CARTE BLANCHE

TITLE: CARTE BLANCHE
AUTHOR: JEFFREY DEAVER
Pages: 428
Date: 20/06/2011
Grade: 4.5
Details: A James Bond story
Library

I guess I should start this review with a few confessions.
First of all, I think it's about 30 years since I last read a James Bond novel. And secondly, it has been years since I watched a James Bond movie too.
I am however a great fan of Jeffrey Deaver's books and haven't missed a new release in years. Therefore, when this book came into my library branch I picked it up before it could even be shelved and brought it home with me.
Because of the reasons state above, I may not be able to judge how well this book works as a James Bond story I do however feel qualified to say that this was a good thriller, and a real page-turner.
James Bond is working for a division of the British Secret Service known euphemistically as the Overseas Development Group. Innocent as this name sounds, this organisation actually gives Bond Carte Blanche to use any force required outside of England.
When a mysteries message, indicating an attack in less than a week with casualties estimated in the thousands and endangering British interests, is intercepted James is send out to discover what the threat is, who is behind it and where and when exactly the attack will happen.
In a race against time Bond finds himself working both in England and in South Africa and engaged in a game of cat and mouse with very dangerous people.
I really enjoyed this book, although maybe not as much as I do Deaver's two series about Rhymes and Dance. I liked that James Bond was flashed out by Deaver, giving the reader a background to the spy as well as a personal mystery for Bond to ponder.
The book does have the ingredients that I remember as being essential to Bond; beautiful women, ruthless adversaries and impossible situations to get out of.
However, whereas in the Bond movies we usually know from the start who exactly James Bond is up against, this story has several of the typical Deaver twists before the story ends.