Guy Hamilton (1922–2016)

The Man With The Golden Gun (1965) (Bond #13) by Ian Fleming. This book is set one year after the events of You Only Live Twice. That story ended with Bond going missing, presumed dead. In fact he was in the hands of the Russians who managed to brainwash him and direct his talents against M himself as depicted in this book. Captured by the secret service and treated by their best brain doctor, it is decided to set him on a no win course.
Either Bond can be set aside for dismal office duties, never to be trusted again until he ultimately resigns, or he can be given a mission he can not succeed at. The latter is deemed the better option for it offers the Service just the dullest glimmer of hope that Bond can be rescued.
The mission is simple: Find and kill an assassin called Scaramanga, the owner of the “Golden Gun”, the world’s best shot and it’s deadliest killer.
Simple.
Unlike the movie version, which was in my opinion very bad, the novel is set in Jamaica, sight of some of Bond’s most thrilling adventures. Mary Goodnight is along for the ride, and where the film had be as a bubble-headed blond, the novel provides a more attractive version of her.
There is a resort being built, but it is failing. Scaramanga heads up a consortium of international evil-doers and he is trying to milk them for more money. There is a meeting held at the uncompleted resort and Bond manages to get himself invited, as you knew he would.
This novel has all the action and adventure you might desire in a Bond novel, the villain is almost too cock-sure, the group around him able to break through Bond’s guise and lay a plan for his death, but Bond has a few helpers come out of hiding to assist. Mr. Fleming’s love of the island is on full display in this outing. And with the release of the latest Bond novel, With A Mind To Kill by Anthony Horowitz, set two weeks after this book, it is imperative that you delve through You Only Live Twice and The man With The Golden Gun to insure you have the events set firmly in your mind.
And if you don’t want to read the new book, you can fully enjoy this shining example of the Bondman view of this little slice of paradise.… (mere)