“The Zanzarim civil war givesSoloits greatest power, at times raising it to the heights ofCasino RoyaleandFrom Russia With Love, the best of Fleming’s own novels. . . . More than a century on, Boyd proves that there are plenty of pages left in 007’s passport. I doubt his creator could have done it better.” —Olen Steinhauer,New York Times Book Review
1969. British agent James Bond—007—is summoned to headquarters to receive an unusual mission. M directs Bond to squash the rebel forces threatening the established regime in Zanzarim, a troubled West African nation wracked by civil war. Bond senses that he’s not getting the full story about Britain’s interest in the outcome.
But the situation in Zanzarim is far from straightforward. The beautiful and brilliant Ellie Ogilvy-Grant, his intelligence liaison, seems to be Bond’s best weapon—until they are captured by rebel forces and her allegiances become unclear. Escaping to England, Bond pieces together the real story, discovering a dangerous conspiracy that extends further than he ever imagined. Only by crossing the Atlantic can he connect the dots between a dying African military leader, British and American intelligence forces, and a humanitarian aid group whose intentions are far from innocent.
Moving from rebel battlefields in West Africa to the closed doors of intelligence offices in London and Washington, this novel is at once a gripping thriller, a tensely plotted story full of memorable characters and breathtaking twists, and a masterful study of power and how it’s wielded—a brilliant addition to the James Bond canon.
