Material Witness

Bond is back! Devil May Care arrives (review soon)

I felt a little like my eight-year-old self on Christmas morning today, as I anxiously awaited the arrival of the postman, carrying, I hoped, Devil May Care, the new Bond novel by Sebastian Faulks writing as Ian Fleming.

At a little after 10.30am, there he was, pulling up in the red van a little way down the street. He's got a parcel! It's book-shaped. He's coming this way, and it has a sticker on it proclaiming, Bond is Back.

In ideal world, I would have booked the day off, kicked the kids out of the house, lit a good fire (it is November weather in the UK right now) and settled in for the day.

Sadly, however, work intervened. I managed a chapter and a half over lunch, and so far so good, but the world of telecommunications infrastructure needs me for a few hours yet..

I will be endeavouring to have a review up by Friday evening.

REVIEW: Hurricane Gold by Charlie Higson

There's a certain style about Hurricane Gold, Charlie Higson's fourth book in the hugely popular Young Bond series, and that's just the cover.

The hardback version came in pure gold, with the title embossed on the front, so that even the edges of each page was gold. Many of Bond's old adversaries would doubtless have approved. The paperback version, published on Wednesday to coincide with the other celebrations surrounding Ian Fleming's centenary, may not be quite so extravagant, but it still looks pretty smart, and as all readers understand, it's what's inside that really counts, and in this case, what's inside is pretty special.

Inside is the "avenue of death", a pretty girl and an unexpected kiss, a car chase through the Mexican jungle, a lot of creepy crawlies, dramatic rescues from wind and flood and an island hideaway for criminals.

And of course at the epicentre of it all is a hero in the making. A teenage boy with the courage and recklessness of youth holding up a mirror to a future secret agent with an aptitude for trouble and a license to kill.

Off the back of his previous adventure, detailed in Double or Die, James Bond is granted an extended leave of absence from Eton to recuperate from his exertions, and joins his anthropologist aunt and guardian Charmian on a trip to Mexico. As an exercise in convalescance this is about as restful as packing down in the scrummage against the All Blacks and every bit as painful.

Before he knows it, James is fleeing a major tropical storm as well as the murderous hoodlums who break into the home of his American hosts the Stones, whose children, including the wonderfully-named Precious, are suddenly in his care.

The trail goes through abandoned mines, jungles, lost cities, the ocean and finally leads to the apparently mythical island of Lagrimas Negras, a legendary home to retired criminals unable to rest peacefully anywhere else in the world.

And the lord of all he surveys there is El Hurácan, a criminal mastermind who keeps his "guests" in the finest style imaginable.

Like all three preceding books in this series, Hurricane Gold is impeccably plotted and skilfully written. Higson appears to have adopted Fleming's somewhat sparse writing style, keeping things simple and flowing for his younger audience. It is exciting and thoroughly enjoyable.

For the adults, and these books will appeal way beyond their targeted adolescent audience, there is a lot of clever anticipation of the adult Bond as well as a fascinating imagining of the upbringing that could produce such a character.

For the younger readersip there are thrills and spills, adventure, great toys and just a smidgeon of romance. If you are a parent trying to work out whether these books are for your child, I'm not sure what to tell you. I daresay they are aimed right into the 10 to young adult market. But my six year old loves them, even if I am not convinced he always knows exactly what's going on. Whether they are suitable must be a question of judgment. Higson does not hold back from death or violence. Early on in Hurricane Gold, a man meets a gruesome death at the dangerous end of a jaguar.

So if your child is prone to nightmares, then maybe steer clear for now. But if they coped with, say, the death of Cedric Diggory, they will probably be OK.

And if they can cope, they will love them.

The ubiquitous James Bond

It is now just three days until Penguin publishes Devil May Care, the new Bond novel authored by "Sebastian Faulks writing as Ian Fleming" to mark the centenary of the latter's birth.

