9mm: An interview with Jeffery Deaver

The 9mm series has been on a bit of slow burn in the past couple of months, but don't worry, it will continue to be a regular feature here on Crime Watch.

Today, for the 56th instalment of the popular series, I am sharing my 9mm interview with another of the biggest names in the business, twist-master extraordinaire Jeffery Deaver, who visited New Zealand recently as part of a whirlwind tour in support of CARTE BLANCHE, the latest 007 novel. Before taking the reins of Ian Fleming's most famous spy, of course, Deaver was already world-renowned in his own right as a crime writer, particularly in relation to his bestselling series starring paralysed criminalist Lincoln Rhyme (played by Denzel Washington in the film adaptation of THE BONE COLLECTOR), and another series featuring CBI Agent Kathryn Dance. Personally, I've also really enjoyed Deaver's collections of short stories, appropriately entitled TWISTED and MORE TWISTED.

I was fortunate enough to be given the exclusive New Zealand pre-release interview with Deaver prior to CARTE BLANCHE hitting the shelves earlier this year. I found him very personable, and quite funny in an at-time dry, witty way, and we had a great chat about all manner of things related to James Bond, crime fiction, plot planning, twists, and more. You can read my feature article for the Sunday Star-Times, based on that interview here. You can read my full NZLawyer review of CARTE BLANCHE, along with a review by NZLawyer editor Darise Bennington of the latest Bond cocktail, created by Deaver for the new book, here.

But for now, Jeffery Deaver stares down the barrel of 9mm.

9MM AUTHOR INTERVIEW: JEFFERY DEAVER

Who is your favourite recurring crime fiction hero/detective?

Harry Bosch. I like the personality that Connelly brings to the character, and the fact I kind of relate to him.

What was the very first book you remember reading and really loving, and why?
Probably THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES, because although I had some problems with the story - quite early I figured it out - I liked the character of Sherlock Holmes.

Before your debut crime novel, what else had you written (if anything) unpublished manuscripts, short stories, articles?
Well I was a journalist, so many, many articles. Poetry, a law book.

Outside of writing, and touring and promotional commitments, what do you really like to do, leisure and activity-wise?
Entertain, cook, collect wine, ski, SCUBA dive, drive fast cars on the track, and veg out with my dogs. I cook anything, I’ve cooked all my life; gourmet cooking, French cooking, I do barbeque.

What is one thing that visitors to your hometown should do, that isn't in the tourist brochures, or perhaps they wouldn’t initially consider?
Go to The Cave, in Chapel Hill, it’s the alternative rock club - The Cave.

If your life was a movie, which actor could you see playing you?
Oh man, that’s a good one. I guess I would like... probably my first choice would be Kevin Spacey, because he would bring a subtlety to the relatively boring life an author leads.

Of your books, which is your favourite, and why?
GARDEN OF BEASTS, because it has the most depth, and is the kind of story that will talked about in future years when my other books aren’t anymore.

What was your initial reaction, and how did you celebrate, when you were first accepted for publication? Or when you first saw your debut story in book form on a bookseller’s shelf?
My first book was called VOODOO, a Stephen King kind of occult thriller, very small print run, but when I saw it in the store, on the shelves for the first time, I took the afternoon off and went to an Oyster Wine Bar, and just enjoyed oysters and wine.

What is the strangest or most unusual experience you have had at a book signing, author event, or literary festival?
A woman came up to me, a beautiful women, and asked if I would like to have a drink afterwards. I was single, she didn’t have any rings on, so I said I’d love to. And as I was walking to the door after the event, she said “I know you’re the man who can help me, because as you know, Neilsen [a TV rating company that monitors viewership] has cameras in my home, and they’ve based every sit-com and drama show on TV in the last five years on my life, and I need someone to help me expose them”. And it was at that point that the security guard came up and said, “Sally”, or Jo, or whatever her name was - I can’t remember, “Mr Deaver has to go now”. And I was just totally disappointed that clearly I wasn’t the only author that she has said to. I wasn’t special [laughing], but no, clearly she was nuts. But incredibly beautiful.

