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John Gardner's Bond #7
Scorpius
A young girl's body is fished out of the Thames. Very sad but not so extraordinary. That is, not until Special Branch discover two unusual items. The only telephone number in the late Emma Dupre's diary was Bond's; also a new kind of credit card. Apparently legitimate, but unknown.
Emma, well-connected, ex-junkie, had also been involved with a new religious sect - The Society of the Meek Ones led by the charismatic Father Valentine. The Society upholds traditional moral values and is harmless. Or is it? Why does Father Valentine have links with Vladimir Scorpius, the vanished international arms dealer?
James Bond is called in to unravel the threads with the help of the beautiful Harriett Horner, in a labyrinthine tale which brings him face to face with the most sadistic and evil opponent of his career.
Emma, well-connected, ex-junkie, had also been involved with a new religious sect - The Society of the Meek Ones led by the charismatic Father Valentine. The Society upholds traditional moral values and is harmless. Or is it? Why does Father Valentine have links with Vladimir Scorpius, the vanished international arms dealer?
James Bond is called in to unravel the threads with the help of the beautiful Harriett Horner, in a labyrinthine tale which brings him face to face with the most sadistic and evil opponent of his career.
334 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
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906 people want to read
About the author
John Gardner
113 books179 followersBefore coming an author of fiction in the early 1960s, John Gardner was variously a stage magician, a Royal Marine officer and a journalist. In all, Gardner has fifty-four novels to his credit, including Maestro, which was the New York Times book of the year. He was also invited by Ian Fleming’s literary copyright holders to write a series of continuation James Bond novels, which proved to be so successful that instead of the contracted three books he went on to publish some fourteen titles, including Licence Renewed and Icebreaker.
Having lived in the Republic of Ireland, the United States and the UK, John Gardner sadly died in August of 2007 having just completed his third novel in the Moriarty trilogy, Conan Doyle’s eponymous villain of the Sherlock Holmes series.
Having lived in the Republic of Ireland, the United States and the UK, John Gardner sadly died in August of 2007 having just completed his third novel in the Moriarty trilogy, Conan Doyle’s eponymous villain of the Sherlock Holmes series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
May 20, 2016
Gardner's 7th and now he's really starting to get things right! Even if we're still seeing traces of the movie Bond, the agent we meet in 'Scorpius' feels much more like Fleming's than in the earlier books. He even makes mistakes and owes quite a lot to luck and stamina, more than elegance and 'superhero' stuff. Gardner has also given up on trying to fit an aging Bond into the world and situations where he most often finds himself - instead he chooses not to focus, or even mention his age. Simple and working solution!
Megalomanic grand plans and strange motivations and actions by a "super-villain" feels like par for the course and all the other ingredients are in place. Gardner has a tendency to sometimes explain too much, to tell but not show and also to use some odd narrative grips such as "hiding" things from the reader. Not by telling us after the fact, but by, for example, in the midst of a "normal dialogue" add something like "Bond said another five words" - revealing some ingenious plan to the other character, but obviously managing to conceal this from the omniscient third person narrator... The book was such a nice surprise though, so I managed to overlook the few measly points such as these I had (and the fact that there was a part that was quite slow...) and hit this with 4 shining stars!
Oh, and Gardner's meta-joke about Bond watching "The Untouchables" on a transatlantic flight featuring "one of his favorite actors playing an Irish policeman" - love it!
Megalomanic grand plans and strange motivations and actions by a "super-villain" feels like par for the course and all the other ingredients are in place. Gardner has a tendency to sometimes explain too much, to tell but not show and also to use some odd narrative grips such as "hiding" things from the reader. Not by telling us after the fact, but by, for example, in the midst of a "normal dialogue" add something like "Bond said another five words" - revealing some ingenious plan to the other character, but obviously managing to conceal this from the omniscient third person narrator... The book was such a nice surprise though, so I managed to overlook the few measly points such as these I had (and the fact that there was a part that was quite slow...) and hit this with 4 shining stars!
Oh, and Gardner's meta-joke about Bond watching "The Untouchables" on a transatlantic flight featuring "one of his favorite actors playing an Irish policeman" - love it!
May 31, 2013
Surprisingly good, given some of the weaknesses of the Gardner era, and a bit chilling when considered from the post-9/11 mindset. It's very interesting to read a book from the 1980s, where the notion of radical religion-fueled suicide bombings in the West is something the intelligence community sees as beyond the pale. If written today, I imagine there would be much less shock, and much more world-weariness...
