nouveau

high-3, pushing 4, according to GR the fifth most impressive James Bond book, the 11th book in the series, published 1963 (one book a year since franchise start), Fleming is 55 and the first stirrings of the 60s revolution are underway. the Beatles have released 'Love Me Do' and finished a five day tour of Sweden, their first time abroad since Hamburg.

Bond skies, Bond falls in love, Bond tangles with evil Swiss German class climbers. much of the book's tension on 'posed identity', culminating in a standard action sequence.

a late career minor rebound, but not terribly unforgettable as a stand-alone work. perhaps for Bond fanatics only, although containing good description of upper class ski adventure