Thank you Jeffery Deaver. We appreciate you taking the time to talk to Crime Watch
 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
What do you think of this 9mm interview, and interviewee? Have you read CARTE BLANCHE, of any of Deaver's Lincoln Rhyme, Kathryn Dance, or standalone thrillers? Do you enjoy his twist-filled, pacy style of crime and thriller writing? What do you think of such a well-known writer taking over (for one book at least) a well-known series created by another writer? Have you watched the film adaptation of THE BONE COLLECTOR with Angelina Jolie and Denzel Washington? If so, what did you think? Comments welcome.

My latest Herald on Sunday reviews: IRON HOUSE, LETHAL DELIVERIES, CARTE BLANCHE and THE WRECKAGE

This year I've been asked to provide a monthly crime fiction round-up for the Herald on Sunday, one of New Zealand's most well-known newspapers. I'm very pleased to be able to contribute in my small way to getting crime fiction into the books sections of some local media.

My sixth 'column' was published yesterday, in the new 'Living' magazine supplement to the newspaper. I actually wrote this column a few weeks ago, but a change in the format meant things were delayed for a while - I should be back on a monthly basis from now on, hopefully.

Book Watch

Iron House
By John Hart (John Murray, $34.99)
Lawyer turned author Hart doesn’t write breezy ‘airport thrillers’; his award-winning ‘southern gothic’ tales are multi-layered examinations of human nature, packed with authentic, deeply damaged, characters, throat-grabbing tension, and exquisitely drawn settings. Feared mob enforcer Michael clawed his way up from a traumatic childhood, but is now trying to escape his violence-filled life, for love and his unborn child. Escaping to North Carolina, he finds his long-estranged, mentally disturbed brother is in just as much trouble, and that neither can escape their past. Superior storytelling.

Lethal Deliveries
By Ken Benn (Penguin, $26)
Deservedly shortlisted for the LIANZA Young Adult Fiction Award, this gritty first instalment in Palmerston North teacher Benn’s planned trilogy follows a group of teens facing plenty of tough circumstances and troubling issues; bullying, gangs, drugs, and youth crime. Benn skillfully builds tension as he switches perspectives amongst several intriguing characters, although inline hockey player Rochelle, whose brother Jack is being dragged into his father’s gang, is the main ‘heroine’. Bluntly dealing with realities some Kiwi kids face; a very good read that will leave you on tenterhooks for book two.

Carte Blanche
By Jeffery Deaver (H& S Fiction, $39.99)
This latest 007 novel should please fans of both Ian Fleming and popular psychological thriller writer Deaver, who was tasked with bringing Bond into the 21st century. Intercepted electronic info about an imminent attack that could kill thousands has Bond scrambling from Serbia to Dubai to Cape Town to discover who, what, and where in order to prevent calamity. Packed with pace, action, and intrigue. Deaver brilliantly melds tradition (fast cars, gadgets, repellant villains), modernity (a more reflective Bond, more rounded female characters), and his own twist-filled storytelling style.

The Wreckage
By Michael Robotham (Sphere, $39.99)
Award-winning Australian author Robotham steps away from his usual claustrophobic thrillers to pen a broader tale of global intrigue that intersects the war in Iraq and the global financial crisis. A tale of four people; a journalist who uncovers missing millions in war funding, a US accountant, ex-cop Vincent Ruiz, and a petty thief who stole a notebook from a banker who’s gone missing. Robotham’s most ambitious novel crackles with pithy description, insights and observations in amongst its compelling storyline; he’s added his name to those near the very top of the crime-writing tree.

Craig Sisterson helped establish the inaugural Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel last year, and is a judge for the 2011 Award.  He blogs about crime and thriller fiction at http://goldenglobenominees.blogspot.com/.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This column was first published in the Herald on Sunday on 31 July 2011, and is reprinted here with permission.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What do you think of my mini-reviews? Have you read (or do you intend to) any of these titles? What are some of the upcoming titles I should definitely include in future columns? Comments welcome.

Reminder: Jeffery Deaver appearing in Takapuna tonight!

Bestselling US thriller writer Jeffery Deaver, who recently penned the new James Bond tale, CARTE BLANCHE, will be in New Zealand for one public event only, tonight on Auckland's North Shore.

