Trigger Mortis

James Bond - Extended Series #47

by Anthony Horowitz

James Bond is back where he belongs.

Anthony Horowitz’s new novel is a thrilling tour de force, sure to delight fans of the original 007 novels and new readers alike. It also features previously unseen material written by Bond’s creator, Ian Fleming.

The story begins in the lethal world of Grand Prix and an attempt by the Russians to sabotage a race at Nürburgring, the most dangerous track in Europe. Bond is in the driving seat but events swiftly take an unexpected turn, pitching him into an entirely different race with implications that could change the world.

Anthony Horowitz recreates the golden age of Bond, packed with speed, danger, strong women and fiendish villains, in this brilliantly authentic adventure.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Espionage, Mystery, Crime, Audiobook, Adventure

316 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 8, 2015

About the author

Anthony Horowitz, OBE is ranked alongside Enid Blyton and Mark A. Cooper as "The most original and best spy-kids authors of the century." (New York Times). Anthony has been writing since the age of eight, and professionally since the age of twenty. In addition to the highly successful Alex Rider books, he is also the writer and creator of award winning detective series Foyle’s War, and more recently event drama Collision, among his other television works he has written episodes for Poirot, Murder in Mind, Midsomer Murders and Murder Most Horrid. Anthony became patron to East Anglia Children’s Hospices in 2009.

On 19 January 2011, the estate of Arthur Conan Doyle announced that Horowitz was to be the writer of a new Sherlock Holmes novel, the first such effort to receive an official endorsement from them and to be entitled the House of Silk.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/anthon...

Reviews

[Kemper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bond. James Bond.

And a very old school James Bond at that.

007 returns to his roots with this story set in the late ‘50s that begins with the spy trying to save the life of a British race car driver who has been targeted by the Soviet’s deadly SMERSH division, and this leads to a plot created by evil Korean millionaire Jason Sin against the American space program. Along the way Bond meets a mysterious and beautiful woman named Jeopardy Lane who also has a keen interest in the activities of Sin.

I’ve only read a couple of the original Bond books so I’m much more familiar with the movie version of the character, but this does seem like one of the old Ian Fleming novels. Since Anthony Horowitz credits a unused outline that Fleming wrote as part of a never made TV series as an inspiration for this book it’s no surprise that it’s got a lot of the old Bond flavor to the story.

This creates a bit of a dilemma in that Bond in his original incarnation is kinda horrifying when you apply modern standards to him. At first it seems as if Horowitz was just going to let Bond be the same kind of guy he was as written by Fleming with the book starting shortly after the events of the Goldfinger novel. Bond is shacked up in London with Pussy Galore, a lesbian he *ahem* cured by banging her straight, and now she’s making him breakfast and has a cocktail waiting for him when he gets home after a hard day of spying.

All of that seems pretty cringe worthy at first until you realize that Horowitz is actually showing how their relationship isn’t working, and there’s a pretty hilarious moment when Pussy turns the tables on him. Likewise, there’s a scene in which Bond meets an old acquaintance who is a homosexual, and it’s clear that James has a history of being horrible to this guy because of it. However, the character gets to rip into Bond in a speech that Fleming would never have done.

So Horowitz manages a tricky tightrope walk of presenting Bond as the type of man he was as originally written while pointing out all his failings and still somehow making him heroic despite those flaws. Even the villain Jason Sin gets a backstory that humanizes him, and his portrayal is done without the racism that tarnishes older Bond books.

Overall this is an entertaining retro version of a James Bond story that is kind of bonkers but fun. If you like the Fleming books or the Sean Connery movies like Dr. No and Goldfinger then you’d probably enjoy this.

[James Tivendale · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 - Pretty enjoyable quick read.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well the book has a title, which does not blow me away immediately, and a former Bond lady is involved namely the very PC named Pussy Galore. In both instances I have my doubts, but what the heck Horowitz did such a good job with Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty so he gets the benefit of the doubt.

When i was a wee lad I discovered the works of Messieurs Leslie Charteris & Ian Fleming in my fathers bookcases. What followed was the moving from certain books to my bookcase and 2nd hand shopping buying missing novels by both writers. I did discover the 007 movie series after I had read all Fleming novels and the Colonel Sun one. Ever since then I have read all continuation novels by the various writers of whom of which perhaps surprisingly "The Moneypenny trilogy" was easily the best the universe of 007 had to offer in recent times. And perhaps less surprising those were written by a woman who was able to bring 007 back to life and make him interesting.

That said I was looking forward to the Horowitz vehicle especially since a part of the book was based upon an outline for an abandoned TV script concerning a car race on the Nurburgring racetrack. Not surprisingly Horowitz does manage to write an excellent tale that comes closer to the Fleming era than any continuation writer has managed since Fleming. This is not the James Bond we know from the movies, it is a very clear James Bond from the Fleming novels and that one was clearly missing for quite a while. I cannot believe that any of the previous Celebrity Trilogy (Faulks, Deaver & Boyd) have not read the book and must have felt a great joy with this 007 novel and some regret that they did not come up with something of similar quality.

James Bond is send to racing school in order to prevent an assassination of a British race-car driver. There Bond finds the folks from SMERSH working together with some mysterious multimillionaire. That leads Bond to the USA and the race to space from the early years of the space rockets. An exciting tale of 007 that is welcomed by folks who prefer the Fleming Bond over the movie 007.

A great little thriller which gives us a great 007 novel and leads to the hope that Horowitz does write another. If not him than please one by Charlie Higson whose young James Bond books showed he had a good feeling for the era 007 really belonged in.

[Karl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ian Fleming wrote 14 Bond books in total beginning with 1953’s “Casino Royale”. “Goldfinger “ appeared in 1959. Now Mr. Horowitz has given us a direct sequel to “Goldfinger” complete with Pussy Galore, the lesbian gangster, who in “Trigger Mortis” he has now moved into James Bonds London apartment. The lust filled relationship does not last long because Bond must take on a new mission. That mission is of protecting the life of a British race car driver.

The racing sequences, which take up about the first one hundred pages of the book, are provided by Fleming himself from a television treatment he wrote for an unproduced Bond television show.

Of course there is an evil bad guy,he is named Jai Seung Sin, who is kind of comically sadistic, and who lets his adversaries and henchmen play an ancient Koran card game that will force them to choose their own manor of death. Sin of course is aligned with SMERSH to do their dastardly bidding. In this novel the concern is outer space and the space race.

When Ms. Galore is written out of the story, perhaps because she can not cook the morning eggs the way Bond really likes them, or because Bond has cured her of her lesbian proclivities through his manly ways, of course a new Bond girl needs to be introduced to seduce Mr. Bond and in this book it is Jeopardy Lane and she plays her part well.

Of this latest batch of Bond books written by Jeffrey Deaver, Sebastian Faulks and William Boyd, this one seems the closest to the flavor and atmosphere of the original Bond books. I hope the Fleming estate allows Mr. Horowitz to produce more of these Bond books in the future.

[Samuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

DEAD HAND

"I think you're a sexist, misogynist dinosaur. A relic of the Cold War, whose boyish charms, though lost on me, obviously appealed to that young girl I sent out to evaluate you."- M.

"I shall not waste my days prolonging them. I shall use my time". - Ian Lancaster Fleming.

Continuation novels. They’re the unloved and neglected stepchild of fiction. Never being able to capture the magic of the original author’s work, even if they’re so well written in their own right, critics and certain fans will wail that the final product is inferior. Recently however, there were two books which bucked this trend. The first was The Survivor by Kyle Mills. The second, is the book which I shall be reviewing today. Ian Fleming’s Trigger Mortis. For half a century, the estate of Ian Fleming has released continuation novels for James Bond. Many were bad, some got better with time and the rest are best not to be mentioned.

Most recently, there have been 3 books. The first, “Devil May Care”, was a horrendous blundering wreck of a story and its author butchered Bond to the point of unrecognizability with his characterization. Second there was “Carte Blanche”, a failed experiment which tried to modernize Bond but did so at the cost of failing to replicate the Fleming touch. Finally, there was “SOLO”, which according to many reviews was just plain boring as hell.

So, many of the more fanatical Bond fans and serious literary critics were despairing when a fourth 007 continuation novel was announced. Trigger Mortis. The title was unjustly savaged as corny and concerns were increased by the overly hyped return of a character from a previous book. So it came as quite a big surprise when every single literary critic who reviewed “Trigger Mortis” lavished accolades on the book and every James Bond fan site toasted the praises of author Anthony Horowitz. All were in unanimous agreement. Trigger Mortis is the best James bond continuation novel ever released and standing on its own, is a pretty damn good story too.