December 3, 2020
Dammit! This seventh James Bond novel was so very good, and engaging...until it wasn't. With John Gardner's "Scorpius," the author created what could have been 007's greatest adversary, or at least one of the greatest at least. Yet for some reason, the author dropped the ball entirely in the book's final quarter, and ended up punting towards the end zone, and missing by a long shot.
Perhaps John Gardner painted himself into a corner, or simply ran out of time to come up with a satisfying finale that also makes sense. I do not know. What I DO know, however, is the setup for "Scorpius" truly placed James Bond and the world at large in very great danger. There's an evil arms dealer-turned religious cult guru who creates an army of suicide bombers who've been brainwashed into thinking that blood, carnage and destruction will not only make the world a better place, and also pave their own individual path to paradise. Yet what the brainwashed and drugged suicidal bombers do not know is their great leader Father Valentine is still very much the evil arms dealer Vladimir Scorpius, and he created his religious cult in order to establish a suicide bombers-for-sale business for which Scorpius has been very successful
So...yes, there is a lot at stake in "Scorpius." 007 is thrown into the Scorpius mix right from the get go, and soon enough becomes entangled with a beautiful American I.R.S. agent named Harriet "Harry" Horner. Yet it also seems obvious that James Bond's path to Scorpius has been a pre-arranged set-up. The only question is: why? Was 007 picked at random, so that Scorpius could use his British inside man to provide all of Bond's movements? Vladmir Scorpius seemed to have gone a very long way in terms of having plastic surgery, establishing a scary religious cult that also is masterful at getting people off drugs, obtaining thousands of followers, establishing an evil credit card company, and getting an inside man to track all of James Bond's actions, drugging his followers and having them play-act revelations about the cult's ambitions to British police and secret service, all in the name of...making a lot of money? Huh?
...and what of Scorpius's "inside man," and who were Scorpius's clients that would pay so much money to disrupt a British general election via mass murder? Who the hell was Scorpius? He was just an evil capitalist? That's it? Was Scorpius really Harriet "Harry" Horner's guardian? And what was the deal about Scorpius insisting that James Bond and Harrier Horner get married? What was THAT about? The author answers none of these questions...none. WTF? And worse...
For the first time, ever, in any James Bond novel, 007 messes up so royally that the "Bond Girl" of the story actually dies a horrible death as a result. Though he had days to enjoy his "honeymoon" with new wife Harry, Bond insists they escape from Scorpius' Hilton Head island compound ASAP, or die trying. 007 insists that the explosives (provided by Q'ute of Q branch) he'll throw will clear the path so he and Harry can avoid being bitten by horrible poisonous snakes in the marsh outside their room. Yet guess what? Bond was wrong, and Harry is bitten multiple times by the snakes, and dies a miserable death. Worse, James Bond is later told that if only he waited another few hours to escape, the CIA and the SIS would have saved both Bond and Harry before they set one foot outside their door. Oh well. WHAAAAAAAAAAAT????????
I read, and re-read the portions of "Scorpius" where Harriet "Harry" Horner dies, thinking it HAD to be a set-up. It could not possibly be real. Yet to my horror, it was very real. James Bond, 007, makes a colossal error in judgement, and the woman who loved and trusted him dies as a result. What the feck was John Garner thinking? That's a HUGE plot point in the story. 007 NEVER, NEVER, NEVERRRRRRRRR! makes that kind of mistake, ever. Since James Bond is clearly responsible for Harry's death, the novel should have explored that in full. Instead, the story carries on with a very anti-climatic death of Vladmir Scorpius, and a lame revelation as to who Scorpius' inside man was (a Chief Superintendent who disappears after the first few chapters of the book). The powerful and unstoppable and untouchable Scorpius, turned out to be very touchable, and quite easy for James Bond to murder in cold blood. WHAAAAAAAAAT??? What the feck was this book?
Man, I don't know what John Gardner was thinking? Despite a strong set-up, "Scorpius" makes no friggin sense, and the James Bond in "Scorpius" is not the same British secret agent he was in all of the other novels. An otherwise engaging read turned horrendous and non-sensical. What a shame.