The event, held in association with the Herald on Sunday newspaper, will be at the Takapuna Paper Plus on Hurstmere Road. Here are the full details:

Thursday 21 July – AUCKLAND

A Herald on Sunday event with Jeffery Deaver
Location: Takapuna Paper Plus, 20 Hurstmere Road
Time: 5.30pm for a 6pm start.
RSVP to (09) 486 7472 or email takapuna@paperplus.co.nz

For further information please contact Karen McKenzie, publicist Hachette NZ
karenm@hachette.co.nz or 09 477 5591

I was fortunate enough to interview Deaver prior to CARTE BLANCHE hitting the shelves earlier this year. I found him very personable, we had a great chat about all manner of things crime fiction etc, and I'm looking forward to meeting him in person. You can read my feature article for the Sunday Star-Times, based on that interview here. You can read my full NZLawyer review of CARTE BLANCHE, along with a review by NZLawyer editor Darise Bennington of the latest Bond cocktail, created by Deaver for the new book, here.

Hope to see some of the Auckland-based Crime Watch readers there tonight!

Reminder: one chance only to see Jeffery Deaver in New Zealand next Thursday

Bestselling US thriller writer Jeffery Deaver, who recently penned the new James Bond tale, CARTE BLANCHE, will be in New Zealand for one public event only, next Thursday, 21 July 2011.

The event, held in association with the Herald on Sunday newspaper, will be at the Takapuna Paper Plus on Hurstmere Road. Here are the full details:

Thursday 21 July – AUCKLAND

A Herald on Sunday event with Jeffery Deaver
Location: Takapuna Paper Plus, 20 Hurstmere Road
Time: 5.30pm for a 6pm start.
RSVP to (09) 486 7472 or email takapuna@paperplus.co.nz

For further information please contact Karen McKenzie, publicist Hachette NZ
karenm@hachette.co.nz or 09 477 5591

I was fortunate enough to interview Deaver prior to CARTE BLANCHE hitting the shelves earlier this year. I found him very personable, we had a great chat about all manner of things crime fiction etc, and I'm looking forward to meeting him in person next week. You can read my feature article for the Sunday Star-Times, based on that interview here.
 
Like many, I had a few questions, even doubts, when I heard a year or so ago that Deaver had been signed up to write a new James Bond novel. Not because of Deaver's writing - I really enjoy his psychological thrillers, and particularly his short stories in collections like TWISTED and MORE TWISTED, but just because having another writer try to pen a Bond novel seemed problematic to me (I hadn't heard great things about Sebastian Faulk's effort, and Faulks is of course a very good writer too). But as I discovered when I got my copy before interviewing Deaver, I needn't have worried.
 
As I said in a review of CARTE BLANCHE for NZLawyer magazine:
 
"Deaver delivers a thoroughly modern version of Bond, bringing 007 firmly into the 21st century while also retaining key traditions: fast cars, memorable female characters, fun gadgets, globe-trotting action, repellent villains, and plenty of peril ... At the same time, Deaver brings his own trademark touches to bear; readers are taken on a pacy roller-coaster storyline that twists in unexpected ways, not just in terms of plot but also action, characters and reader expectations and assumptions. Deaver’s Bond is a touch more sensitive and self-reflective than Fleming’s Cold War spy, but that suits our modern times, and 007 remains a man of action at heart ... In short, it’s a hell of a fun read."

You can read my full NZLawyer review of CARTE BLANCHE, along with a review by NZLawyer editor Darise Bennington of the latest Bond cocktail, created by Deaver for the new book, here.

Jeffery Deaver to be in NZ for one public event only in July!

Coctails and Carte Blanche

Cocktails and Carte Blanche
Craig Sisterson takes a look at how the brand new 007 novel from bestselling thriller writer Jeffery Deaver skilfully blends tradition and modernity into a fun, exciting read

Bestselling US thriller writer Jeffery Deaver nicely sums up the essence of the world’s most famous British spy in a passage partway through Carte Blanche, his recently-released modern take on James Bond. 007, now a veteran of the conflict in Afghanistan and part of the secretive ODG, is recalling his first meeting with a Man (note the capital letter, Bond afficianados) looking to hire Bond to an organisation that protects Britain “by any means necessary”.

There are plenty of “Special Air or Boat Service chaps about who know their way around a knife and sniper rifle”, but don’t fit “subtler situations”, notes the (M)an. Conversely there are plenty of MI5 and MI6 agents with refined wine appreciation and language skills, but who’d “faint at the sight of blood, their’s or anyone else’s”. Bond, notes the Man, seems “to be a rather rare combination of the best of both”.

