SOLO. A James Bond Novel
New York: Harper Collins, 2013. First International edition. Hardcover. A James Bond continuation novel first published in the UK by Cape on September 26, 2013, a month later it was published in the U.S. The plot centers on bond's mission to the civil war in the fictional country of Zanzarim, a thinly veilved version of Biafra during the Nigerian Civil War where he meets the local M16 contact, Efua Blessing Ogilvy-Grant, and a Kobus Breed. After being shot by Ogilvy-Grant, Bond tracks both people to Washington on a revenge mission, finally establishing that Breed is traffiking heroin into the U.S. Boyd closely based his version of the Bond character on Ian Fleming's, and eschewed any of the film versions. The novel is set in 1969—six years after Fleming's last work was set—and Bond is 45 years old. Boyd was raised in Nigeria and used his experiences during the civil war to provide the location for the novel. He has been a Bond fan since his youth and, in preparation for writing the novel he read all the Bond stories in chronological order. It took 18 months to write the novel, with some friction between Boyd and the Fleming estate over the portrayal of Bond. Solo received mixed reviews, with a number of critics pointing to the convoluted and unstirring plot. Other critics saw the book as being equal with, or superior to, Fleming's stronger novels. The book sold well, appearing in the top ten-selling book lists in the UK. A fine copy in a fine dust jacket. Item #15165
ISBN: 9780062223128
Price: $50.00