Perhaps John Gardner painted himself into a corner, or simply ran out of time to come up with a satisfying finale that also makes sense. I do not know. What I DO know, however, is the setup for "Scorpius" truly placed James Bond and the world at large in very great danger. There's an evil arms dealer-turned religious cult guru who creates an army of suicide bombers who've been brainwashed into thinking that blood, carnage and destruction will not only make the world a better place, and also pave their own individual path to paradise. Yet what the brainwashed and drugged suicidal bombers do not know is their great leader Father Valentine is still very much the evil arms dealer Vladimir Scorpius, and he created his religious cult in order to establish a suicide bombers-for-sale business for which Scorpius has been very successful
So...yes, there is a lot at stake in "Scorpius." 007 is thrown into the Scorpius mix right from the get go, and soon enough becomes entangled with a beautiful American I.R.S. agent named Harriet "Harry" Horner. Yet it also seems obvious that James Bond's path to Scorpius has been a pre-arranged set-up. The only question is: why? Was 007 picked at random, so that Scorpius could use his British inside man to provide all of Bond's movements? Vladmir Scorpius seemed to have gone a very long way in terms of having plastic surgery, establishing a scary religious cult that also is masterful at getting people off drugs, obtaining thousands of followers, establishing an evil credit card company, and getting an inside man to track all of James Bond's actions, drugging his followers and having them play-act revelations about the cult's ambitions to British police and secret service, all in the name of...making a lot of money? Huh?
...and what of Scorpius's "inside man," and who were Scorpius's clients that would pay so much money to disrupt a British general election via mass murder? Who the hell was Scorpius? He was just an evil capitalist? That's it? Was Scorpius really Harriet "Harry" Horner's guardian? And what was the deal about Scorpius insisting that James Bond and Harrier Horner get married? What was THAT about? The author answers none of these questions...none. WTF? And worse...
For the first time, ever, in any James Bond novel, 007 messes up so royally that the "Bond Girl" of the story actually dies a horrible death as a result. Though he had days to enjoy his "honeymoon" with new wife Harry, Bond insists they escape from Scorpius' Hilton Head island compound ASAP, or die trying. 007 insists that the explosives (provided by Q'ute of Q branch) he'll throw will clear the path so he and Harry can avoid being bitten by horrible poisonous snakes in the marsh outside their room. Yet guess what? Bond was wrong, and Harry is bitten multiple times by the snakes, and dies a miserable death. Worse, James Bond is later told that if only he waited another few hours to escape, the CIA and the SIS would have saved both Bond and Harry before they set one foot outside their door. Oh well. WHAAAAAAAAAAAT????????
I read, and re-read the portions of "Scorpius" where Harriet "Harry" Horner dies, thinking it HAD to be a set-up. It could not possibly be real. Yet to my horror, it was very real. James Bond, 007, makes a colossal error in judgement, and the woman who loved and trusted him dies as a result. What the feck was John Garner thinking? That's a HUGE plot point in the story. 007 NEVER, NEVER, NEVERRRRRRRRR! makes that kind of mistake, ever. Since James Bond is clearly responsible for Harry's death, the novel should have explored that in full. Instead, the story carries on with a very anti-climatic death of Vladmir Scorpius, and a lame revelation as to who Scorpius' inside man was (a Chief Superintendent who disappears after the first few chapters of the book). The powerful and unstoppable and untouchable Scorpius, turned out to be very touchable, and quite easy for James Bond to murder in cold blood. WHAAAAAAAAAT??? What the feck was this book?
Man, I don't know what John Gardner was thinking? Despite a strong set-up, "Scorpius" makes no friggin sense, and the James Bond in "Scorpius" is not the same British secret agent he was in all of the other novels. An otherwise engaging read turned horrendous and non-sensical. What a shame.
April 6, 2014
SCORPIUS - as several of the 007 novels by Gardner before it - starts out with a lot of intrigue and a lot of potential. In my opinion, the villain Scorpius had all the potential in the world to be as impactful a villain as Auric Goldfinger - I envisioned him almost a cross between that famed villain and Wayne Newton's televangelist from the film version of Licence to Kill.
That said, while the first three-quarters of the book were set up quite nicely, I found myself somewhat questioning the execution of some of the plot devices in the pages to come. Not that I disagree, but anytime you conjure up the images of Tracy or use Bond's emotions in a plot twist I think there just needs to be more of a reason to do it. Some of what was done would make sense; I just don't know if enough was done to develop that part of the story and make it vital to the storyline the way it all played out.
THE SEAN CONNERY REFERENCE made my day.
That said, SCORPIUS - overall - was an enjoyable read. 3 out of 5 stars. Could have been 4 easily.