And isn’t that one of the main reasons Bond has been loved by readers and moviegoers for decades? He can handle himself in so many different situations, from fistfights and gun battles, to insinuating himself into high-society soirees. He’s like Jason Bourne mixed with MacGyver and Jared from The Pretender - only he predated them by decades. And now he’s back, thanks to the pen (or keyboard) of award-winning twist-master Deaver, whose own award-winning psychological thrillers, such as his series featuring quadriplegic sleuth Lincoln Rhyme (played by Denzel Washington in the film version of The Bone Collector) have scooped awards and sold more than 20 million copies in 150 countries.

No doubt some Bond fans were nervous at the thought a new Bond being created by an American author, or even the thought of a modern Bond at all. Many don’t realise that Ian Fleming actually only wrote 12 Bond novels and two collections of Bond short stories, and that Deaver is the fifth author (and second American) authorised by Fleming’s estate to carry on 007’s adventures. Carte Blanche is in fact the 23rd ‘continuation’ novel in the Bond canon, although only the second in about a decade, and the first since Sebastian Faulk’s period piece Devil May Care in 2008.

Unlike Faulks, Deaver delivers a thoroughly modern version of Bond, bringing 007 firmly into the 21st century while also retaining key traditions: fast cars, memorable female characters, fun gadgets, globe-trotting action, repellent villains, and plenty of peril. He also returns to another Fleming tradition; forget “shaken not stirred” martinis, Bond is a whiskey and bourbon drinker (see review below). At the same time, Deaver brings his own trademark touches to bear; readers are taken on a pacy roller-coaster storyline that twists in unexpected ways, not just in terms of plot but also action, characters and reader expectations and assumptions. Deaver’s Bond is a touch more sensitive and self-reflective than Fleming’s Cold War spy, but that suits our modern times, and 007 remains a man of action at heart. No metrosexual here.

Carte Blanche opens with car chases, shoot outs and a train loaded with dangerous chemical in Serbia, before Bond is whisked home. A snippet of electronic info about an attack in five days that could kill thousands and adversely affect British interest has Bond and his colleagues scrambling to discover who, what, and where in order to prevent calamity. Bond uses brains and brawn to battle unknown adversaries as well as the chicanery of colleagues within the British security services, and finds himself on a whirlwind journey to Dubai then Cape Town. In short, it’s a hell of a fun read.

A final thought; none of the authorised ‘continuation’ novels written about 007 since Fleming’s death have been made into films; all of the movies are based on Fleming’s novels, stories, or on original scripts. Given its pacy and action-packed storytelling, memorable characters, and modern yet return-to-the roots take on 007, it would be great see Deaver’s Carte Blanche finally break that trend.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Shaken but not all were stirred
By Darise Bennington

Ah, James Bond, lover of beautiful women and a martini, shaken not stirred.

Although, apparently not always. Craig Sisterson discovered in the latest Bond novel that Bond had returned to his roots – whiskey. Hmm, we thought, for Craig to fully appreciate the subtle changes wrought by Ian Fleming’s successor, wouldn’t he need to compare the classic Bond drink with the Jeffery Deaver concoction?

To assist, Ekta, Lesley, and I joined Craig at Auckland’s 1885, all prepared to put ourselves on the line in the interests of good journalistic endeavours. Although, and I say this with much love, Lesley proved a quick ‘piker’, when after her first sip of both the classic martini and what we are calling the ‘Carte Blanche’, she wrinkled her English nose in disgust and declared them both to be “pants”.

So, to compare.

First, and most obviously, the drinks look very different. The Carte Blanche came in a whiskey tumbler with plenty of ice and a twist of freshly peeled orange skin. The martini, of course, came in its traditional glass, with several olives skewered on a cocktail stick.

Second, the flavour. My first sip of the Carte Blanche was like a taste of whiskey heaven. The hint of orange tweeking my taste buds, making my mouth smile (literally). Lesley, making an effort, found that it smelled like Cointreau – but that when she drank it, she did not get the usual Cointreau kick to the back of the throat. “You drink it, and it warmly glides down your throat, and you get the hint of whiskey,” she said. So, not all pants then.

For Craig, a purveyor of manly cocktails, the Carte Blanche was nicer than expected. “It has a strong orange smell, but the taste is a lot more balanced,” he declared. “The citrus takes the edge off the whiskey.” It’s got sweet, it’s got spice, it’s getting better as I drink it, he said.