How did this happen? Well, for starters, the Fleming estate gave Mr Horowtiz a TV treatment written by Ian Fleming for a James Bond TV show episode that was never released. Next, the book is set in the original timeline, a few months after the Goldfinger novel, helping give the book that extra Fleming feel. Finally, and perhaps the biggest reason why Trigger Mortis was so successful is because of the author, Anthony Horowitz.

Mr Horowitz made his name working as a TV writer and Young adult novelist. His most famous creation is Alex Rider, the first successful teenage spy series of the last decade. I borrowed some from a young nephew of mine, and found them to be a brutally dark deconstruction of the very concept of having teenager as a spy, the books pointing out how psychologically dead and crushed a teenager would become in such a high stress profession. So when I heard he had been announced as the next Bond continuation novelist, I was in the minority of people who were delighted.

And Horowitz did not disappoint. Unlike the authors of DMC, CB and SOLO, Horowitz is a Bond purist par excellence. He knew what makes a Bond novel great, but resisted the urge of allowing his own vision to completely blot out Fleming’s creation, perhaps the biggest sin committed by the 3 authors who came before him.

Unlike them, Horowitz studiously attempted to replicate Fleming’s writing style and how he characterized Bond, namely as her Majesty’s blunt instrument, a well – dressed, martini swilling government assassin with social views which would give half of the West’s social justice warriors a seizure. At the same time, Horowitz paradoxically strove to make a balance of sorts, deconstructing many of the more unpleasant tropes and conventions that made Fleming notorious. Now to the review. What happens when a casualty of the Cold War rises from the grave?

The novel begins on the East coast of America. A German American rocket scientist who took advantage of the opportunities opened up by the OSS Operation Paper-clip is busy betraying his adopted country for money. He meets with a shadowy individual in a diner to receive his payment for a service he conducted at a rocket launching facility for the individual’s boss. Returning home, the German tells his wife to get packed but is promptly stabbed in the back, relieved of the money and left to die in a towering inferno by the woman he thought he loved. We then cut to London. James Bond is called into the office by M who has a strange assignment lined up for his top killer. Intel gathered by a murdered Czech asset run by the Secret Service suggests that the Soviet Union plans to kill Britain’s top racing driver at the upcoming German Grand Prix.

Bond, being cinema and literature’s premier badass driver is imminently suited to the task and sent to train for the trip to the Nurburgring with a female racing car driver. They play off well with one another and she even provides him with assistance when a problem from the past comes calling, and eventually ends their relationship on a good note, with someone special in the bargain. Heading to Germany, 007 enters the race and proceeds to accomplish his close protection assignment by running the Soviet assassin off the track before the man can hit his target. Despite winning this battle of the covert war, Bond knows he’s not finished yet. Before the race, he spotted a high value target, the leader of the Soviet SMERSH black ops service, who was arguing with a Korean man.

Wrangling an invitation to the after race party held at the Korean’s castle,
Bond learns that the man is named Jae Sung Sin and he’s a multimillionaire businessman in America. Sneaking into the upper levels of the Castle, Bond finds documents hinting at a conspiracy, and runs into a mysterious American woman. Seconds later, Sin’s security detail burst in and 007 enters a new race, one which takes our Secret Agent across the Atlantic and into a bowels of a scheme that if successful, would change the balance of power in the Cold War with no one the wiser. With the clock ticking to blast off and a major assault on the West set to demolish one of its major metropolitan centers, the only question remains. In a fight between two dead men walking, who will be the victor and who the vanquished?

In terms of plot, Trigger Mortis is executed to perfection. With Horowitz aiming to replicate the feel and style of the original novels, as far as contemporary standards can humanely tolerate, this story is packed with all the surreal, absurd and fun threats that characterized the middle part of Fleming’s work. It’s back to 1950’s with all the period details and atmosphere brought to life with aplomb along with an ocean of alcohol and a fog of cigarette smoke. The narrative is inspired by some of the threads, themes and threats from the original books, yet while respecting the heritage in a way that the previous continuation novels utterly failed to do the story of Trigger Mortis also provides the pace and intensity that readers expect of a contemporary spy novel.

As a continuation novel however, how does it truly fare? Extremely well. Like Kyle Mills who finished writing Vince Flynn’s “The Survivor” around the time, Horowitz took a nearly identical approach to writing his continuation novel. Attempt to replicate the feel and style of the original authors while trying to find more subtle ways to make their own personal mark on the series that they’re books are a part of. And Horowitz does this with 007.

The writing style of Trigger Mortis heavily replicates Fleming’s own, from the vivid visual metaphors to the explanation point laden internal monologue and even the infamous literary swearing censor that Fleming used in “Goldfinger”. The characterization of Bond here is also a standout. This is the Bond Fleming introduced to us. The killer all men want to be and all women lust after. The well dressed, martini chugging blunt instrument of British foreign policy, who despite possessing some unenlightened opinions about the world around him, ultimately means well and has the moral fortitude to defend civilization from those who wish to burn it to the ground.

At the same time however, Horowitz doesn’t make a total clone of a Fleming novel. In this age of the social justice warrior, that would have been impossible. To counterbalance the nostalgia, he downplays certain tropes, gently pokes fun at others and obliterates the rest. For starters, Bond most certainly does not get the girl in this book, when she makes him realize that he would never be a long term commitment fellow in a million years. The Bond girl in question is also a far cry from those in the original novels. While not a badass government assassin like 007, she’s a lot more cunning than he is and at several points in the story, pulls Bond out of the fire through some impressive quick thinking.

Then there’s a very mature resolution to the Pussy Galore plot thread from the previous book. Horowitz deconstructs the infamous “heterosexuality conversion” from Goldfinger, savagely pointing out the hollowness of the relationship Bond has with the character and eventually having Galore find the right woman, specifically the racing driver training Bond for his Germany assignment, and run off with her. I could go on and on, but suffice to say, Horowitz does a good job in dissecting and demolishing quite a few of the more notorious conventions and tropes Fleming used, while at the same time succeeding at recreating Fleming’s style far more successfully than the other continuation authors.

Before writing this review, I read an analysis of Trigger Mortis done by a James Bond fan site, this findings which I concurred with. It was about a running theme in Trigger Mortis. Specifically about the ability to move on in life and break free from the past whether said past is good or bad. The Pussy Galore appearance for example is a meta one for the readers. She’s totally irrelevant to the actual plot and merely a link to the original timeline. Due to Galore’s incongruity, Horowitz uses her to point out how we can’t cling onto certain parts of the Bond literary universe in this day and age. The past is the past, and even the world’s most famous super spy is not immune despite what the films claim.

In the novel itself, multiple members of the cast have tried to break free from their pasts. The main Bond villain for instance tried but ultimately failed to let go of his past life, and was consumed by madness as a result. Even the main secondary protagonist is no exception. While she and Bond grow close during the story, ultimately, she realizes, unlike him that their relationship would never last in the long run and maturely tells 007 to move on after one final fling, a sharp contrast to the start of the novel where Bond tried to delude himself into thinking he and Pussy galore could make things work.

Now to setting and characters. Well, this book primarily takes place in snow - swept Germany and the East Coast of the USA. From a harrowing black bag job in a surreal German castle to a violent gun battle through a New Jersey motel and finishing with an intense, breath-taking race along the Coney Island subway line, Trigger Mortis provides some great backdrops for the action and violence that literary James Bond partakes in. So, we come to the characters. Horowitz did very well in this department. I’ll focus on three. Bond, the girl and the target.

First, James Bond 007. As mentioned previously, the Bond Horowitz created is perhaps the closest in characterization to Fleming’s original. The skilled Cold Warrior full of moral certainty that his job of dealing death to the enemies of Britain and the free world is right and proper. Is he badass? Yep! Getting buried in a New Jersey construction site doesn’t slow him down in breaking necks and shooting his way through hired thugs once he gets back among the living for starters. This Bond fearlessly goes up against the odds and behaves like a man who knows he’s going to win or doesn’t care if he loses.

The Bond of the previous three continuation novels was a more passive fellow. The Bond of Horowitz however, happily takes the piss out of his enemies before trying to shoot, stab or beat them dead. However, in this book, Horowitz has fun with the character arc Bond goes through. He ensures the world doesn’t go 007’s way like in the later Fleming novels and early films. The author also does Fleming wouldn’t have done, namely shaking 007’s worldview. In Trigger Mortis, the villain introduces the sort of moral ambiguity that Bond hasn’t had to deal with since Casino Royale. Seeing Bond slightly shaken when he realizes just who he’s dealing with was one of the highlights of the story.