That said, while the first three-quarters of the book were set up quite nicely, I found myself somewhat questioning the execution of some of the plot devices in the pages to come. Not that I disagree, but anytime you conjure up the images of Tracy or use Bond's emotions in a plot twist I think there just needs to be more of a reason to do it. Some of what was done would make sense; I just don't know if enough was done to develop that part of the story and make it vital to the storyline the way it all played out.
THE SEAN CONNERY REFERENCE made my day.
That said, SCORPIUS - overall - was an enjoyable read. 3 out of 5 stars. Could have been 4 easily.
January 23, 2021
A good entry in the literary James Bond series by John Gardner.
A young woman is pulled out of the Thames, a victim of drowning. She is a member of a new religious group called The Meek Ones. In her purse is a unknown credit card, and the personal phone number of James Bond......
Bond is soon on the case, but the religious group always seems one step ahead....
I like this one for several reasons. M (Bond's boss) has a bigger part than usual. A good part of the novel takes place in England. Bond doesn't leave the country until 200 pages in. There aren't many Q gadgets in this one, either.
And there is a fun, quick tip of the hat to a real life Bond actor.
As you read this one, remember it was written in 1988. The world was a different place.....The type of violence in the story didn't seem as possible then....
A young woman is pulled out of the Thames, a victim of drowning. She is a member of a new religious group called The Meek Ones. In her purse is a unknown credit card, and the personal phone number of James Bond......
Bond is soon on the case, but the religious group always seems one step ahead....
I like this one for several reasons. M (Bond's boss) has a bigger part than usual. A good part of the novel takes place in England. Bond doesn't leave the country until 200 pages in. There aren't many Q gadgets in this one, either.
And there is a fun, quick tip of the hat to a real life Bond actor.
As you read this one, remember it was written in 1988. The world was a different place.....The type of violence in the story didn't seem as possible then....
September 25, 2013
I've tried reading the Ian Fleming Bonds and never got past more than a third of the way. I found this on holiday and really enjoyed it. It's not "literature" and it's not going to get the brain cells moving much faster but it is good fun. Recommended easy holiday reading.
November 24, 2012
Definitely one of the better 007 novels by Gardner, who seems to have had a good streak with Role of Honour and Scorpius.
June 10, 2016
John Gardner wrote this, his seventh James Bond novel, a year before the on-screen Bond faced a similar plot in Licence to Kill. These books are always a balancing act. Don't let the story stray too far from the original Fleming story-line, but also try something new. Its interesting to read a 1980s story where suicide bombing features. Especially when its fuelled by religion and takes the Western intelligence agencies by surprise.
So, in summary an enjoyable, but forgettable read. Scorpius had the potential to be as iconic as Auric Goldfinger. Although the story never quite panned out like that. There was a nice nod to Sean Connery in the middle of the tale.
Pulpy fun.
So, in summary an enjoyable, but forgettable read. Scorpius had the potential to be as iconic as Auric Goldfinger. Although the story never quite panned out like that. There was a nice nod to Sean Connery in the middle of the tale.
Pulpy fun.
Read
August 6, 2021It works in some places; in others, not. Gardner settled into a Bond-mode with this book from which he never really escaped, though occasionally transcending his usual limitations. The identity of the 'turncoat' or traitor seemed to me well-disguised in this one, with a doubled-double cross of sorts. The fate of the Bond Girl is among the more horrifying of all Bond-time. In Tracy di Vicenzo's circle. The foundational plot--religious fanaticism perverted to criminal use--is not unknown to us. And I did chuckle at 007 watching a film starring one of his favourite actors, while on a transatlantic flight. But for all that worked, I felt that Gardner had lost the edge that was present in his first three continuation novels. When his follow-up proved to be a film novelization, the negative trends seemed to be confirmed. The second "half" of JG's Bond books are, on the whole, more formulaic. I've read them all, at least a half-dozen times, but always with a sense of "no matter how much I enjoy this subgenre, the individual entries could all have been better."
February 16, 2015
A British secret agent investigates a religious cult which has sinister undertones.
I thought this book was good, it had a decent plot, fast pace and was quite gripping – like the original Bond stories.
I’ve read a few books by this author and this is the only one that I’d recommend to people that enjoy the spy genre.
I thought this book was good, it had a decent plot, fast pace and was quite gripping – like the original Bond stories.
I’ve read a few books by this author and this is the only one that I’d recommend to people that enjoy the spy genre.
February 4, 2016
Bond is on the trail to stop the society of the meek ones, a cult lead by an evil arms dealer. The characters are very interesting. Bond is believable and fits today's headlines. Highly recommended.