I have been limbering up for the big event by reading Moonraker and currently, Diamonds Are Forever, both completely unrecognisable from the movies, which I watched years ago. The former particularly appeared to bear virtually no resemblance to the bizarre Roger Moore sci-fi flick. Both are first class thrillers full of terrific period detail and plenty of action and tension.

The media is in a positive frenzy of excitement about the book, not least The Times titles, which were awash with Bond over the weekend. To that point there had been a degree of security around the book that SMERSH might have approved of. The plot has been a closely guarded secret. But over the weekend the defences weakened.

First up on Saturday, Faulks introduced an exclusive extract from the book in The Times. A second extract was published today.

Then yesterday, the Sunday Times ran a long interview with Faulks, who explained what had eventually attracted him to the unusual project (a re-reading of the Fleming originals) and gave away some of the plot details: Devil May Care takes place in 1967 and focuses on the nascent drug industry.

While the vast majority of the coverage, which seems ubiquitous - Devil May Care is one of the 10 books for summer in Houston Chronicle; the Chicago Sun-Times is shaken and stirred - there is one small fly in the ointment. The Independent reports on the reopening of a row over a plagiarism case against Fleming in the 1960s.

As for Material Witness, I shall be looking to secure a copy of Devil May Care as quickly as possible and reviewing thereafter. But before that there will be a review of Hurricane Gold, Charlie Higson's fourth installment of the Young Bond series, which is being published in paperback on Wednesday.

REVIEW: The Reapers by John Connolly

The Charlie Parker chronicles have become one of the more distinctive crime series of recent years for their chilling examination of the resilience and reactions of humanity in the face of psychological and physical damage and their dalliance with the supernatural, which pervades John Connolly's books with a threatening, malodorous presence. There is a lot of darkness in these books,  and very little light.

One particularly threatening presence in these books has been Louis, an avenging shadow who through his relationship with (life and business) partner Angel, has become a protector of sorts for Parker. A hired gun from the Big City, wreaking havoc in rural Maine.

The Reapers is Louis' tale, a back story that traces his difficult upbringng in the deep south, where the violent death of his mother provokes the boy into the revenge killing of her murdered in an act so meticulously planned and so coldly carried out that his talents attract the attention of a shadowy firm who control "The Reapers", deadliest of hired killers. And so Louis is launched upon a murderous path.

And so in The Reapers, Charlie Parker is a peripheral figure, as Connolly focuses on recounting Louis' history and then building a typically edgy, dangerous story about his past finally catching up with him, in this case the killer Bliss, a man Louis crossed ín his past and who is now pulling the strings of others to orchestrate a final reckoning.

So Louis finds himself under attack both at home and in some of his businesses, and while he clearly sees the hand of Bliss, he is lured into action by a millionaire recluse who convinces him they share an enemy, another reclusive millionaire living in the Adirondacks in northern New York. Louis and Angel head north to a bloody fight-to-the-death with Bliss.

Ditching Parker as the central protagonist in place of  Louis is a brave move for Connolly. His formula has to this point worked incredibly well, making him a top ten novelist, and the Maine detective's tortured soul and unerring nose for trouble has been the heart of all the books.

But it works well here. Louis' story is fascinating and compelling, and the device of making Parker a bystander, albeit one who gradually edges towards centre stage as the narrative unfolds, is clever. Aside from allowing readers a welcome insight into the killer Louis, we also get a fascinating view of Parker as others see him: a deeply troubled man who is a danger as much to others as to himself.

Overall the story is well told and pacey and the sense of trouble rises uneasily throughout. Connolly steps up the series characterisation process several notches here, and future installments will be all the  better for it. For three quarters of the book, I wondered if this was not perhaps the best of the series. But the grisly, explosive ending seemed a little too contrived and over-dramatic. It was almost cinematic, a set piece finale as imagined by a middle-of-the-road Hollywood director and not entirely convincing and therefore something of an anti-climax.

Nonetheless a fine piece of work from Connolly, a tier one mystery writer somewhere near the height of his powers.