Next, Jeopardy Lane, the Bond girl and secondary protagonist. She’s an agent of the USSS tasked with the counterfeiting side of the service. A former showgirl and stuntwoman who got a lucky break before going into law enforcement, Jeopardy meets Bond in Germany and much to the annoyance of the secret agent, manages to outwit him and make off with a package he had planned to send back to London. Eventually in America, they form an alliance to go after the main threat of the novel.

As a character, I found Lane brilliant. She’s not particularly impressed by Bond’s charms and for much of the story, their relationship is a professional one centered on their law enforcement/intelligence gathering work. While not a badass killer, Jeopardy isn’t a shirking violet who Bond needs to protect. She’s more than happy to run over hired killers with her car when the need arises and possesses skills that Bond doesn’t have. One of those skills in question comes into play in the climax and without it, Bond would have totally failed his assignment in the worst possible fashion.

Finally, we have Jae Sung Sin, the bad guy. A Korean American millionaire, Sin hails from Seoul and could be considered one of the Cold War’s forgotten casualties. His life was destroyed by the Korean War and he built himself a new one in the United States. However, the past warped this highly intelligent individual who allowed the Soviet Union to cultivate him as an intelligence asset for a special operation they have planned targeting their biggest enemy. As a character, Sin on the surface is a slightly more down to earth Bond villain.

Firstly, he’s got not over the top deformities like say Dr No and is for all intents and purposes merely a very intelligent fellow with substantial financial resources and an army of killers. But beneath the surface, Sin is far more interesting. During the Korean War, he was involved in a real life incident known as “No Gun Ri” (something which you damn well should Google after reading this review). The incident left him alive but took a lot from him, particularly his sanity. As a result, unlike most Fleming bad guys who are irredeemable, Sin’s got a very legitimate beef with his adopted homeland and goes to horrifying lengths to get even.

Another after effect caused by Sin’s past has made him obsessed with death. Having encountered it and survived, Sin is by far the most nihilistic Bond villain in recent memory. The man aspires to obtain the power of death and tries to do so through a very unique card game (which inspired the title of this review). Seeing him go up against James Bond, by far the most famous fictional dealer of death is a treat.

Criticism? Well the main henchman of Jae Sung Sin ended up with an anticlimactic fate. He performed well in his attempt to kill Bond but ultimately, his shallow characterization and Jeopardy hitting him with her car made me disappointed at the wasted opportunity.

So, my verdict is this. Trigger Mortis is the best James Bond continuation novel written and by itself is one of the greatest continuation novels published. Written by an author who respected the heritage of the series he was contributing to, the book features a well shaken cocktail of nostalgia, solid plotting, a surprisingly deep narrative under the nods to the past and the thrills and spills readers expect from a good spy novel. If you’re a Bond fan who has despaired at the quality of the previous novels, I’m happy to say, Trigger Mortis hits dead center where its predecessors have missed time and again.

[Skip · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think Ian Fleming's estate chose Anthony Horowitz wisely to entrust with some story fragments, perhaps meant for another book or omitted from the final version of Goldfinger. This James Bond story, starts with James together with Pussy Galore, who has escaped to London with him. True to the lifestyle Bond leads, he is selected to save a British car racer from a Russian (SMERSH) sanction by entering into a very challenging professional race. He is quickly embroiled in a case involving the death of a German-born scientist working on the American space effort, and competing with an American woman to understand the involvement of a Korean businessman (nicknamed Jason Sin) in the plots. I like his two other series (Alex Rider, which is great boy early teen reading and the Gatekeeper) better than this, in part because I found the Bond character inconsistent, perhaps because Horowitz has a different vision then Fleming.

[Monnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had my name on it right from the git-go. First, I'm a diehard fan of the late Ian Fleming's James Bond books - and of the motion pictures as well, though for the most part they have little in common with the books. Second, Anthony Horowitz also authored Moriarty, to which I happily awarded 5 stars (yes, I love Sherlock Holmes as well).

For the first few chapters, though, I began to wonder if this one was destined to be not much more than name-dropping of people and places from other Bond books (it begins as Pussy Galore is ensconced in Bond's flat as a protective measure after the Goldfinger affair). Okay, I expected some of that - this one marks Bond's return after an electrifying exchange with Oddjob at Fort Knox. But would there be a real plot here with enough substance to stand on its own?

So, I consulted my Bond expert husband, who had just passed the book on to me, and his answer was a resolute yes. Even more impressive, he said, is the authenticity of writing style compared with that of Fleming. Now that I've finished, I totally agree; especially when the action began to heat up as the end was near, I really felt as if I were immersed in the pages of From Russia with Love or You Only Live Twice.

Interestingly, author Horowitz says in the acknowledgements that the concept for this book came from outlines Fleming had created for a possible TV series that was being discussed in America prior to the success of the film, Dr. No. Once that took off, the series idea was scrapped, and a couple of those outlines were used as the basis for subsequent movies. But five remained and were given to Horowitz; he picked one that piqued his writing interest and actually used about 500 words of Fleming's own dialogue in one chapter of this book.

The story here, set about a dozen years after the end of World War II, is that Bond learns his old nemesis, SMERSH, wants to kill the chances that a leading racecar driver will win an international Grand Prix in West Germany, thus allowing a Russian driver to win and demonstrating the power of the Soviets. Bond's boss, M, sends him in to prevent that from happening (yep, that means he'll have to impersonate a real driver and do laps around the track himself). But prior to the race, he spots a meeting between a top SMERSH official and a shady Korean millionaire dubbed Jason Sin, and suddenly Bond is convinced there's much more afoot than winning a road race.

Needless to say, Bond is right on the money, and the chase begins to find out what the secretive Mr. Sin really is up to (and, that accomplished, convincing the U.S. and British powers-that-be of the need to stop him). As Bond fans should expect, the whole thing comes down to resolution by the very capable secret agent, who must pull out all the stops to keep the world safe for democracy. Again.

I've missed you, Mr. Bond - great to have you back!

[Bettie · Rating 3 out of 5]

BABT

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06kbm08

Description: It's 1957 and James Bond, agent 007, has only just survived his showdown with Auric Goldfinger at Fort Knox. By his side is Pussy Galore, who was with him at the end.

Unknown to either of them, the USSR and the West are in a deadly struggle for technological superiority in the Space Race. And SMERSH is back.

The Soviet counter-intelligence agency plans to sabotage a Grand Prix race at the most dangerous track in Europe. But it's Bond who finds himself in the driving seat and events take an unexpected turn when he observes a suspicious meeting between SMERSH's driver and a sinister Korean millionaire, Sin Jai-Seong.

Soon Bond is pitched into an entirely different race with implications that could change the world. Thrown together with American agent Jeopardy Lane, Bond uncovers a plan that will bring the West to its knees in a heart-stopping climax.

Trigger Mortis is the first James Bond novel to feature previously unseen Ian Fleming material.

Having survived a showdown with Goldfinger, Bond is back in London, and so is Pussy Galore

Bond is to protect British driver Lancy Smith

Bond already has his suspicions and is proven right at the start of the race

Sin Jai-Seong holds a party and Bond sneaks into his office

Bond and Jeopardy piece together the information from Sin's office

Bond tries to convince Cpt. Lawrence to postpone the rocket launch

Having kinked Sin to SMERSH, Bond and Jeopardy head to his gaff.

Bond and Jeopardy are held captive whilst Sin regales them with his evil plans

Having escaped a near-death experience, it is now a race against time

Will Bond make it in time to stop Sin's plans of destruction?

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actor David Oyelowo is a fine choice to read the best James Bond novel since Fleming. This unabridged audio version (with an epic running time of 9 hours & 32 minutes) is partly based on an unused television outline by Ian Fleming, set in the world of motor racing, called Murder On Wheels.
The author mixes in old characters from Fleming's novels & creates a whole new story concerning the American & Russian space race to great effect. There are perhaps too many references to 007's other adventures, but for the first time in fifty years here is a James Bond book that almost reaches the standard set by Fleming himself & I for one thought that would never happen. Horowitz folowed this with two more Bond novels (Forever and a Day & With a Mind to Kill) which were equally as good. I think I'll be rereading those two again later this year.

[BrokenTune · Rating 2 out of 5]

‘Don’t say that to me, you bastard! It’s what you want too – don’t think I don’t see it. You know what the big difference is between us? You can’t live with a woman in your life.’

