Horowitz set Trigger Mortis in 1957 and kept the period. Bond is in the middle of the early space race, Pussy Galore is back, and the book takes up where Fleming left off. If you want a Bond novel that reads like the 1950s ones, Anthony Horowitz’s Trigger Mortis is the place to begin.
In the books
The story begins two weeks after the events of Goldfinger. Bond drives in a Grand Prix at the Nürburgring and is drawn into a plot around the early space race, with Pussy Galore, Moneypenny and M among the cast. The Ian Fleming estate gave Horowitz access to Fleming’s papers, and the novel uses unpublished material. Compare it with the films that Fleming’s books inspired.
Owning it now
There are three editions in our catalogue: a light grey UK edition from Orion, a blue American edition from HarperCollins, and a black Waterstones exclusive. This listing covers the standard Orion and US editions; the UK jacket and the Waterstones cover have their own pages. The paperback runs to 320 pages. We would read it after Goldfinger, which makes the opening fall into place. More in Books & Media.
Specifications
| Author | Anthony Horowitz |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Orion Books (UK), HarperCollins (US) |
| Published | 8 September 2015 |
| Setting | 1957, two weeks after Goldfinger |
| Format | Paperback, 320 pages (Amazon listing); hardback also published |
| Series | James Bond continuation novels |
The publisher’s page is on Orion Books.