Competition winner

Thanks to all those who entered last week's competition to win a US advance reader copy of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

The answer to the question asking the name of the girl with the dragon tattoo, is Lisbeth Salander.

Congratulations to Nikki Dolson whose name was the first correct entry picked out of the hat by my two year old daughter Agnes, who performed her duties with a high degree of excitement but also great professionalism.

The copy of the book will be winging its way to sunny Nevada shortly.

Last Light in paperback: Peak Oil in the spotlight

About a year ago I confidently predicted that Alex Scarrow's second novel Last Light would be the blockbuster of the summer and suggested, somewhat bossily looking back, that "you should read it".

But, really, you should.  And with Orion Books today publishing the paperback version of the novel, it will be a good deal more accessible.

Even last year, Last Light seemed the right book at exactly the right moment. it deals with the aftermath of a major geo-political upheaval caused by revolution in Saudi Arabia and a sudden and irreversible unravelling of the world's oil supply system. The aftermath, as imagined by Scarrow, is somewhat terrifying. The free flow of oil supports life on the planet: underpinning the distribution of power, food, water and life's other essentials. Without it, the UK descends into sudden, violent anarchy and our cosy, civilised world quickly disappears.

Last year it could have been argued that the scenario was somewhat far-fetched - although it is not an argument I would have mounted with any great conviction. But those were the heady days of petrol being sold at a mere 85p per litre at the pump, rather than the 125p it is at now as we stare down the barrel of an entirely imaginable 150p. And more maybe.

At the heart of Scarrow's book is the premise of Peak Oil, the phrase that describes the moment when global oil production reaches its height before declining, as demand, fuelled (if you'll pardon the pun) by the runaway economies of India, China and the like.

Right now, it feels very much like the world is on the edge: politically and economically. If the governor of the Bank of England is predicting "a bumpy road" you know damned well what he means is "unmade, pot-hole ridden, dirt track in the jungle with bandits around every corner". It might have started with some over-enthusiastic lending in the US, but right now the problems are being exacerbated  by the rising price of food and, you've guessed it, oil.

Where could this lead? Who knows? To a quick recovery with any luck, but perhaps to a version of Last Light.

This is a terrific book. Pacy, well-written, thought-provoking, very scary. A damned good thriller.

At the risk of ruining my reputation - not much to risk, I admit - I would again urge you to get a copy of this book. You won't regret it.

As for me, I was excited today  by two things. Firstly, Orion is using Material Witness quotes in some of its marketing for the book!! Which is the sort of recognition I never expected. And secondly I received a proof of Alex's new book, October Skies. Happy (if a little scary) days.

Competition: Win a US advance reader copy of The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo

While European readers have been buying copies of the late Stieg Larsson's highly acclaimed debut novel, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, in their millions, US enthusiasts have had to be patient. But their wait is almost over.

Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House, will publish the book in September of this year. But one lucky reader can have a copy early. Material Witness has one copy of the advance reader of the book free to give away to a US-based reader.

All you have to do is send your answer to the question below to [email protected] by midnight ET Friday May 16.  A winner will be chosen at random from the correct answers on Tuesday May 20.

Question: What is the name of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo in Stieg Larsson's novel?

Best of luck.

My sincere thanks to Sarah Robinson of Alfred A. Knopf, both for my copy of the book and the competition copy.

REVIEW: Gallows Lane by Brian McGilloway

The development of crime series follows many patterns. Some burn brightly on debut, too brightly perhaps, and then fizzle out quickly. In others it takes the writer as many as half a dozen books or so to find the right place in the universe for their characters when the series can take on the mantle of greatness - Robert Crais' Elvis Cole novels spring to mind.

Others ride a rollercoast of quality as the author struggles to maintain excellence over the course of a dozen books. A few, Donna Leon among then, manage to pull of this most difficult feat and sustain brilliance over the course of a decade or more.

It remains to be seen exactly which category Brian McGilloway's Benedict Devlin series will fall into, but what I do know after two books, Gallows Lane and the debut Borderlands, is that he has made an extraordinarily strong start.

I read one (very positive) review of Gallows Lane that suggested these books would benefit from the inclusion of a map of the Donegal North/Republic border area, and I would heartily agree. The geography of this cross-jurisdictional area is critical and all the flitting back and forth can get a little confusing.

But while readers may struggle to locate that arbitrary line on a map that has been so critical to British and Irish politics over the last 80 years, they will have no such trouble in imagining the lands it divides. McGilloway's prose paints vivid, atmospheric pictures of this dark green land that hides its secrets and its ancient tensions, as well as the modern phenomenon of social exclusion.

While the Donegal border between North and South is not quite the wild terrorist-ridden frontier of South Armagh, so brilliantly brought to life in Toby Harnden's Bandit Country, it is still a place which offers ample opportunities for criminals to slip back and forth evading the forces of law and order, be they represented by Benedict Devlin, McGilloway's Garda Inspector or Jim Hendry, Devlin's counterpart across the border with the Police Service of Northern Ireland. It is also still a place where the IRA exists, either as a keeper of secrets or as an extra-legal keeper of the "peace". And certainly as a protector of its own residual interest in a case.

The IRA is only a peripheral minor player in Gallows Lane, but the story provides a chilling reminder of how powerful and dangerous that organisation can be, even if it is no longer actively engaged in terrorism.

Instead the crime here is rather more of the close-to-home variety - robbery and murder - and Devlin finds himself knee deep in both, as first a young woman is abducted from a night club and killed in a building site, and then a man returning to the South after a period at Her Majesty's pleasure in the North is found crucified in the garden of a wealthy man, close to where an IRA arms cache has just been found. Assisted by Ireland's equivalent of the FBI Devlin begins to suspect that the two cases might be linked by a long forgotten armed robbery north of the border.

As Devlin deals with this major rural crime wave he is also put under more pressure by the news that his boss, who suffered family tragedy in the previous novel, Borderlands, is retiring and giving himself the opportunity to apply for a Superintendent's promotion.

As the body count piles up, and with it the stress and the sleepless nights, Devlin's health begins to fail him and he finds himself questioning his judgment as takes uncharacteristic risks and makes dangerous errors.

Devlin's fallibility is one of the charms of McGilloway's work. He is not the gifted maverick who crosses the line to get his man (although he does break the rules). Nor is the cliched departmental alcoholic struggling to hold his life together. Instead he is a good man with two children, working hard for his family and doing his best to find justice for those that who cannot earn it for themselves.

He is a far more rounded, human character than often found in detective fiction: sensitive, vulnerable, stubborn, brave and committed. And Gallows Lane is all the better for it.

And McGilloway is a fine novelist, an expert builder of solid, credible plots who keeps a strong command of twist and turn in what at times is a complex, muddied trail.

But more than that he is a very gifted writer, poetic in his tone and turn of phrase, artistic, like a watercolour painter, with his descriptive powers.

It is seductive, compelling combination: impeccable characterisation, beautiful writing and a first class narrative. Borderlands is a terrific book, Gallows Lane an even stronger sequel.

As I wrote earlier, it is too soon to know just how the series will develop, but if I were a betting man, I would be quite happy to take a chance that we will see a lot more of McGilloway and Devlin.

Kraków in the spring; as British as...

Found in the foreword to the "Kraków in Your Pocket" guidebook available in good hotels in the charming Polish city now:

"If you think you've outwitted the rest of the world by visiting Kraków in April and May then think again. Those looking for Robinson Crusoe moments of solitude should look elsewhere, there are times when Kraków feels as British as being buggered at boarding school; if you're here at the weekend then your lingering memory isn't unlikely to be of lairy English berks puking in gutters and leering at bar girls. Indeed, Saturdays in the City are a bit of an irritant, but fortunately you'll find the rest of the time time there's more to Kraków than Sky Sports and angry looking looking blokes pushing their way into kebab queues."

