Horowitz on killing Bond: "I think that was a mistake."

Anthony Horowitz, author of three continuation novels (Trigger Mortis, Forever and a Day, and With A Mind To Kill), has given several interviews this year in which he's expressed his feelings about Eon's decision to kill off James Bond in 2021's No Time To Die:

“I do think it was a mistake, if I may say so, to kill Bond at the end of the last film, and I regretted seeing that, because Bond, you can’t kill him, he is an icon. He is a legend. He belongs to everybody, he is eternal – except in that film."

I couldn't agree more! Happily, the creatives behind No Time to Die are gone (buried under stacks of money, apparently) and we have a new team in charge. Horowitz gave his thoughts on them as well:

"David Heyman, who I have met in the past, is a fan. He’s the man behind the Harry Potter films, and he is probably our most successful producer if not (just) in the UK, in the entire world. And I do think with him and Amy Pascal is going to be in safe hands. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens."

Now, if we could just resurrect 007 in a proper book!

Folio Society releases OCTOPUSSY AND THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS

The Folio Society completes its run of the Ian Fleming classic James Bond novels with the release of Octopussy and The Living Daylights.

The fourteenth and final volume in the original Bond series, Octopussy and The Living Daylights brings together four gripping short stories that reveal a more reflective, world-weary 007. From Cold War sniper showdowns to secret missions in Manhattan, this is Bond at his most dangerous – and most human. Illustrated by series artist Faye Dalton, this closing chapter in the Folio Bond collection features glamorous artwork and a beautifully designed slipcase.

Octopussy and The Living Daylights Folio Edition can be purchased from the Folio Society website.

Also available: Casino Royale, Live and Let Die, Moonraker, Diamonds Are Forever, From Russia With Love, Dr. No, Goldfinger, For Your Eyes Only, Thunderball, The Spy Who Loved Me, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, You Only Live Twice, The Man With The Golden Gun.

Calvin Dyson reviews NEVER DREAM OF DYING

Calvin Dyson is back with his review of Raymond Benson's Never Dream of Dying. Enjoy!

HURRICANE ROOM title confirmed

The title of Kim Sherwood's final Double O novel has been confirmed by Harper Fiction as a Hurricane Room. I like it! Release date is May 21, 2026.

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I'm excited to see "James Bond returns" in the description above. So might this be more OO7 and less Double Os. I'm here for that!

You can pre-order Hurricane Room at Amazon.co.uk.

Kim Sherwood's next Double O is HURRICANE ROOM

The title of Kim Sherwood's next (and last?) Double O novel has been revealed on Amazon as Hurricane Room. No plot summary yet, but the release date shows as May 21, 2026.

Not a typically Bondian title like her previous books, Double or Nothing and A Spy Like Me, but I kind of like it. It's intriguing. 

You can pre-order Hurricane Room at Amazon.co.uk.

UPDATE: Looks like the Amazon listing has been revised, and it now lists this as just "Double O Book 3." Possibly, Hurricane Room is only a working title that will be changed. We'll see.

Complete THE HOOK AND THE EYE eBook available now

Just a heads up that you can now read Raymond Benson's entire Felix Leiter spin-off adventure, The Hook and the Eye, from Ian Fleming Publications. The original plan was to release the book in chapters, but due to a technical issue, IFP decided to post the entire book now.

A paperback edition will be released on October 2, 2025. I'm holding out for that as I still like to hold a physical book in my hands, especially when it's Bond. You can pre-order the paperback at IFP.

I've been a little cool to IFPs spin-offs. But this is one I can get behind. I'm a huge fan of Benson's Bond novels, and I know this is a book he wanted to write. I would love to see these become a series.

Purchase The Hook and the Eye at IFP, Amazon.co.uk, or Amazon.com.

The name's Houdini, Harry Houdini

Okay, this has nothing to do with the Book Bond, but it is about the only man who has made more death-defying escapes than 007. And he was real! It's also my own first book.

Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini, 1897-1899, reproduces every page of Houdini's very first diary, kept when he was a struggling performer playing dime museums, medicine shows, circuses, and séance chambers. It's an incredible artifact that has never been made available to the public, and an inspiring story of perseverance. The diary is annotated by Houdini historian John Cox and illustrated with previously unseen material from the world's finest magic collections.

Will Houdini escape his obscurity? Read the story in his own words.

Purchase Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini, 1897-1899 at Mike Caveney's Magic Words.

YOUR COLD, COLD HEART released today

Dynamite marks their 10th anniversary publishing original James Bond graphic novels with their new release, Your Cold, Cold Heart, written by Garth Ennis with art by Rapha Lobosco.

Codename: Stalvoda 

Translation (from Russian): Steel Water 

It kills without trace. Puts unspeakable power in the hands of a madman. Buried in its chemical formula is the means of ending the worldwide balance of power. MI6 thought they controlled it- but in fact, British Intelligence have now fallen victim to a decades-old conspiracy, reaching back into the mists of the Cold War.

James Bond is assigned to retrieve the lethal compound- and finds himself in a race against friend and foe alike, from the icy cold of Earth's orbit to the endless wastes of the deserts below. The stakes could not be higher- and as the opposition soon finds out, 007 will do whatever it takes to get the job done. 

 Writer Garth Ennis joins artist Rapha Lobosco (James Bond: Black Box) and cover artist Dave Johnson to present this deadly spy thriller, marking the 10-year anniversary of Dynamite publishing James Bond.

You can buy Your Cold, Cold Heart at Amazom.com and Amazon.co.uk.

JAMES BOND AND THE SECRET AGENT ACADEMY

The spin-offs keep coming! Over the weekend, Ian Fleming Publications announced James Bond and the Secret Agent Academy by M.W. Craven. This is the first in a news series of books aimed at young readers. While James Bond appears in this book, his role is somewhat different. Below is the description.

Bond’s licence to kill has ended. His licence to teach has only just begun...

Ian Fleming Publications announce a new blockbuster adventure in the James Bond literary franchise. JAMES BOND AND THE SECRET AGENT ACADEMY by bestselling crime writer M.W. Craven will kick-off an action-packed new series for readers aged 8-12.

Simon Ward, Publishing Director, bought UK BC rights in a two book deal from Viola Hayden and Ciara Finan at Curtis Brown, representing Ian Fleming Publications Ltd, and David Headley at the DHH Literary Agency, representing M.W. Craven.

JAMES BOND AND THE SECRET AGENT ACADEMY will be launched in June 2026 with a dynamic marketing, publicity and events campaign; reaching existing Bond fans and recruiting a new generation of spy thriller readers. The book will be published in paperback original, eBook and audio by Ian Fleming Publications, the in-house publishing arm of Ian Fleming Publications Ltd.

JAMES BOND AND THE SECRET AGENT ACADEMY is the first in a brand-new series, taking the world’s most beloved secret agent to a place of dread, weirdos and strange food: school. A new generation of young heroes, mentored by 007, have entered the Secret Agent Academy to see if they have what it takes to join the ranks of the Double O's. Together with Bond can they defeat a deadly foe lurking in the shadows – and, more importantly, can they pass their exams?

Amanda Douglas, the new managing director of IFP, says: "This series represents a new and imaginative chapter for 007, introducing the world’s most famous secret agent to the next generation of readers - seen for the first time through children’s eyes. It’s a fun, fast-paced adventure that remains true to the spirit of Bond, featuring a cast of original characters who get to experience Bond not just as a legend, but as their teacher. The story opens the door for younger readers to engage with the legacy and excitement of the "Bondiverse."

Author M.W. Craven

I wish everyone luck with this news series, but as I said in my recent interview on the To Live and Let Die in LA podcast, I'm eagerly awaiting the announcement of a straight-ahead James Bond 007 novel. I'm finding it hard to get excited about these spin-offs until we have at least the promise of a new book in our future. 

In the meantime, I guess we're going back to school!

Coming out of the darkness?

This is just a video game, but, damn, it feels great to see James Bond 007 himself back in action. Great title too.

Call me crazy, but Bond's slim build in this silhouette kind of reminds me of the 007 we see on some very early book covers.