And then we turned to the martini. According to Craig, 1885’s bar manager, Adam, had perfected it; I must admit I was impressed by the effort that went into making it, right down to the brining of the glass. Craig informed me that it was the best martini he’d ever had, that it was nicely balanced, had a lot going on, had depth and layers. But he still preferred the Carte Blanche, by far. I found the martini to be almost ‘chewy’, robust, and deeply complex. But after a glass and a half, I’d had enough.

Lesley loved the olives, as did Ekta, who said she would have preferred a glass of martini-soaked olives, rather than the martini itself.

The amber hue of the Carte Blanche, flickering in candlelight, enticed me in the darkened bar. The orange peel adding spice to the drink, its sharpness tingling my tongue. I can’t quite imagine how the fans will handle Bond’s defection, but I applaud him and Deaver – orange-scented whiskey on a cold, winter’s night is the only way to go. The only thing missing: a roaring fire, a comfy chair, and Deaver’s novel in my lap.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

These articles were first published in the 3 June 2011 print issue of NZLawyer magazine, and are republished here with permission.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Licensed to thrill: my feature interview with Jeffery Deaver for the Sunday Star-Times

Licensed to thrill
Bestselling US thriller writer Jeffery Deaver talks to Craig Sisterson about the fun he had penning a new adventure for 007, the world’s favourite British spy

JAMES BOND was created by Ian Fleming for the 1950s-1960s Cold War era during which Fleming, who worked in British Naval Intelligence himself during the Second World War, wrote his 14 spy novels. But ‘007’ is also very much a secret agent for modern times, says Jeffery Deaver, the man behind the highly-anticipated new Bond novel, Carte Blanche.

“One reason I was excited to take this project on is that I don’t see people reading the original books much anymore, and I thought Bond is a character who really speaks to this era of conflict,” says Deaver.

His own twisting psychological thrillers, such as his series featuring quadriplegic sleuth Lincoln Rhyme (played by Denzel Washington in the Hollywood adaptation of The Bone Collector) have scooped awards, made bestseller lists, and been translated into 25 languages in 150 countries.

“Bond is a real hero, there’s nothing ambiguous about Bond,” adds Deaver. “In much of spy fiction there’s an underlying theme of duplicity and moles and ‘who really is the good guy?’ Bond never had any doubt about that. The 00 classification meant he was an assassin, but he isn’t your coldblooded hitman. He was for Queen and country, he was going to make sure the innocent did not suffer at the hands of the villains, and I think that’s the kind of character we need nowadays.”

Deaver is the fifth author to write for the Bond series since Fleming’s death in 1964, and Carte Blanche will be the 23rd ‘continuation’ novel authorised by Fleming’s estate, but only the second since 2002 (after Sebastian Faulks’ period piece Devil May Care in 2008). A long-time Bond fan, Deaver got a text asking ‘Do you want to write the new James Bond book?’ 18 months ago when he was driving from Washington, DC to his North Carolina home.

He “screeched to the side of the road”, spent less than 10 minutes debating with his agent, then said “okay, that’s it, I’m on board”. The excitement of the moment is still clear in his voice now. “There were some practical things we had to talk about. I did not want to do a period piece. I had read Sebastian Faulks’ book and enjoyed it very much, but I felt that to reintroduce and reenergise Bond in the written form we needed the book set in the present day, and he needed to be a young, 30ish, secret service agent. And coincidentally the Ian Fleming estate felt exactly the same way.”

The first thing Deaver did for the research was go back and re-read the original tales. “They hold up extremely well because Fleming was a writer of great observational talent. His books were as much a character study as they were adventure novels. I found his perceptions and insights into geopolitics, and indeed into the psychology of good and evil, were really spot on.”

Deaver admits writing Carte Blanche has been challenging, if extremely fun (he’s particularly loved researching “all the tradecraft, spy stuff”), as he’s had to consider the expectations of not only his own readers, but millions of Bond fans. “I was very concerned that I create an updated Bond that fans of Ian Fleming’s creation would like. I really got into his mindset. I wanted to create a gritty, dark, and yet very intelligent spy ... I tried to write the character through the lens of Ian Fleming.” Deaver even had a picture of dark-featured American musician Hoagy Carmichael, who Fleming said was the man Bond most resembled, beside him when he wrote.

