. This is a trilogy with a clear path, a neat beginning, middle and end that entertains throughout. It’ll be a shame to see Kim go from the Bond literary world, I could easily have enjoyed a fourth in this series.
This is a tight and bright novel that is a taut thriller, packed with action and races the reader to the thrilling conclusion.
I’ve really enjoyed each of the books in this series and Kim does a fantastic job of making her characters feel just as deserving and interesting and worthy of your time and attention as all of the fan favourite Fleming characters which appear here.
Recommended?: well if you’ve read books one and two it’s a must isn’t it? If you haven’t, you really should. Modern, thrilling, beautifully written, enjoyable in the plotting. This is a trilogy with a clear path, a neat beginning, middle and end that entertains throughout. It’ll be a shame to see Kim go from the Bond literary world, I could easily have enjoyed a fourth in this series.
May 21, 2026
Hurricane Room is the third title in the Double-O series by Kim Sherwood. You don't need to read the first two to dive into this one but it helps. The story is suspenseful, the dialogue engaging, and the equal partnership between Bond and Johanna Harwood was interesting, especially from the perspective of a female writer. I loved the short chapters, which made the story move faster. Kept me turning the pages until the end. I really wish Sherwood would write more Bond stories--she's the best Bond writer since John Gardner. I would definitely read more from her if she continued the series.
Bond fans would no doubt love this latest entry.
Five stars! Highly recommended.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced sneak peek. So good I bought a hard copy upon release.
Bond fans would no doubt love this latest entry.
Five stars! Highly recommended.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced sneak peek. So good I bought a hard copy upon release.
May 23, 2026
This is a wonderful ending to this trilogy continuing the Janes Bond fictional history, and in fact bringing the other 00s to life.
This one starts showing a young Bond starting out. The style here is more the humorous movie portrayal, with backstory. Then we move into the trilogies main arena, the other 00s. Those that are still alive as Smersh has risen in strength. Including 007 and 003, along with Moneypenny.
And the climax through the rest of the book is edge of the seat fun.
The three books in the series are superb and well worth finding and reading in order for most impact.
Thank you to Harper Collins UK, Harper Fiction and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.
This one starts showing a young Bond starting out. The style here is more the humorous movie portrayal, with backstory. Then we move into the trilogies main arena, the other 00s. Those that are still alive as Smersh has risen in strength. Including 007 and 003, along with Moneypenny.
And the climax through the rest of the book is edge of the seat fun.
The three books in the series are superb and well worth finding and reading in order for most impact.
Thank you to Harper Collins UK, Harper Fiction and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This is the third and final instalment of the "Double O" trilogy expanding the world of James Bond beyond the original Ian Fleming novels .Unlike the classic Bond stories ,this series treats the Double O agents as a team with competing loyalties which opens the door for tension ,betrayal and shifting alliances. The plot revolving around a global cyber attack rather than Cold War nostalgia. An interesting take on James Bond a fast paced thriller with a big explosive Bond finale .Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC
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