For Your Eyes Only ★★★☆☆

Ian Fleming

Genre(s) | Thriller, Espionage

Goodreads Rating | 3.65

Humpo Show Rating | 3.25

Published: Originally published in 1960 (my version was released in 2012)

Publisher: Vintage

Five stories. Five insights into the mindset of a secret agent. Five intriguing locations. James Bond finds himself solving crimes, tracking assassins, listening to remarkable stories, dealing with drug smugglers and hunting for rare fish.

From A View to a Kill

The sabotaging of a signal and message run in France leads to Bond investigating and using Sherlock-esque methods to unravel the mystery behind the murder of the courier. Fleming’s Bond is displaying more human and vulnerable qualities than we see in the films or any of the previous books.

For Your Eyes Only

A couple of M’s friends living in Jamaica have been callously murdered. M doesn’t want to be seen seeking revenge, but wants to see justice for their murders – so we end up seeing Bond embarking on a winding and secretive journey to the hideaway of the man behind the orders. It was a great insight into the steps that an assassin goes to remain undetected.

Quantum of Solace

This was the surprise package out of the five stories. There is no high stakes, no gunfights and no thrilling chases. Instead, Bond listens to a domestic tale of betrayal and reprisal from the Governor of Bahamas. What sounds to Bond and to the reader, initially, as a boring humdrum story that pales in comparison to Bond’s extravagant and fast life, turns out to be engaging and shocking.

Written excellently well – I read this story a lot faster than the others as I was eager to find out what happens between Masters and his wife. A LOT different from the disastrous film.

Risico

The secret agent is sent to Italy to investigate a drug smuggling operation. The weakest story out of the five and it turned into a real struggle to finish.

The Hildebrand Rarity

Bond – while off duty – joins a millionaire aboard his luxurious yacht to help him search for a very rare fish off the coast of Africa. The man turns out to be an abusive husband and the short story quickly turns into a mystery rather than a spy thriller.

The Humpo Show | Richard