Trigger Mortis is Anthony Horowitz's continuation of the Bond series. The story sets in after Goldfinger and begins with the description of what happens after Bond gets the girl
- in this case, of what happens to Bond's relationship with Pussy Galore.

I thought it was an interesting concept to show this side of Bond's life. Fleming didn't really do this. There were flashbacks to some of Bond's previous adventures and mentions of previous characters, but apart from professional acquaintances, characters did not appear again - as far as I can gather - in the later books. But of course, each book is a new adventure, and that is famously just as true of Bond's love life.

Plot-wise, the story gets going after Bond's relationship breaks up. He's sent on a mission to investigate some goings on at the motor races, which may or may not be manipulated by SMERSH in the efforts to win at .... everything.
This is a new environment for Bond. He can drive, but not well enough to compete at the professional races, nevermind at one of the most difficult courses in the F1 circuit - the Nuerburgring, which back in the day of when the book is set (1957) still only consisted of the infamous North Loop.
So, adventure ensues and before long Bond encounters the real villain of this book:

Curiouser and curiouser, Bond thought to himself, although he doubted he was going to bump into any white rabbits. Much more likely a mad hatter.

Jason Sin is a truly magnificent villain. He is evil to the core and makes Dr. No look like a big old softie. The main difference of course being that while Dr. No had an agenda doing his evil deeds, Jason Sin has neither values nor interests - he's arbitrary, and seemingly without emotions of any kind, the epitome of the notion that the opposite of love is not hate, but indifference. He, of course, also has an inventive way to dispose of his enemies:

‘Right now, in front of you, there are forty-five different ways to die. They are printed on the backs of these cards. Some of them demand your own co-operation.

The interesting thing about the villain in this piece is that Horowitz, quite contrary to Fleming's tradition, made Sin not only the perpetrator of crime but also a victim. In a way, Sin's actions are the result of the trauma he endured. It's a simplistic explanation of Sin's psychology. Too simplistic, but this is a Bond novel, BS is the order of the day.
Nevertheless, Sin's background story does something that is different in that is places responsibility for crimes against humanity at the door of the parties that usually are portrayed as the heroes. In this case, the US in the Korean war.

Another interesting aspect was that, unlike Fleming, Horowitz added in comments about the time in which Bond lives. I have often wondered what a Bond novel would be like if it contained criticism of contemporary society as part of any of the characters' parts. Now we know, even though it's clear that it's Horowitz's own reflection written from a point in the future. It still helped to create context for Bond and the way he acts in the books.

Anyway, the service is crawling with sisters. You know it and I know it. Look at that dreadful man Burgess. It’s a gift to the Soviets, letting them set up their honeytraps, snaring civil servants who are too young and too scared to know better. God knows how many secrets we’ve lost that way. Change the law and let people be what they want to be – that’s what I say. And as for you, maybe you should try to be a bit less of a dinosaur. This is 1957, not the Middle Ages! The second half of the twentieth century!’

So, with all of these intriguing aspects going on, why did the book not work for me as well as Goldfinger - it is a sequel after all?

It's not like I did not enjoy the book, but I also didn't like it. I think the most important aspect was that the book consisted of mostly description. The story seemed to take a backseat. It was just really hard to keep interested because all of the endless description (and explanation) between the scenes that moved the plot forward were just really boring. Incredibly boring actually. While I might despise Fleming for many of his views, I do admit that he could write. Descriptions in the original series were evocative and helped to show the characters as Fleming needed them to be understood. In Trigger Mortis, I got the impression that Horowitz included a lot of description to show that he had done his research as an author (which I applaud, but I don't want to read about it). So descriptions did not work for me to picture the scenes or experience the atmosphere, but seem to be used to tell why something was happening.

A great evil had been done to him but it had not made him evil. Sin might claim that what had happened at No Gun Ri had turned him into the monster that he undoubtedly was but Bond had escaped from the hell of a living grave and he had left nothing of his inner self, not an inch of his humanity, behind. That was the difference between them. It was why he would win.

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 starts. Classic, early Bond, with extra helpings of action and womanizing. Horowitz was lucky enough to pickup one of Fleming's incomplete story lines, one he had started developing for an American television series of all things, and does an admirable job of portraying Bond true to Fleming's early Bond novels. Although perhaps less exciting I enjoyed Horowitz's other Bond novel, Forever and a Day somewhat more, providing more dimension and insight into Bond's nature.

[George K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Βαθμολογία: 9/10

Δεύτερη ιστορία διά χειρός Άντονι Χόροβιτς με ήρωα τον Τζέιμς Μποντ που διαβάζω, μετά το εξαιρετικό μυθιστόρημα "Ο θάνατος του 007" που διάβασα πέρυσι τον Νοέμβριο, και δηλώνω ξανά ιδιαίτερα ικανοποιημένος, τόσο από την πλοκή, όσο κυρίως από τη γραφή. Το μόνο σίγουρο είναι ότι ο συγγραφέας σέβεται πάρα πολύ τη σειρά βιβλίων με πρωταγωνιστή τον σούπερ Άγγλο κατάσκοπο και πιάνει στον απόλυτο βαθμό την ατμόσφαιρα και το ύφος των βιβλίων του Ίαν Φλέμινγκ, αλλά και το ύφος των ταινιών με τον Σον Κόνερι στον ρόλο του Τζέιμς Μποντ.

Η ιστορία του συγκεκριμένου βιβλίου διαδραματίζεται λίγο μετά το τέλος της έβδομης περιπέτειας του Τζέιμς Μποντ, στην οποία αντιμετώπισε τον Όρικ Γκολντφίνγκερ, δηλαδή τον Χρυσοδάκτυλο. Οπότε θα πρότεινα να διαβάσετε πρώτα το βιβλίο "Ο Χρυσοδάκτυλος" (ή, έστω, να δείτε την ομότιτλη ταινία του 1964 με πρωταγωνιστή τον Σον Κόνερι), και μετά να διαβάσετε αυτό βιβλίο, γιατί υπάρχουν κάποιες σχετικές αναφορές. Αλλά, εντάξει, άνετα διαβάζεται και μόνο του, δεν υπάρχει κάποιο ιδιαίτερο πρόβλημα, απλά η όλη εμπειρία θα είναι πιο πλήρης. Λοιπόν, η πλοκή έχει όλα αυτά τα καλούδια που περιμένει κανείς από μια κλασική, ρετρό ιστορία με ήρωα τον Τζέιμς Μποντ: Χορταστική δράση, δυνατά σκηνικά, ωραία τοπία, γραφικούς κακούργους και μοιραίες γυναίκες. Ουσιαστικά ξέρεις πώς περίπου θα καταλήξει η ιστορία (ο Τζέιμς πάντα νικάει!), αλλά σημασία έχει η διαδρομή, ο όλος αγώνας του Μποντ να σώσει την κατάσταση, έστω και την τελευταία στιγμή.

Όσον αφορά τη γραφή, είναι πραγματικά πολύ καλή, άκρως ευκολοδιάβαστη και εθιστική, με ρεαλιστικές περιγραφές των σκηνών δράσης και βίας, καθώς φυσικά και των διαφόρων σκηνικών και τοπίων, αλλά και με φυσικούς διαλόγους. Αν μη τι άλλο ο Άντονι Χόροβιτς καταφέρνει με χαρακτηριστική ευκολία να μεταφέρει τους αναγνώστες πίσω στη δεκαετία του '50, στον επικίνδυνο μα συνάμα συναρπαστικό κόσμο του Τζέιμς Μποντ. Αντικειμενικά ίσως να μην αξίζει τα πέντε αστεράκια που θα του βάλω (για την ακρίβεια είναι τεσσεράμισι), όμως πέρασα τόσο μα τόσο καλά, που θα αισθανόμουν άσχημα αν δεν του τα έβαζα. Και στην τελική, έτσι γουστάρω!

[F.R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

In his Sherlock Holmes novel, Anthony Horowitz gave us an interesting and thoughtful book that could never been published in Conan-Doyle’s time, however when it comes to his James Bond novel we get little sign of similar revisionism. Instead we get probably the most James Bond novel you could possibly imagine. The racing car plot is ludicrous – did anyone else think of Mr Burns and Mr Smithers in ‘Speedway Squad’? – but it’s so on a par with other later James Bond novels that it’s astounding no one thought of doing it before. Also on a par – and reeking of the essence of James Bond – are the over the top villain, the gorgeous and improbably named women, the brutality, the sexism, the snobbery and the questionable views on sexuality. Yes. We can look at these in a 2015 novel in much the same disapproving way we look at the same kind of stuff in ‘Mad Men’, but that’s to have one’s shortcake (which is only acceptable in a recipe which includes cream and eggs, and is to be washed down only by a ten year aged Glengoyne) and eat it. This is a James Bond novel that’s tense and dangerous and loads of fun and everything you want a James Bond novel to be. Yes, there’s little sign of the author and very little original here at all (and I say that as someone who quite liked William Boyd’s take), but it is hard to criticise one of these new knock-off James Bond novels for being just too James Bond.

[Nigel · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, or 7/10

Entertaining addition to the Bond canon, could easily imagine this as a Bond film.
Set in the 1950's, it has Bond masquerading as a race-car driver to foil an assassination plot, before stumbling on to another, bigger plot involving the Space race.

Fans of Horowitz's Alex Rider series (a sort of teenage James Bond) will not find this outing much of a departure, with the action and obligatory seduction (tacked on at the end of the book almost as an afterthought) all being reasonably PG. In fact, this could actually be a YA book (without meaning that in a bad way).

Fun, with some thrills, and a reasonable plot. In all likelihood better than the original!

[Unsolved ☕︎ Mystery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, I finished this one.
I'm gonna be honest and admit that I REALLY enjoyed reading this book.

Hubby says he is turning me into a James Bond fan and he may be right!

I give five 🌟 to Trigger Mortis by Anthony Horowitz.

I plan on reading another James Bond book later this year. 🔫💸💣

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

So now on to one of the "new" James Bond books in a continuation of the original Ian Fleming stories - this this case set a matter of weeks after Gold Finger.

I will say now that I have read a number of Anthony Horowitz books and enjoyed them all he has a style which suits me and as a result I find his books easy to read once I get in to the storyline. I will also add that in that list I have read his two Sherlock Holmes books and found them very entertaining so I was very interested in reading this take on James Bond.

But what of the story - as a warning I am not a Ian Fleming expert so I cannot comment about the books although I have seen and enjoyed the majority of the films. That said I think after reading this book there is at least one of his I need to read.

But what of the storyline - well without giving away spoilers as there is a lot of references to past cases and especially to Gold Finger for obvious reasons when you read the book - The story is as fast paced and intriguing as you would expect. Now dont forget that this is part of the original stories so it is set during 1959 and all the historical trappings you would expect that go with that.

Once you have accepted this the book takes on a pace of its own and I really felt especially towards the end I was reading the story form an unreleased film. Now I know this book is not to everyones taste but it was written with the blessing of the Fleming estate and even has a clever homage to the man in the way of including the ideas from a never realised TV series he was working on.

I guess like any book that picks up a famous authors work years after their passing it will split opinion however I think the story is a worthy addition and clearly shows the time and effort Horowitz put in to writing it.

[Χρύσα Βασιλείου · Rating 4 out of 5]

Μετά από τον «Θάνατο του 007», ο Anthony Horowitz επιστρέφει με την «Παγωμένη σκανδάλη», όπου ο διασημότερος λογοτεχνικός μυστικός πράκτορας, ο Τζέιμς Μποντ, μπλέκεται σε άλλη μία συναρπαστικά επικίνδυνη περιπέτεια.

Η πλοκή τοποθετείται μετά το τέλος της επιχείρησης «Χρυσοδάκτυλος». Ο Μποντ έχει επιστρέψει στο Λονδίνο μαζί με την Πούσι Γκαλόρ, η οποία μένει στο διαμέρισμά του, όμως το ανήσυχο πνεύμα του πράκτορα έχει ήδη αρχίσει να διψά για νέες περιπέτειες. Όταν λοιπόν καλείται να αναλάβει μια νέα αποστολή, από τη μία ανυπομονεί να ξαναμπεί στην ενεργό δράση και από την άλλη το βλέπει ως ευκαιρία για να τερματίσει τη σχέση του με την Πούσι.
Η νέα αποστολή του Μποντ έχει να κάνει με το Γκραν Πρι της Φόρμουλα 1 στη Γερμανία και την προστασία ενός Βρετανού οδηγού, ο οποίος αποτελεί στόχο της SMERSH, της Σοβιετικής Υπηρεσίας Αντικατασκοπείας. Ο Μποντ θα πρέπει να συμμετάσχει και ο ίδιος στον αγώνα ώστε να αποτρέψει την επίθεση των Ρώσων, που πιθανότατα θα γίνει κατά τη διάρκεια της κούρσας – και φυσικά το καταφέρνει. Όμως η υπόθεση αυτή θα γίνει αιτία να τραβήξει την προσοχή του ένας εκατομμυριούχος, ο Κορεάτης Τζέισον Σιν, ο οποίος φαίνεται να έχει στενές επαφές με τους Ρώσους.
Το ένστικτο του Μποντ, που τον προειδοποιεί πως κάτι μεγαλύτερο κρύβεται πίσω από αυτό, θα θέσει τη ζωή του σε κίνδυνο και θα τον οδηγήσει στις ΗΠΑ και στα εκεί βήματα του Σιν. Έκπληκτος, ο πράκτορας συνειδητοποιεί πως ένα ολόκληρο μακιαβελικό σχέδιο, που αφορά μια επικείμενη εκτόξευση πυραύλου, έχει στηθεί και οργανωθεί από τον Κορεάτη, με καταστροφικά αποτελέσματα αν τελικά πετύχει. Ο Μποντ προσπαθεί μάταια να προειδοποιήσει τους Αμερικάνους, αλλά εκείνοι τον αγνοούν. Είναι μόνος του σε όλο αυτό· κι είναι ο μόνος που μπορεί να σταματήσει τα σχέδια του Σιν πριν να είναι πολύ αργά…

Με αυτό το βιβλίο, ο Horowitz (ξανα)αποδεικνύει γιατί το Ian Fleming Estate του επέλεξε για να γράψει καινούριες ιστορίες με τον διαβόητο Βρετανό πράκτορα. Έχοντας αποδείξει ότι διαθέτει μια άκρως ταλαντούχα πένα και παραμένοντας πιστός στο μοτίβο του Fleming σε ό,τι αφορά την προσωπικότητα του ήρωά του, πλάθει μια πλοκή αντάξια ενός Τζέιμς Μποντ, εμπλουτισμένη με όλα τα χαρακτηριστικά που τον ξεχωρίζουν και διαμορφώνουν την περσόνα του.
Όλα αρχίζουν με μια υπόθεση που θα μπορούσε να ολοκληρωθεί με επιτυχία, να αποτελέσει μια ακόμα νίκη στη «φαρέτρα» του Μποντ και η ιστορία να τελειώσει εκεί. Όμως δεν συμβαίνει αυτό. Ουσιαστικά, η όλη υπόθεση με το Γκραν Πρι βασίζεται σε ένα προσχέδιο του ίδιου του Fleming, το οποίο ενέπλεκε τον Μποντ στον κόσμο των αγώνων ταχύτητας και αποτέλεσε πηγή έμπνευσης για τον Horowitz στο συγκεκριμένο κομμάτι του βιβλίου. Από εκεί κι έπειτα, με την εμφάνιση του Κορεάτη εκατομμυριούχου, ξεκινά η πραγματική δράση, που θα γίνει αφορμή να ταξιδέψει ο Μποντ στην άλλη άκρη του Ατλαντικού και να εμπλακεί άθελά του σε ένα εξαιρετικά οργανωμένο σχέδιο καταστροφής και εκδίκησης, που στόχο έχει ένα ισχυρό χτύπημα σε μια μεγαλούπολη της Αμερικής. Τα γεγονότα διαδέχονται το ένα το άλλο με τρομακτική ταχύτητα, η δράση είναι καταιγιστική, η αντίστροφη μέτρηση έχει ξεκινήσει κι ο χρόνος γίνεται θανάσιμος εχθρός για όποιον κάνει το λάθος να τον αψηφήσει.
Στα μέσα της δεκαετίας του ’50, η αιώνια διαμάχη μεταξύ Σοβιετικής Ένωσης και ΗΠΑ είχε ξεπεράσει τα γήινα σύνορα. Στον άτυπο αγώνα για την επικράτηση στην «κούρσα του διαστήματος», οι κατάσκοποι αποτελούσαν ζωτικό κομμάτι και κάθε νέα πληροφορία ή δράση που αφορούσε το διαστημικό πρόγραμμα φυλασσόταν ως κόρη οφθαλμού, ώστε να μην πέσει στα χέρια του εχθρού. Μέσα σε αυτή την ατμόσφαιρα κι επωφελούμενος από αυτή την έχθρα κινείται και ο κακός της ιστορίας, ο Τζέισον Σιν, ώστε να καταφέρει να εκπληρώσει τα δικά του σχέδια, χωρίς να νοιάζεται στην ουσία για κανέναν από τους δύο εμπλεκόμενους και τη μοίρα τους. Ο συγγραφέας καταφέρνει να αποτυπώσει τόσο τη γενικότερη ατμόσφαιρα αυτής της «έχθρας», όσο και τον τρόπο που αυτή γινόταν αντικείμενο εκμετάλλευσης από άτομα όπως ο Κορεάτης, με συνέπειες επικίνδυνες και ίσως ακόμα ανυπολόγιστες.
Σε αυτή την περιπέτεια, ο Μποντ έχει την… ευτυχία να έχει απέναντί του έναν πραγματικά άξιο αντίπαλο στο πρόσωπο του Τζέισον Σιν. Ενός κινηματογραφικού κακού· ενός ανθρώπου με προσωπικό κώδικα τιμής και αφοσίωσης, συναισθηματικά κενού, ψυχρού, αδίστακτου· ενός εχθρού ανάλγητου, ανελέητου, διαστροφικού. Που όμως κρύβει κι αυτός μια ιστορία πίσω του, που φαίνεται πως έχει διαμορφώσει τον μισητό μα και ενδιαφέροντα χαρακτήρα του. Ο άνθρωπος αυτός αποτελεί ουσιαστικά το αρνητικό του Μποντ, κάτι που κάνει τη μεταξύ τους επαφή αρχικά και σύγκρουση στην πορεία άκρως ενδιαφέρουσα μέχρι το τέλος. Όπως και να ’χει, κερδίζει επάξια μια θέση στο πάνθεον των αντιπάλων του Μποντ, με μια προσωπικότητα που θα έκανε περήφανο τον Ian Fleming, αν διάβαζε ποτέ του αυτή την ιστορία!
Το γυναικείο στοιχείο δεν θα μπορούσε να λείπει από μια ιστορία με ήρωα τον διάσημο πράκτορα. Έτσι, εκείνος περιβάλλεται διαδοχικά από τρεις γυναίκες – δυναμικές, γοητευτικές και ξεχωριστές, η καθεμία με τον τρόπο της. Όμως, παρ’ όλο το προσωρινό πάθος που μπορεί να ξυπνήσουν αυτές στην καρδιά του Μποντ, στο τέλος της ημέρας αυτό που επιθυμεί πραγματικά ο ήρωας είναι η μοναξιά, η ηρεμία και η αίσθηση της ικανοποίησης επειδή έφερε σε πέρας την αποστολή του. Ίσως κι ένα τσιγάρο κι ένα ποτήρι μαρτίνι. Μέχρι την επόμενη φορά…