February 8, 2016
Book was interesting and became better as it went along.
This was like reading a really good Bond film, but with much more realism.
The twists were nice and were not expected and all-in-all a recommendable mystery novel.
This was like reading a really good Bond film, but with much more realism.
The twists were nice and were not expected and all-in-all a recommendable mystery novel.
February 8, 2016
A good entry into Gardner's James Bond series. Psychotic cult leader, using drugs and hypnosis, sends members of his group to blow up world leaders. As all Bond books are, the story is basically unbelievable, but fun. Full of action with several plot twists. Recommended to Bond fans.
August 17, 2017
James Bond takes on a crazy cult, and by the time it's over, he has definitely invoked his license to kill. What was nice about this novel was the constant twists and turns it took which kept the reader guessing right up until the very end.
December 16, 2013
Enjoyable story, worth a read, especially if you are a James Bond fan.
January 13, 2013
A very modern plot to this one. Chilling reading...
January 2, 2024
Scorpius was one of the first Bond novels that I read and I’ve had a certain fondness for it over the years. However, with all the time and reading that had passed since that first time (I had only ever read one Fleming book at that point in time) I was uncertain how it would hold up on rereading it 20 years later. Thankfully, it held up pretty well and I enjoyed it as much as I remember enjoying it first time around.
One of the unusual features of the novel is that about ⅔ of it is set in the UK, which reminded me a bit of Moonraker on this re-read. I enjoyed seeing Bond on home turf and interacting with other British services, like Special Branch and SAS. Another similarity to that novel is that Bond doesn’t end up ‘getting the girl’ at the end of this one, although the circumstances are quite different. This novel benefits from having a few characters which I found more memorable than most of those inhabiting the Gardner canon, namely the villain Vladimir Scorpius, aka Father Valentine, the Bond girl Harriet Horner, and SAS man John ‘Pearly’ Pearlman. Villains with multiple names is a bit of a trope with Gardner, and often a confusing and annoying one. In this case, the dual identities are a much more integral part of the villain’s character and as a result, it is neither confusing nor annoying.
The action finally shifts to America during the last third, and to be honest I enjoyed the UK-based sections more. The American part has Bond in the ‘lair’ of Father Valentine’s religious cult The Society of the Meek Ones, and ‘marrying’ Harriet in a Meek Ones wedding ceremony. Those passages were a bit less exciting to me, but the American setting does have a memorable feature, which is a swamp full of Water Moccasin snakes that are a natural barrier to escape for Bond, and also bring about the demise of the villain Scorpius/Valentine. The novel then has a second climax where Bond and Pearlman thwart a political assassination. In fact, assassinations by suicide bombing are the modus operandi of the Meek Ones, and this is another memorable and chilling aspect of the novel.
Scorpius isn’t one of the very top Gardner novels, but it is one of the best of the middle ranking books, and I enjoyed it very much on re-reading.
One of the unusual features of the novel is that about ⅔ of it is set in the UK, which reminded me a bit of Moonraker on this re-read. I enjoyed seeing Bond on home turf and interacting with other British services, like Special Branch and SAS. Another similarity to that novel is that Bond doesn’t end up ‘getting the girl’ at the end of this one, although the circumstances are quite different. This novel benefits from having a few characters which I found more memorable than most of those inhabiting the Gardner canon, namely the villain Vladimir Scorpius, aka Father Valentine, the Bond girl Harriet Horner, and SAS man John ‘Pearly’ Pearlman. Villains with multiple names is a bit of a trope with Gardner, and often a confusing and annoying one. In this case, the dual identities are a much more integral part of the villain’s character and as a result, it is neither confusing nor annoying.
The action finally shifts to America during the last third, and to be honest I enjoyed the UK-based sections more. The American part has Bond in the ‘lair’ of Father Valentine’s religious cult The Society of the Meek Ones, and ‘marrying’ Harriet in a Meek Ones wedding ceremony. Those passages were a bit less exciting to me, but the American setting does have a memorable feature, which is a swamp full of Water Moccasin snakes that are a natural barrier to escape for Bond, and also bring about the demise of the villain Scorpius/Valentine. The novel then has a second climax where Bond and Pearlman thwart a political assassination. In fact, assassinations by suicide bombing are the modus operandi of the Meek Ones, and this is another memorable and chilling aspect of the novel.
Scorpius isn’t one of the very top Gardner novels, but it is one of the best of the middle ranking books, and I enjoyed it very much on re-reading.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 27, 2025
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Scorpius by James Gardner follows agent 007 as he infiltrates a religious cult run by a terrorist whose goal is to assassinate politicians. Mr. Gardner was an award-winning author and professor of medieval literature.
James Bond’s phone number is found in the pocketbook of a dead girl, which leads the investigation to look at a cult called The Society of the Meek Ones. Bond, who knows the girl, has suspicions about the cult’s leader, Father Valentine.
As he continues to investigate, 007 realizes that Father Valentine is Vladimir Scorpius, a ruthless criminal and terrorist. As he infiltrates the cult and is forced to marry Harriett Horner of the IRS, the stakes suddenly go beyond national security and become immensely personal.
The seventh book in the John Gardner’s Bond series starts off with an exciting adventure more reminiscent of Ian Fleming’s MI6 agent than the one in the movies. James Bond is even lacking stamina and makes crucial mistakes during the narrative.
Vladimir Scorpius is an interesting villain, which is what makes most stories. He’s a megalomaniac who has taken the 1980s religious terrorism and uses it for his plans.
It’s amusing to read books from this era, where modern technology seems old to us. Some of the old-school, considered high-tech when Scorpius by James Gardner was written, spy craft had me thinking that in today’s world, the solution might be a sentence where the character just googled the answer.
The novel set up the grand finale quite nicely, and the last quarter just…fizzled. Despite the great plot and interesting villain, the plot is uneven, and in dark moments, the author decided to include some silliness. That works in movies, not in novels.
Despite all that, I thought this was one of the better Bond novels that Mr. Gardner wrote. The meta joke where Bond is watching The Untouchables starring “one of his favorite actors” surprisingly works well.
Scorpius by James Gardner follows agent 007 as he infiltrates a religious cult run by a terrorist whose goal is to assassinate politicians. Mr. Gardner was an award-winning author and professor of medieval literature.
James Bond’s phone number is found in the pocketbook of a dead girl, which leads the investigation to look at a cult called The Society of the Meek Ones. Bond, who knows the girl, has suspicions about the cult’s leader, Father Valentine.
As he continues to investigate, 007 realizes that Father Valentine is Vladimir Scorpius, a ruthless criminal and terrorist. As he infiltrates the cult and is forced to marry Harriett Horner of the IRS, the stakes suddenly go beyond national security and become immensely personal.
The seventh book in the John Gardner’s Bond series starts off with an exciting adventure more reminiscent of Ian Fleming’s MI6 agent than the one in the movies. James Bond is even lacking stamina and makes crucial mistakes during the narrative.
Vladimir Scorpius is an interesting villain, which is what makes most stories. He’s a megalomaniac who has taken the 1980s religious terrorism and uses it for his plans.
It’s amusing to read books from this era, where modern technology seems old to us. Some of the old-school, considered high-tech when Scorpius by James Gardner was written, spy craft had me thinking that in today’s world, the solution might be a sentence where the character just googled the answer.
The novel set up the grand finale quite nicely, and the last quarter just…fizzled. Despite the great plot and interesting villain, the plot is uneven, and in dark moments, the author decided to include some silliness. That works in movies, not in novels.
Despite all that, I thought this was one of the better Bond novels that Mr. Gardner wrote. The meta joke where Bond is watching The Untouchables starring “one of his favorite actors” surprisingly works well.
November 25, 2021
Scorpius! He’ll sting you with his dreams of power and wealth. Beware of Scorpius! His twisted twin obsessions are his plot to rule the world, and his employees’ marital health!
A full version of this review can be found on The Reel Bits as part of my 007 Case Files. They get opened and dusted off every few months. Here's an extract (for your eyes only):
A full version of this review can be found on The Reel Bits as part of my 007 Case Files. They get opened and dusted off every few months. Here's an extract (for your eyes only):
"SCORPIUS is one of those stories that’s entirely of its time while being an ill portent of the world to come. On the one hand, there’s a thinly connected subplot about Avante Carte, a credit card designed to take down people’s bank accounts. It’s one of those very 80s views of how computers worked, and the fears that came with them: "There was a microchip in that thing which gave them access to the Stock Market."
Yet the Meek Ones have also been seen as a forerunner to the War on Terror in the new millennium, complete with the clash of ideologies and the increased security presence. It might also be playing on the backdrop of the The Troubles in Northern Ireland, and the bombing campaign against infrastructure, commercial entities and political targets that rocked headlines in the late 1980s. As such, it’s often been called one of the more violent books in Gardner’s Bond oeuvre.
