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The Moneypenny Diaries #2
Secret Servant
Jane Moneypenny may project a cool, calm and collected image, but her secret diary reveals a different story. In the grip of an uncertain love affair and haunted by a dark family secret, the last thing she needs is a crisis at work.
But the Secret Intelligence Service is in chaos. One senior officer is on trial for treason, another has defected to Moscow, and her beloved James Bond has been brainwashed by the KGB. Only a woman’s touch can save them.
Moneypenny soon finds herself embroiled in a highly charged adventure infused with the glamour of the Cold War espionage game. Alone on a dangerous Russian mission she turns, with breathless intimacy, to writing a truly explosive private diary.
But the Secret Intelligence Service is in chaos. One senior officer is on trial for treason, another has defected to Moscow, and her beloved James Bond has been brainwashed by the KGB. Only a woman’s touch can save them.
Moneypenny soon finds herself embroiled in a highly charged adventure infused with the glamour of the Cold War espionage game. Alone on a dangerous Russian mission she turns, with breathless intimacy, to writing a truly explosive private diary.
311 pages, Hardcover
First published November 2, 2006
9 people are currently reading
299 people want to read
About the author
Kate Westbrook
7 books21 followersSamantha Weinberg is a British novelist, journalist and travel writer. Author of Books such as A Fish Caught in Time : The Search for the Coelacanth and the James Bond inspired trilogy The Moneypenny Diaries under the alias Kate Westbrook. She currently resides in Wiltshire, England.
In 1994 she wrote Last of the pirates: in search of Bob Denard (ISBN 0224033077), about French mercenary Bob Denard.
In 2003 she won the CWA Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction for her book Pointing from the Grave: a True Story of Murder and DNA (ISBN 0241141362), about the murder of biotechnologist Helena Greenwood in California in 1985 and the pioneering use of DNA profiling in tracing her killer 15 years later.
In 1994 she wrote Last of the pirates: in search of Bob Denard (ISBN 0224033077), about French mercenary Bob Denard.
In 2003 she won the CWA Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction for her book Pointing from the Grave: a True Story of Murder and DNA (ISBN 0241141362), about the murder of biotechnologist Helena Greenwood in California in 1985 and the pioneering use of DNA profiling in tracing her killer 15 years later.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
December 10, 2015
The first of the Moneypenny diaries was already great fun to read and actually did deliver a far better story than any of the James Bond continuation writers had delivered. This 2nd volume of this series does an even better job. As 007 plays only a marginal role in this installment. This is when 007 has dissapeared after his final meeting with Blofeld in Japan and untill he returns and tries to kill M. He spends time in a hospital before he gets send out to the caribean to kill a certain Scaramanga. This leaves this story of Jane Moneypenny a lot of space where she can shine. She's is brought into contact with the wife of infamous Kim Philby of the Cambridge spy-ring that shattered the public trust the UK in the '60's. And through that contact she finds herself in the role of fieldagent in another country all alone. And yet through this book runs the search for her father and what has happened to him, is there another mole in the intelligence service? And where is colonel Boris the USSR agent that tried to turn and kill her last book.
It is an exiting novel with a lot of pace, no real actionscenes but great characterisation of figures that played a marginal role in the Fleming books.
It is an exiting novel with a lot of pace, no real actionscenes but great characterisation of figures that played a marginal role in the Fleming books.
February 25, 2025
Kissy Suzuki strikes again!
February 24, 2022
Being a fan of Fleming's Bond novels - and the films for the most part - I was equally interested as I was wary of this spin-off series. I predicted a cheap though fun foray into Cold War espionage with an unlikely female lead - along with all the pro-feminist "woman are just as capable as men" sledge hammer we are used to nowadays. Actually, the book proved me quite wrong. To my surprise, Kate Westbrook doesn't serve up an obnoxious "reimagining" of the famously masculine James Bond thriller. The content, characters and even style of the novel are much closer to the original novels - though without their usual force - than I would ever have expected. Suffice to say I got the impression Westbrook is indeed a genuine fan of Fleming's Bond and has no desire to disrespect the license. (No, we can leave that to Hollywood to do at some point in the near future). Secret Servant takes itself and its subject seriously. This is a good thing.
Yet, paradoxically, it is also what kind of drags it down. And look, I listened to this on audio. Some of my gripes are more to do with the reader than the work itself. It was narrated by Eleanor Bron - I have experienced her narration before with Daphne du Maurier's The Parasites. With the latter - a melancholic portrait of a dysfunctional celebrity family in the 1940s - Bron's sad and timid voice is appropriate for the story. With Secret Servant, she makes Moneypenny sound on the verge of tears the whole time. I'm not saying she isn't allowed to be like this, but the book and its marketing seemed to promise a more sassy and confident take on the "female spy" concept. Bron's reading became gratingly at odds with the character's believability. Not to mention she pronounced "007" as "oh-oh-seven". Has she never seen a Bond film before?