In Carte Blanche, Bond, a veteran of the Afghanistan conflict, is part of the secretive ODG which protects Britain “by any means necessary”. A snippet of electronic info about an upcoming attack that could kill thousands has Bond and his colleagues scrambling to discover who, what, and where in order to prevent calamity. Deaver packs Carte Blanche with intrigue and twists, and takes readers on a whirlwind journey from Serbia to Dubai to Cape Town.

In a way, writing Carte Blanche has brought Deaver full circle, back to his beginnings in terms of reading and writing. He loved Fleming’s books as a child growing up in the 1950s and 1960s (his parents restricted TV and movies but encouraged him to read whatever he liked), and the first narrative fiction he wrote as an 11-year-old was a Bond-influenced story about a spy who stole a top-secret aeroplane from the Russians. “I would study his books and kind of mimic them,” Deaver recalls now.

He shared this life-long admiration for Fleming during his acceptance speech when he won the Ian Fleming Steel Dagger from the Crime Writers’ Association for his 2004 novel Garden of Beasts, a thriller featuring an American hitman on a secret mission in 1936 Berlin. Corinne Turner, Managing Director of Ian Fleming Publications, was in the audience, and began to consider “that James Bond could have an interesting adventure in Jeffery Deaver’s hands”.

Turns out Turner was dead right.

Carte Blanche (H&S Fiction, $39.99]) will be released on 26 May 2011.

Jeffery Deaver will be touring New Zealand in late July. Check www.hachette.co.nz for more details.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This feature article was first published in the 22 May 2011 issue of the Sunday Star-Times, and is reprinted here online with kind permission.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Have you read CARTE BLANCHE? Will you? Does your 007 knowledge stretch back to Fleming's original Bond novels, or are you familiar with the spy largely thanks to the Bond films? What do you think of my feature article? Comments welcome.

Bond, James Bond...

Well, the day has arrived. CARTE BLANCHE, the new James Bond book, written by well-known US thriller writer Jeffery Deaver (who was handpicked by Ian Fleming's estate), has been launched in the UK with quite some fanfare. According to Reuters, the launch involved a leather-clad Bond girl on a motorbike, glasses of champagne, Deaver arriving in a Bentley, and Royal Marine Commando troops abseiling from the roof of St Pancras train station in London.

Very James Bond.

I was fortunate enough to get the chance to interview Deaver about CARTE BLANCHE recently, for an article, "Licensed to thrill", that was in last weekend's issue of the Sunday Star-Times, one of New Zealand's most-popular newspapers. In the lead-up to that interview I was one of the very few people in the world allowed to read the book before today's publication (I had to sign a very strict confidentiality agreement - during our interview Deaver jokingly asked me how many of my future children I'd had to sign away), which was a real honour.

I really enjoyed the book, which is a thoroughly modern take on Bond that I think still fits very well with Fleming's traditions. Hopefully it will please fans of both authors. It's certainly got me hoping that Deaver might write more than one Bond tale. CARTE BLANCHE has plenty of Deaver's trademark twists (in terms of plot, character, and reader perceptions), as well as plenty of globe-trotting Bond action - the book touches down in Serbia, England, Dubai and South Africa. Like the recent movies starring Daniel Craig, I think the book also has a grittier Bond too, rather than relying too much on slightly over-the-top high-tech gadgetry and 'take over the world' bad guys. Although there are still a couple of cool toys, and some good villains.

Reporting on today's launch, the Daily Mail noted that the Fleming family said CARTE BLANCHE was “one of the best ” Bond tales not written by the original author. Ian Fleming’s niece Lucy said: ‘The new book has probably got the most horrible Bond villain and a fantastic plot. Jeffrey has got right under the skin of Bond and what makes him tick. It is a very similar Bond too the character my uncle wrote."

I won't say too much about the book now, since it's just been released today. But I would heartily recommend it to fans of action-packed spy thrillers, or those who just like a good, fun read.

Currently reading....

Sworn to secrecy (in fact signed to secrecy, courtesy of a strict confidentiality agreement) about any of the content, until its release in the UK and New Zealand etc on 26 May 2011. I will just say that I am very much enjoying the book, and Deaver's take on Bond.

You can read some of the official publicity releases about the new Bond book here.