[...]
Coming about midway through Gardner’s Bond run, SCORPIUS sees the writer settling into the rhythm of the franchise. Even so, as James Harker points out, the series is often “dogged by silliness” and cites this book’s setting of “the glamourous locale of Chippenham” as a prime example. In every other way, it remains a somewhat dated but engaging outing.
July 22, 2023
A floater turns up in the Thames and the only thing on her is James Bond's phone number. Turns out she is the daughter of some rich people Bond knows, and for the last few years she's been part of a religious cult known as the Meek Ones. When Bond goes to investigate he meets Harriet Horner and they both almost get killed. From then on basically every place Bond goes is attacked either just before he gets there or shortly after he leaves. Everything leads to the cult leader Father Valentine, who has a doomsday plot with religious zealots ready to die for him. James Bond falls afoul of the IRS, goes to a wedding, and blows up a snake. Also, he shoots people.
Gardner's books get more and more like Fleming the more he writes. Here we watch Bond as he drives around a lot and is perpetually late to the action, not even meeting the villain until two thirds of the way in. Everyone around him is a potential turncoat, and he makes some elementary mistakes which end up getting people killed. Also, we get a very nice description of a couple of his meals, especially breakfast. His clothing style is also touched on, particularly his socks. All the kinds of things that Fleming used to flesh out the original Bond.
A couple of side notes:
One personal one. James Bond takes the Piedmont Airlines flight from London to Charlotte. My dad worked for Piedmont Airlines for 30 years, and I still have many items with the old triple wing emblem. Nice to see them mentioned.
Two. On the flight Bond watched the inflight movie The Untouchables, where Bond sees his favorite actor playing a police man. From this we can surmise that James Bond is a huge fan of Andy Garcia.
Gardner's books get more and more like Fleming the more he writes. Here we watch Bond as he drives around a lot and is perpetually late to the action, not even meeting the villain until two thirds of the way in. Everyone around him is a potential turncoat, and he makes some elementary mistakes which end up getting people killed. Also, we get a very nice description of a couple of his meals, especially breakfast. His clothing style is also touched on, particularly his socks. All the kinds of things that Fleming used to flesh out the original Bond.
A couple of side notes:
One personal one. James Bond takes the Piedmont Airlines flight from London to Charlotte. My dad worked for Piedmont Airlines for 30 years, and I still have many items with the old triple wing emblem. Nice to see them mentioned.
Two. On the flight Bond watched the inflight movie The Untouchables, where Bond sees his favorite actor playing a police man. From this we can surmise that James Bond is a huge fan of Andy Garcia.
January 17, 2026
On reading the first pages, this is a comfortable return to old territory for fans of 007. It looks and feels authentic. The gruffness of M, the serious personality of Bond are both there. But as the story develops, I was struck by just how 'wordy' it becomes. I'm used to a Bond with clear orders who gets stuck in. For me, the action never really got going.
The plot stretches credibility, but you could say the same of Fleming's books. But they all contain fast-paced adventure as Bond moves from location to location. This book seemed to drag - dialogue scene after dialogue scene. Scorpius is an arms dealer-cum-terrorist, who uses drugs and his 'magnetic' personality to persuade his followers to commit acts of sabotage that double-up as suicide missions. He's a 'baddy', but not in the Blofeld or Goldfinger league.
The book was published thirty-five years ago, and it was a tall order to write something as good as Ian Fleming's output. Like the latter's work, some of the language/terminology feels a bit out-dated now, but wouldn't have been possibly at the time.
In the final analysis it's a two star book - OK is about right. But compare it to Fleming's stories, which is the ultimate measure, and for me this one doesn't stand up alongside the earlier 007 tales.
The plot stretches credibility, but you could say the same of Fleming's books. But they all contain fast-paced adventure as Bond moves from location to location. This book seemed to drag - dialogue scene after dialogue scene. Scorpius is an arms dealer-cum-terrorist, who uses drugs and his 'magnetic' personality to persuade his followers to commit acts of sabotage that double-up as suicide missions. He's a 'baddy', but not in the Blofeld or Goldfinger league.
The book was published thirty-five years ago, and it was a tall order to write something as good as Ian Fleming's output. Like the latter's work, some of the language/terminology feels a bit out-dated now, but wouldn't have been possibly at the time.
In the final analysis it's a two star book - OK is about right. But compare it to Fleming's stories, which is the ultimate measure, and for me this one doesn't stand up alongside the earlier 007 tales.