Forget the reader though. The book itself was really not as exiting as I hoped it would be. It had me reassured early that it wasn't going to suck: the writing was fine and the attitude towards its licence respectful. I also liked that it grounded itself in the literary universe, rather than the more popular cinematic one. But the story never really gets off the ground. Moneypenny didn't even go behind the Iron Curtain until three-quarters through the book, and then it's just a tedious game of dodging through streets and shops and churches, wondering whether she's being followed or not. She doesn't kill one person, which doesn't have to be a bad thing - Bond kills no one directly in Casino Royale - but it does stand at odds with even the front cover, which shows an enlarged pistol next to a tube of lipstick.
Ultimately, this is not a bad book. I would hardly tell people not to read it, to avoid it. But I would certainly not hasten to recommend it either. Mostly it's just boring.
Yet, paradoxically, it is also what kind of drags it down. And look, I listened to this on audio. Some of my gripes are more to do with the reader than the work itself. It was narrated by Eleanor Bron - I have experienced her narration before with Daphne du Maurier's The Parasites. With the latter - a melancholic portrait of a dysfunctional celebrity family in the 1940s - Bron's sad and timid voice is appropriate for the story. With Secret Servant, she makes Moneypenny sound on the verge of tears the whole time. I'm not saying she isn't allowed to be like this, but the book and its marketing seemed to promise a more sassy and confident take on the "female spy" concept. Bron's reading became gratingly at odds with the character's believability. Not to mention she pronounced "007" as "oh-oh-seven". Has she never seen a Bond film before?
Forget the reader though. The book itself was really not as exiting as I hoped it would be. It had me reassured early that it wasn't going to suck: the writing was fine and the attitude towards its licence respectful. I also liked that it grounded itself in the literary universe, rather than the more popular cinematic one. But the story never really gets off the ground. Moneypenny didn't even go behind the Iron Curtain until three-quarters through the book, and then it's just a tedious game of dodging through streets and shops and churches, wondering whether she's being followed or not. She doesn't kill one person, which doesn't have to be a bad thing - Bond kills no one directly in Casino Royale - but it does stand at odds with even the front cover, which shows an enlarged pistol next to a tube of lipstick.
Ultimately, this is not a bad book. I would hardly tell people not to read it, to avoid it. But I would certainly not hasten to recommend it either. Mostly it's just boring.
January 12, 2013
Fun read which gives a chance to see Moneypenny's life and the secret service from the 60's.
July 15, 2014
Good escapist fun
November 12, 2020
While I had heard of The Moneypenny Diaries some time ago, I did not dive into them until recently as I read and re-read as many Bond novels as I can get my hands on leading up to "No Time to Die."
"Guardian Angel" was brilliant - woven directly into the tapestry of "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" and "You Only Live Twice" along with the eventual backdrop of the Cuban Missile Crisis. It added much additional story to the James Bond experience from 1962.
"Secret Servant" covers 1963 in the life of Miss Moneypenny - which includes some of "The Man With the Golden Gun" from the vantage point of 007 (but not enough - his appearances in this one are much more fleeting), her continued mission from the first story involving search of a potential mole in SIS, and the "present-day" plight of her niece (the author) to publish the stories.
Enjoyable, but a step below the first. 3 stars out of 5.
"Guardian Angel" was brilliant - woven directly into the tapestry of "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" and "You Only Live Twice" along with the eventual backdrop of the Cuban Missile Crisis. It added much additional story to the James Bond experience from 1962.
"Secret Servant" covers 1963 in the life of Miss Moneypenny - which includes some of "The Man With the Golden Gun" from the vantage point of 007 (but not enough - his appearances in this one are much more fleeting), her continued mission from the first story involving search of a potential mole in SIS, and the "present-day" plight of her niece (the author) to publish the stories.
Enjoyable, but a step below the first. 3 stars out of 5.
July 27, 2023
This doesn’t quite meet the quality and intrigue of the first entry, tarnished somewhat by the fact that the novelty factor of the format has somewhat worn-off.
Despite this, the book tells a great story, and continues to fuse this meta Fleming and real-word event universe into a single, believable and compellingly faithful continuation of the 1964 set Fleming universe.
The plot feels a lot more claustrophobic than the first book, and reminded me a lot of Horowitz’s recent “With a Mind to Kill”.
Recommended?: we get Moneypenny in Russia, real life historical figures like Kim Philby as characters, and lots of Fleming characters such as Tanner, Bond, M, Goodnight and Kissy Suzuki all making appearances. What’s not to like if you love James Bond?