Η κριτική μου για το βιβλίο και στο site "τοβιβλίο.net" και τον παρακάτω σύνδεσμο: Παγωμένη σκανδάλη

[Philip · Rating 2 out of 5]

Set up as a direct sequel to Goldfinger, this book was apparently "written in the style of Ian Fleming;" but if so, then it just reinforces how bad those original books were — or at least how poorly they've aged. Compared to today's espionage thrillers and heroes, James Bond (and by inference, Fleming himself) was not only a sexist/racist jerk,* he was also a pretty lousy spy (as I apparently also noted in last year's review of Thunderball), constantly cursing himself for not paying more attention,** or misreading a clue, or being distracted by a beautiful girl — although in this book, that beautiful girl, the (as always) ludicrously-named Jeopardy Lane, saves his life on THREE separate occasions, (and don’t get me started on how easily and often he gets captured).

The plot isn't terrible, but nor is it particularly memorable; it also takes place in Germany and along the U.S. East Coast (ranging from Salisbury, MD up to the Bronx — and could there be two less exotic locales?). And I personally found David Oyelowo's narration highly disappointing; while his Bond is fine, his female characters (both American) are ridiculous — I can't decide if that's because he can't do women's voices or can't do an American accent, (probably a bit of both, although I have to add that he was EXCELLENT in the 2023 TV miniseries "Lawman: Bass Reeves," so at least he can do "gravelly cowboy").

I do also have to give props to Horowitz for his overall literary ouvré. Not only is this his second Bond book, but he's written two Sherlock Holmes tie-ins (which I quite enjoyed), as well as helmed the "Alex Rider" YA series, an expanding series of "Susan Ryland" mysteries and a number of stand-alone novels as well, for a total output of some fifty books and counting. So kudos on sheer quantity, if somewhat erratic quality.

Anyway, IF YOU DO WANT TO READ A REALLY GOOD POST-FLEMING BOND BOOK, your best bet remains Jeffery Deaver's Carte Blanche, in large part because much like Daniel Craig's interpretation of the character, this is a total reimaging of Bond, not an attempted sequel or prequel or what-have-you. Deaver's is a 21st Century Bond, a veteran of Afghanistan and new to the Double-O branch, involved in an exciting tale set in Serbia, Dubai and Cape Town…really, give it a read if you haven't already.

* The sexism is to be expected at this point, but Koreans come in for a surprisingly hard time here, not just with the main villain himself but also most of his henchmen: "One of the guards was Korean. He spoke bad English and it suited him. Bond could not imagine a single sentence that was intelligent or civilized coming out of that blank face with its spiky black moustache and swollen lips." This was particularly cringey as by coincidence I happen to also be currently reading Youngmi Mayer's I'm Laughing Because I'm Crying, which among other things recounts her family's history and her own upbringing in Korea, and the racial stereotypes and discriminations they were regularly exposed to. That said, Horowitz does include here a gruesome retelling of the No Gun Ri massacre by American troops during the Korean War, in a dark foreshadowing of My Lai in Vietnam just 18 years later — apparently history does repeat itself, generally in horrific ways.

** As late as just two pages before the end, we get: "Bond's thoughts had been far away. The bad weather had distracted him. By the time he realized he was in danger, it was too late…He had been unforgivably careless, parking where he always parked, even though the first rule of fieldcraft is never to repeat yourself, never to fall into a pattern of behaviour that can be interpreted by the enemy. Worse yet, he had watched this man walk up to him…" Really? That's England's top spy? No wonder he always needs more competent (beautiful or otherwise) American women to save his ass!!

It’s probably also worth noting that he is also a bad spy working for an apparently dumb organization; with the number of comments about “the famous James Bond” or “we know all about you Mr. Bond,” it is seriously time to stop sending him out on undercover assignments and give him a desk job somewhere, as at this point he’s putting everyone around him at risk every time he goes to a cocktail party or gets on an airplane!

[Tony · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can’t make up my mind if the obvious or stereotypical situations, scenes and plays in this make for a better read or a worse one.

I think I was expecting a little more from this than just the obvious. It’s a decent enough read and I would think that any big bond fan would be grateful for the opportunity of reading new material. However, it all just seemed a little hackneyed.

[James Roby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ian, is that you?

Since the departure of Raymond Benson as the official author of James Bond, the franchise has been less than stable. There were two ‘Fleming’ Era novels, Devil May Care’ and ‘Solo’ and the modern tale, ‘Carte Blanche’; none of which set the world on fire. ‘Solo’ was ok and ‘Carte Blanche’ was, well, politically correct. It’s taken awhile for the Ian Fleming estate to find the right voice.

The search is over.

For the first few chapters, it was easy for me to believe that ‘Trigger Mortis’ was some long lost manuscript dug up from the Fleming’s cellar or something. True, it doesn’t hurt that Anthony Horowitz had access to an original script for a proposed James Bond TV show. That aside, Horowitz gets the style of Fleming right, including the liberal use of exclamation points! It’s hard to believe that a guy whose claim to fame is writing Alex Rider could capture the grittiness of James Bond.
This book skips the modern convention of ‘political correctness’. Bond is hard drinking, hard driving, racist and sexist. For those not familiar with the original books, this may bruise your delicate sensibilities. For the rest of us, it’s like welcoming back an old friend. For clarity, let me reveal that I am an African American male and I fully realize that if you’re going to copy the style of the 1950s, Bond’s view of different races won’t be as…enlighten as we’d like.
The novel finds Bond a week or so after the Goldfinger affair. He and Pussy Galore (if I have to remind you who she is, this is definitely not the novel for you) are enjoying each other’s company…or are they? Before Bond can get too bored with playing house, M calls him in for an assignment. SMERSH is at it again. They’re targeting a British race car driver and only Bond, the best driver in the Service, can get close enough to save him. What starts off as a simple mission to keep SMERSH from launching an attack just to embarrass the British (because, you know…Russians…) turns into a plot that will decide the fate of one of the biggest battlefields of the Cold War: The Space Race.
Jason Sin is the villain this time and he would be at home with the rest of Bond’s Rogue’s Gallery. A Korean with a host of mental unbalances, Sin is also the victim of one of the most terrible yet forgotten tragedies of the 20th Century. It hard to hate him until you remember just what diabolical scheme he’s got hatched up for New York City.
Trigger Mortis is a fun read and in the end that’s all that’s really important. There are some slow spots with Bond playing detective and some moments that seem a bit too modern. The biggest let down was the use of Pussy Galore. Without giving away too much, simply put, her role in the novel and the ‘shocking’ scene that’s gotten much play in the media is overhyped. In fact, if she were removed from the book all together the impact would been minimum.
For the Bond fan, it’s a must read, a love letter from a devoted fan and author across the decades to the man who gave us the greatest spy in fiction.

[Nathan · Rating 2 out of 5]

While trying hard to remain true to the Ian Fleming classic Bond, I found Horowitz's Bond to be boring. Perhaps it was the endless description of the cars and everything related to the Grand Prix or the rather unimpressive and anti-climaxic end of the main villain. Whereas other authors have taken Bond and restyled him in their own way with their own tone, I felt that Horowitz tried too hard to keep it 'pure' and ended up with something that was extremely formulaic - even for Bond. On the other hand, references to Bond's history (and other Fleming books) made the story feel like a natural fit into the serial canon.

[Jesse A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strong, violent Bond adventure. The villain here was odd as in the middle point of the book you had some serious sympathy for him but otherwise he was just stock.

[Ken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set during the backdrop of the space race in 1957 and two weeks after the events of Goldfinger, Bond must foil a Soviet counter-intelligence agency plans to sabotage a Grand Prix race in Nurburgring.

It has a real classic Bond feel especially after the author set the story after the events of Fort Knox, this novel fits in seamlessly.
Great characterisation and the villain had plausible motivations, highly recommend.

[Kathrina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a bond fan, never read a Fleming novel. My least favorite things come together -- race cars, rockets, racist stereotypes, and sexism. Still, I finished it.

[Yiota Vasileiou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ο Anthony Horowitz είναι ένας από τους πιο παραγωγικούς και επιτυχημένους συγγραφείς του Ηνωμένου Βασιλείου. Πρόκειται για έναν πολύμαθο και πολυπράγμων άνθρωπο. Στο ενεργητικό του καταγράφονται πάνω από 40 βιβλία για μικρούς και μεγάλους καθώς επίσης σενάρια τηλεοπτικών σειρών και ταινιών, θεατρικές παραστάσεις μα και πλούσια αρθρογραφία. Δεν είναι τυχαίο ότι το 2011, το ίδρυμα Arthur Conan Doyle ανέθεσε στον συγγραφέα να γράψει τα μυθιστορήματα «Ο οίκος του μεταξιού» και «Μοριάρτι» (κυκλοφορούν από εκδόσεις Anubis), με ήρωα τον Σέρλοκ Χολμς. Και τα δυο μυθιστορήματα γνώρισαν τεράστια επιτυχία, σε παγκόσμιο επίπεδο. Ομοίως, το 2015, του ανατέθηκε από το ίδρυμα Ian Fleming αυτή τη φορά, να γράψει τα μυθιστορήματα «Παγωμένη σκανδάλη» και «Ο θάνατος του 007. Και για τα δυο αυτά μυθιστορήματα, η επιτυχία είναι μονόδρομος. Μάλιστα, τον Ιανουάριο του 2014, ο Anthony Horowitz τιμήθηκε με το βραβείο ΟΒΕ, για τις υπηρεσίες του στη Λογοτεχνία.

Το ιδιαίτερο ταλέντο του Horowitz είναι διάχυτο σε κάθε του νέο πόνημα. Πρόσφατα διάβασα τα δυο του νέα βιβλία, με τον Τζέιμς Μποντ κι έχω να πω ότι δεν έχουν σε τίποτα να ζηλέψουν από τα βιβλία του μεγάλου Ian Flemming. Σε αντίθεση με το Flemming, η γραφή του οποίου είναι πιο τετράγωνη, πιο επίπεδη, ο Horowitz τολμά να διανθίσει το λόγο του με λογοτεχνικές φιοριτούρες, χωρίς ωστόσο να το παρακάνει και εν τέλει να μας προσφέρει ένα πολύπλευρο κι άκρως ενδιαφέρον ανάγνωσμα. Η αλήθεια είναι ότι για μένα, ο Anthony Horowitz έχει πάει τις ιστορίες του Πράκτορα 007 ένα επίπεδο παραπάνω!

Περιπέτεια, γρήγορα αυτοκίνητα, ωραίες γυναίκες, αδίστακτους δολοφόνους, ανατροπές που δεν τις βλέπεις να’ρχονται... Όλα τα έχει ο «μπαξές» του Βρετανού συγγραφέα. Η πλοκή και στα δύο βιβλία είναι καταιγιστική. Με εξαιρετικά προσεγμένες και ρεαλιστικές σκηνές, μας προσφέρει την απόλυτη κινηματογραφική απόλαυση, μέσα από τις σελίδες των βιβλίων του. Αυτό που έχει καταφέρει με πολύ μεγάλη επιτυχία να κάνει ο συγγραφέας, είναι να ενστερνιστεί τον τρόπο γραφής του «προκατόχου» του. Συνάμα όμως, έχει αφήσει να προσχωρήσουν στη γραφή του και στοιχεία της δικής του προσωπικότητας, προσδίδοντας εν τέλει στα βιβλία του, έναν πρισματικό χαρακτήρα. Τέλος, έχει πετύχει να «μπει στο πετσί του ρόλου» του 007 κι αποδίδει άψογα, αυτόν τον τόσο δημοφιλή χαρακτήρα.

Να πω εδώ ότι, το «Ο θάνατος του 007» -μα πόσο πιασάρικος τίτλος;- βασίστηκε σε σημειώσεις του ίδιου του Ίαν Φλέμινγκ, για την τηλεοπτική σειρά με τίτλο «Russian Rulette”, η οποία όμως δεν γυρίστηκε ποτέ. Σε αυτό το βιβλίο μαθαίνουμε και το πώς ο Τζέιμς Μποντ απέκτησε την κωδική ονομασία 007 και την «άδεια να σκοτώνει», ενώ μας λύνει την απορία γιατί προτιμά το μαρτίνι του «shaken, not stirred» (χτυπημένο κι όχι ανακατεμένο).

Από την άλλη, στην «Παγωμένη σκανδάλη» μέσα από τις ιλιγγιώδεις διαδρομές του Grand Prix του Νίρμπουργκρινγκ, συναντάμε μια παλιά γνώριμη… την εκρηκτική Πούσι Γκαλόρ (Goldfinger)! Σε αυτή του την περιπέτεια, ο 007 έρχεται αντιμέτωπος με τον αρχηγό της ρωσικής υπηρεσίας κατασκοπείας (SMERSH) και τον Τζ.Σιν, έναν Κορεάτη πολυεκατομμυριούχο, που μόνο στόχο τους έχουν να πλήξουν ανεπανόρθωτα την Αμερική. «Ο Μποντ ήξερε ότι θα ερχόταν η ώρα, μια στιγμή σε κάποια αποστολή που η τύχη του θα στέρευε. Ήταν μαθηματική βεβαιότητα. Κανένας πράκτορας δεν επιβίωνε για πολύ στον κλάδο των πρακτόρων Μηδέν- Μηδέν, και κάποια μέρα, κάποιος, κάπου θα έκλεβε το πλεονέκτημα και θα ήταν εκείνος που θα κειτόταν νεκρός, κοιτάζοντας απλανώς τη βροχή. Αλλά όχι σήμερα.». Γιατί σήμερα έχει στο πλευρό του την «από μηχανής Θεά» του, που ακούει στο πολλά υποσχόμενο όνομα, Τζέπαρντι Λέιν.

Το έχω ξαναπεί και το ξαναλέω… ο Anthony Horowitz είναι δεξιοτέχνης. Αν αγαπάτε τον 007 και τις περιπέτειές του, τότε φτιάξτε ένα μαρτίνι, ξαπλώστε αναπαυτικά στον καναπέ σας και αφεθείτε στην γοητεία του πιο αγαπητού πράκτορα. Προτείνεται ανεπιφύλακτα!