Makes you proud, doesn't it? Our chief export in 2008: angry looking blokes pushing their way into kebab queues. What was it Wellington said about his men? "I don't know what they do to the enemy, but by God they frighten me".

May merry for James Bond fans

May is Bond-month here at Material Witness, as it is likely to be in large pockets of the publishing and book-selling industry.

The cause of all the excitement is the imminent publication of Devil May Care (May 28), the new Bond James novel written by Sebastian Faulks, in honour of the the Ian Fleming Centenary, which marks the 100th anniversary of the writer's birth.

I can't quite remember the last time I was this intrigued and excited by the publication of a single book and so by way of limbering up for the event, I have been in Bond-training, reading Fleming's work to give myself the standard against which to benchmark Faulks' efforts.

Earlier this week I finished Live and Let Die, the second of Fleming's novels, published in 1954, and what a book it is. Judged in some quarters the best of the Bond catalogue, Live and Let Die follows Bond's pursuit of Mr Big, a Haitian-American gangster with a penchant for voodoo, laundering 17th treasure trove for the Russians.

The book opens in New York, tracks Bond down to Florida and then on to Jamaica where he faces a final reckoning with Mr Big. This was, I think, one of the first Bond films I ever watched, and consequently remains one of my favourites, not least because of the presence of Solitaire (pictured), the mind-reading female love interest played by Jane Seymour.

What struck me again about this book (only the second Fleming original I have read, the other being Casino Royale) is just how different Fleming's Bond is from the Bond of the big screen. In the books Bond bleeds and suffers (emotionally and physically) and the life he leads is portrayed as something far more dark and dangerous than the great game played by Connery, Moore, Brosnan and the other Bonds (until Daniel Craig's reappraisal of the character in Casino Royale in 2006.)

The books also have a very distinctive style. While the action is explosive and the themes grand, Fleming writes sparely, wasting few words, and with the clipped tone of the aristocrat. this style contributes greatly to the enjoyment of the books and it will be fascinating to see how Faulks approaches his task. I will note here that this a brave move for a writer, to step into legendary shoes. I have always liked Faulks' work although I believe the very high quality has trailed off somewhat since the brilliance of Birdsong, The Girl at the Lion D'Or and The Fatal Englishman.

One question raised by Live and Let Die is: What the hell did I do with my youth? I cannot now understand why it is that I didn't read the full Ian Fleming James Bond series when I was a teenager. And while it is hugely enjoyable to be able to catch up with this now and to have more or less this whole body of work to be discovered, I can't help but feel it would have lit the literary flame in me had I come across all this then, rather than wasting my time reading Jeffrey Archer (the shame of it) and Jack Higgins.

But there is more for Bond fans than just a new book out. Penguin is also set to reissue the series in new hardback formats featuring highly attractive artwork.

Also on May 28, the paperback version of the fourth book in the Young Bond series, Hurricane Gold, will be published.

These books are highly recommended. I started out with them by listening to a CD in a car when trying to entertain my six-year-old soon on a long journey. These are aimed at kids, yes, but adults will enjoy them as well (my wife and I both did). For Bond fans they offer a window on the making of a super spy. Higson has very skilfully pieced together a past that puts Bond on a path to his future career as a Double 0 agent. The pscyhology of the adult is fashioned in his youth and Higson's careful research also ensures that the older Bond is reflected in the schoolboy.

These books are coming to the end of a five book cycle later this year with the publication of By Royal Command, which sees the young James leaving Eton. Higson has talked publicly about a possible second series tracing Bond's post-school and Second World War adventures, but with more adult themes which will lift the series away from its current youthful audience.

But that is a long way off yet. In the meantime we have the May excitement to come, and I'll be keeping in touch with various events as well as publishing reviews of Hurricane Gold and Devil May Care.