CHARLES HIGSON – On His Majesty’s Secret Service. James Bond. Ian Fleming Publications for the National Literacy Trust, hardcover, 2023.

   After James Bond (Daniel Craig) gathered Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham, boarded a helicopter, and sky dived into the opening ceremony of the London Olympics, you just had to know this was coming.

   It is May 4th, 2023, with two days before the Coronation of Charles III as King of England, and James Bond is handed a job. 009 is dead, 009 who had won Miss Moneypenny’s heart, and though he despised the man, it is 007’s job to do something about it, and that something is as M explains: “We both know what the Double O Prefix means. Don’t make me spell it out, James. There’s a mad dog that needs to be quietly put down and buried before it bites too many people.”

   The “mad dog” is Æthelston of Wessex, who believes himself the uncrowned King of England, a descendant of Alfred the Great, and mad, Æthelston has plans to do something about it. A terrorist he has retreated to Hungary and Szalkai Castle, know locally as ÖrdÅ‘g Széke, the Devil’s seat where the Hungarian government protects him from extradition or rendition and he is up to no good.

   Bond’s job is simple, eliminate him as he eliminated 009 sent to Hungary to check on him.

   Nothing is ever that easy.

   Because there is also the beautiful and deadly Ragenheiõur Ragnarsdótter, of Iceland, a “slightly elfin woman” he sees as a “shape shifting Viking sea serpent.” She is involved with Æthelston, but how? Ragenheiõur is a delight. And Æthelston a superb Bond villain.

And then Bond, in enemy hands discovers a threat to Charles. On Coronation Day at 8:48 am the balloon goes up. But which balloon? And how? And can Bond in the enemies grasp in a castle in Hungary solve the mystery and reach England in time to prevent it?

   Charles Higson has been writing the Young James Bond books (he dropped the series recently) and got the nod for this job more or less at the last minute. The National Literacy Trust saw a way to raise funds for one of the soon to be crowned Charles III charities, and what could raise more money than 007 already tied to the late Queen by his nationality and the famous Olympic Opening stunt.

   Of course you couldn’t write a book where he jumps out of a plane with Charles, but the idea was there.

   Around 50,000 words and a mere 156 pages long the book comes in hardcover in an attractive royal blue laminated cover, and for Bond lovers (myself) and completists, it’s a worthwhile effort. It moves quickly, is often witty, sometimes funny, and suspenseful. I was not a fan of the first couple of Young Bond books by Higson, but he quickly got the idea.

   He may lack Fleming’s turn of phrase and literary pretensions, not a good thing in my opinion, but he does a fine job in this adventure that finds Bond confronting his conscience in ways that mirror his first outing in Casino Royale in 1953, and makes a dash for a suspenseful down to the wire ending at the Coronation at 8:48 am.

   This isn’t a great Bond novel. It’s not unlike the Sherlock Holmes story Conan Doyle wrote for Queen Victoria’s doll house library, really only longer, but it is entertaining, a swift enjoyable read, and a must for James Bond fans.

   I’m not sure it is available here yet, but I can’t imagine it will only be available from Ian Fleming Publications for long or only in the UK.

   And for once the heroine gets the last line.

   I know Charles won’t, but Bond has already reigned almost as long as Elizabeth.