Δείτε την άποψη στο blog των ΒΙΒΛΙΟγραφικών: https://vivliografika.blogspot.com/20...

[John Warner · Rating 2 out of 5]

James Bond has just wrapped up the Goldfinger affair and has returned to London with Pussy Galore in tow. The novel is set in the midst of the Cold War with Russia. Loving and leaving his companion, he receives a new assignment. After receiving some refresher training in automobile racing, he must infiltrate a rigorous Grand Prix race to prevent the sabortage of another British racer by SMERSH, the Russian counterintelligence agency, hoping to embarass the British. This event will lead him closer to a new archenemy and Korean millionaire, Jason Sin.

A fan of Anthony Horowitz, I picked up this book when I saw that he had been given permission by the Fleming estate to continue the James Bond franchise. Horowitz did not stray from Fleming's franchise's formula. If you have read any of Fleming's books or have seen any of the many James Bond's movies, you will fill right at home with this book. It includes minor thrills preceding the major confrontation with the current archenemy in NYC. As one would expect there are a series of women with unusual names that help Bond in his adventure. Besides Pussy Galore, there is Logan Fairfax, his race car trainer, and Jeopardy Lane, an American adventurer and savior. This novel also doesn't close after the climax without one final adrenaline rush. I'm not sure what constraints that Horowitz's permission to continue Ian Fleming's works but I hoped that he would reveal similar creativity he demonstrated in The Word Is Murder. However, I found the book the "same old, same old."

[Benjamin Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

James Bond, fresh off his adventure against Auric Goldfinger, is assigned to protect a prominent British race car driver from sabotage by SMERSH at the International Grand Prix event at Nurburgring. After infiltrating the racing circuit as a driver, 007 stumbles across some photos of rockets, which points him at a mysterious Korean millionaire named Jason Sin who seems intent on a terrorist attack against the US space program. Accompanied by American Bond babe, Jeopardy Lane, the plot unfolds amidst plenty of intrigue and action.

It’s not strictly necessary to have read Goldfinger first, but some connections would not be appreciated as much. Pussy Galore has a role in this novel, for example but I suspect many readers will mentally reference the movie rather than the original novel.

I’m a big fan of Anthony Horowitz and have always liked what I’ve seen from him, whether it’s a Sherlock Holmes pastiche, a stand-alone original mystery/thriller, or his television creations such as Foyle’s War. I’ve also read all of Ian Fleming’s Bond series and thought this novel, "Trigger Mortis", fits in well with Fleming’s original work. It felt a lot like I was reading a Fleming novel, except without the troubling racism and sexism. And given that the primary antagonist in this book is Korean, I can easily imagine how he would be depicted during Fleming’s time. Kudos to Mr. Horowitz for capturing the flavor of the originals, adjusted for today’s readership.

[Evi Routoula · Rating 3 out of 5]

Συμπαθητική περιπέτεια με τον Τζέιμς Μποντ στο στιλ του Ίαν Φλέμινγκ. Ο Άντονι Χόροβιτς δεν κάνει άσχημη δουλειά χρησιμοποιώντας τον ήρωα κάποιου άλλου συγγραφέα αλλά δεν μπορεί να κρυφτεί ότι οι ιστορίες έχουν γραφτεί στο σήμερα και όχι στην δεκαετία του 1950.
Θα το λατρέψουν οι θεατές του γκραν πρι και των αγώνων ταχύτητας.

[Will · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aside from having a compelling story, Horowitz has succeeded in creating a Bond tale that seems much more current than the timeline suggests. I read this book with the idea that I would be going back in time with a dated story. However, the author managed to make the book feel current and never did I feel as though I was living in the past with Bond.

The subplot involving Pussy Galore was pretty interesting as she comes across as not quite as important as we all had believed. Instead, Horowitz treats her as a bit of a drama queen who ends up leaving the scene to embark on a love affair with another secondary character in the book.

The only quibble with the book was the rather quick dispatch of the villain, Jason Sin. I would have preferred a bit more struggle and/or fight to the death. Horowitz went for the fireworks, so to speak. A rather Bondian death but too quick for my liking. I thought Horowitz did a nice job giving Sin a rather interesting backstory. Actually, it would be have been interesting to see him survive and show up in a another novel. My accurate rating would be 4.5 stars - excellent overall. I look forward to Horowitz's next Bond novel.

[Farah Tabira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book name: Trigger Mortis
Publisher: Orion
Author: Anthony Horowitz
Pages: 309
Price: GBP 7.99

About the book:
Trigger Mortis is the 39th James Bond novel which is a series actually written by Ian Fleming. Anthony Horowitz is an English novelist and screenwriter who crafted his own version of James Bond in this novel. It is a continuation of Fleming’s 1959 Goldfinger and is set against the backdrop of Fleming’s 1957 novel Space Race. Horowitz incorporated original material from the works of 007 creator, Ian Fleming, into Trigger Mortis which catapults James Bond to his glorious fifties vintage era.

Book review:
The novel kicks off with an US naval research laboratory (NRL) supervisor getting bribed in order to sabotage the new NRL Vanguard rocket.
Meanwhile James Bond’s accomplice Pussy Galore has decided to lodge with him to avoid enquiries by the FBI and CIA. Bond meets up with his superior M and is informed of a new SMERSH plot. The plot is to sabotage an English racing champion Lancy Smith into a forced crash by a Russian man named Ivan Dimitrov at the Nurburgring racing championship because the Russians are not sure they will win the racing championship against the English. However the British Secret Service send their best agent, 007, to foil the plan.
Bond trains for this purpose under his instructor Logan Fairfax. Meanwhile Pussy Galore becomes suspicious of two Americans following her for the purpose of killing her and her partner Bond. They kidnap her, tie her up and try to suffocate her by covering her with gold paint but Bond eventually rescues her.
After this and because of her deteriorating relation with Bond, Galore leaves the plot of the novel accompanied by Fairfax.
Bond travels to Nurburgring to attend a meeting between SMERSH chief Colonel Gaspanov, Dimitrov and a wealthy Korean American tycoon called Jason Sin. On the racing day, Bond crashes Dimitrov to prevent him from sabotaging Smith.
At a lavish post race party organized by Sin, Bond discovers some elusive photos of space rocket from Sin’s estate along with a mysterious and bewitching girl named Jeopardy Lane. They escape together and Lane steals the photographs from Sin’s study.
Then the female spy heads to US to investigate the rocket launch location. Bond also goes there but finds the local authorities to be uncooperative and is rescued from a murder attempt by Lane. She turns out to be a US secret service agent who is investigating counterfeit currency which the Russians are using to bribe the NRL supervisor to sabotage the Vanguard rocket as mentioned previously. They join hands and soon discover Sin’s construction site where a replica Vanguard rocket is being built. Both are then taken hostage.
The villain, Sin, reveals that he is plotting to destroy the US space program in order to tarnish its image to serve the Soviets. He is going to stage a fake rocket crash in Manhattan using a bomb to destroy the fake replica which would serve as the fake rocket. The motive is to make the fake replica appear as the real Vanguard rocket. As the fake replica is going to crash (it is just going to be bombed on the ground in a subway train), it is going to give the impression that the original Vanguard rocket is incompatible. Hence this will trivialize the US space agency and glorify the Russians. This was the reason that the NRL supervisor was bribed in order to make the original rocket malfunction and crash too, thus achieving double success.
Bond is buried alive but soon manages to escape, thanks to the ingenuity of Lane.
Meanwhile the real Vanguard rocket self destructs using its Trigger Mortis switch. Trigger Mortis is a fail-safe switch that causes the rocket to destruct on its own in the ocean if it behaves erratically and has the tendency to crash in mass populated regions.
Bond pursues Sin in the subway train to destroy the fake replica, which he successfully manages and also kills Sin.

Personal views:
This is one hell of a breathless plot, with James Bond embarking on multiple exhilarating chases and adventures. The descriptions of aesthetically impeccable vintage fifties architectures and art in the novel will surely serve as generous portions of thought goodies.
What drew me to the story was the villain, Jason Sin, with his clean, elegant styles and his dark hair, dark chocolate eyes and smoldering good looks. Sin was the reason I got out of my reading slump after a long time because the description of his looks and his immaculate clinical and chilling attitude and designs completely captured my psyche. I was spellbound by him and can’t get over him.
Nevertheless, the dashing hunk Bond definitely made the ride of delving into the novel by shutting the entire world out worth embarking on with his playboy good looks, quick mind, sharp wit, crime solving skills, bad guy busting and secret agent persona.
Highly recommended!
Guaranteed to keep you riveted!

#bookreview