April 2, 2021
In the first two thirds of this book, you feel that John Gardener has finally got the right mix in a Bond novel. Here we see some good old fashioned spycraft mixed in with the usual action; gadgets and uncertainty on who to trust. What elevates this is the introduction of a modern style of terrorism and you can almost feel MI6 trying to catch up and handle this.
The final third sees the book fall away. We are given a great Bond villain who Bond often refers to as the most evil he has met. His demise is pretty underwhelming and it turns out he was not as great as we thought. This doesn't really build up to the usual big Bond finale and is more a series of anti climaxes.
Overall, the best Gardner Bond so far.
The final third sees the book fall away. We are given a great Bond villain who Bond often refers to as the most evil he has met. His demise is pretty underwhelming and it turns out he was not as great as we thought. This doesn't really build up to the usual big Bond finale and is more a series of anti climaxes.
Overall, the best Gardner Bond so far.
March 3, 2019
A lot of readers of the Bond series include this among the best written by Gardner. I found it to be merely average. Too many of the plot elements were too over the top. An arms dealer masquerading as a priest has a brainwashed cult following him as he attempts to use them to get an election thrown his way so he can start a holy war. International arms dealers without wars are not making money. The "Bond girl" here is an undercover IRS agent in England investigating credit card fraud by cult members. Some good action and it moves along quickly at fewer than 300 pages, but it isn't up to par with the best of the series.
February 8, 2025
The first 40 pages (my copy has 345 pages) could’ve been cut. He knows who the villain will be and his disguise. The story is part Scientology, part terrorism and cults. The terror threat really puts the spy branch on alert and rattles M. Bond really falls for Harriet. He is vicious at the end. This death is interesting as this method was only used twice before on villains. What is the connection?
I heard of this book before I got into the Gardner books so, it must have been a best seller. I can see why, it has so many elements of Gardner and a call back to Tracy from the Fleming books.
I heard of this book before I got into the Gardner books so, it must have been a best seller. I can see why, it has so many elements of Gardner and a call back to Tracy from the Fleming books.
January 4, 2019
This was another of John Gardner's rather tedious Bond books. This was written around the time of overblown news of Satanic cults were all the talk. The story is a rather odd tale of a doomsday cult carrying out terrorist attacks to disrupt British elections. It is somewhat prophetic, however, in hindsight seeing how many civil liberties we have given up today now that terrorist attacks are daily news--something this novel feared.
April 15, 2018
The pseudo-religious fanatic human bomb aspect has proven to be all to real in our world today. Assassinations and political election intrigue also. The island lair seemed borrowed from Fleming's Blofeld finale. The credit card access to the stockmarket maybe a little underwheliming. But good twists, turns and action all the way to the end.
January 21, 2021
An intriguing story, that leaves lots of questions about the protagonists unanswered, it almost feels like it is missing the usual wrap up chapter.
Enjoyable, easy reading thriller. Written before the concept of suicide bombers had lost its shock factor, provides an interesting perspective of 1970s/80s experience of terrorism.
A fun addition to the series.
Enjoyable, easy reading thriller. Written before the concept of suicide bombers had lost its shock factor, provides an interesting perspective of 1970s/80s experience of terrorism.
A fun addition to the series.
November 24, 2021
Much of Scorpius is unexpectedly compelling. Unexpectedly because not much happens in this book and because John Gardner:compelling::Burger King:soup. Gardner nevertheless succeeds, for the seventh time in a row, to stamp out a Saltine of a villain, while omitting intricacy, detail, and fun, as if he dictated the manuscript in the cab on the way to the printer.
June 9, 2022
A fast, fun read. Plenty of typical Bond stuff - car chases, attractive available women, megalomanic villain - but with a twist when Bond messes up in a very costly way. You are left with some unanswered questions at the end of the book - the biggest being who hired Scorpius - but it was still a fun read
April 30, 2023
An intriguing and entertaining experience
Gardner is quite good in this Bond installment. He even tips his hat to Sean Connery. Intriguing and entertaining. Clear writing with a compelling plot, a sinister antagonist and thesis, and with a fast, suspenseful pace. The Audible is well performed by Simon Vance.
Gardner is quite good in this Bond installment. He even tips his hat to Sean Connery. Intriguing and entertaining. Clear writing with a compelling plot, a sinister antagonist and thesis, and with a fast, suspenseful pace. The Audible is well performed by Simon Vance.
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