Solo by William Boyd, published by Jonathan Cape in September 2013, comes from one of the most respected authors to take up the Bond novels. The story is set in 1969, with Bond aged 45 and carrying a wealth of violent experience. He is sent alone to stop a civil war in the small West African state of Zanzarim.
In the books
This is a continuation novel commissioned by Ian Fleming Publications. After a scarring experience in Zanzarim, Bond ignores M’s orders and follows his own idea of justice, which takes him to Washington, D.C. Reviewers were divided: The Guardian thought Boyd had struck the right tone, while a New Zealand reviewer found it a peculiar book torn between Boyd’s way and Fleming’s.
Reading it now
We would pick this one for the sense of period: a Bond who is, as one reviewer puts it, not at his freshest, but who has the experience to make up for it. We could not find a current retailer page that we could verify, so our link is an eBay search for the book; check the edition and condition in each listing before you buy.
Specifications
| Author | William Boyd |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Jonathan Cape (UK) |
| Published | 26 September 2013, hardback |
| Setting | 1969; Zanzarim and Washington, D.C. |
| Series | Continuation novel |
More novels, games and collectables are in Books & Media; the screen Bonds are on the Bonds page, and every title is listed under Films.