Despite this, the book tells a great story, and continues to fuse this meta Fleming and real-word event universe into a single, believable and compellingly faithful continuation of the 1964 set Fleming universe.
The plot feels a lot more claustrophobic than the first book, and reminded me a lot of Horowitz’s recent “With a Mind to Kill”.
Recommended?: we get Moneypenny in Russia, real life historical figures like Kim Philby as characters, and lots of Fleming characters such as Tanner, Bond, M, Goodnight and Kissy Suzuki all making appearances. What’s not to like if you love James Bond?
September 10, 2019
This is the second book in The Moneypenny Diaries series, and I enjoyed it even better than the first. Jane Moneypenny's niece has her once hidden diaries, and struggles with their personal and national implications. In the diaries, Jane Moneypenny continues to search for evidence of her long lost father as she works for the British secret services. Set during the Cold War, and now, it is full of thrilling danger and adventure, as well as the emotional toll of a life of espionage.
July 5, 2021
This is a good fun read blending historical facts; Bond and a new fictional narrative starring Miss Moneypenny. If you are prepared to overlook that a secretary would be sent on a field mission you will enjoy this.
August 2, 2017
A definite page turner and a interesting plot to engage the reader throughout the book.
March 20, 2023
The secret adventures of James Bond's right-hand lady, love these old amazing stories. Love James Bond and The Moneypenny Diaries are amazing read.
December 7, 2024
While I generally liked this one, it seemed a bit all over the place. Special thanks to the Brisbane City Council Library for having this available in audio format.
February 8, 2012
The second volume of The Moneypenny Diaries covers the period from the end of Ian Fleming’s You Only Live Twice until after the end of The Man with the Golden Gun; and in real life, Kim Philby’s defection to Moscow from Beirut and the assassination of JFK. If you are a Bond fan - like me - then this is a good read: if you are a female Bond fan - unlike me - then this book is a must read. Once again, Miss Moneypenny turns out to have been much more than just M’s devoted secretary; but a loyal member of the Firm willing to risk her life for Queen and country on active duties overseas.
These are great books that give a female slant on the cloak and dagger world of James Bond and are thoroughly entertaining. One quick warning though; this book will spoil both of Fleming’s novels mentioned above if you have not already read them
These are great books that give a female slant on the cloak and dagger world of James Bond and are thoroughly entertaining. One quick warning though; this book will spoil both of Fleming’s novels mentioned above if you have not already read them
December 8, 2010
This is a roller coaster spy story based on Ian Flemming's characters in his series about James Bond. Miss Moneypenny's diaries were inherited by her niece who is a historian. The niece prepared the diaries for publication despite being warned off by MI5. So there are two stories. Miss Moneypenny's account of working for MI5 and the niece's story of publishing the diaries and realising that there was a double agent at work in the 60's who was never caught. Can the Niece work out who it is? You can read the book to find out!I really enjoyed the early part of the book when Kate Westerbrook wove accounts of the Profumo scandal and defection of Kim Philby into her story. The second part was enjoyable but slightly far fetched but not so much that it spoiled the story for me.
April 24, 2009
The 2nd of 3 in the Moneypenny Series. Still not released in the US, but I found them in the UK last month and brought them all back with me! The story continues with Jane Monepenny taking on more of a spy roll within MI6 and her experiences are exciting! I always thought the Bond movies from the 60's and 70's were incredibly cheesy and ridiculous...but now I see that they perfectly mimicked the books that they were made from, and reading it is just plain fun!
August 8, 2011
I really enjoyed this book, more so than the first in the series, "Guardian Angel". The book covers the period in the Ian Fleming books from You Only Live Twice until The Man with the Golden Gun.
A good, fun book that focuses more on the female staff of MI6. Miss Moneypenny is much more than M's secretary...
A good, fun book that focuses more on the female staff of MI6. Miss Moneypenny is much more than M's secretary...
May 5, 2009
This book was really, really fun. I'm converted and plan on reading the rest in the series. I expected it to read like Chick Lit, but that was not the feeling at all. It's actually rather dense. I would recommend this book for male and female Bond fans!
July 24, 2012
I like these, but I'm a sucker for James Bond and spies. And the Cold War. I lisetned to the first two (and have the third) as audiobooks and the narrator does a good job. Too bad there are only three, but maybe she's written others?!
April 17, 2011
I can see why this was in a bargain box at Borders for $2. Got mildly interesting after about 200 pages, but that soon disappeared. Wouldn't bother.
July 27, 2011
a fun female bond book
December 14, 2012
Someone please remind me NOT to read until 11.25pm in order to finish my book again. *SO* tired this morning!
April 3, 2013
It was only OK, but I will definitely read the others if I find them.
June 5, 2019
Read this for the second time and enjoyed it all the more the second time around. So so great. Good development of the characters from the first one and can't wait to read the third and final book.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews