Publishers Weekly
04/08/2024
In the bang-up second volume of Sherwood’s Double O trilogy (after Double or Nothing), James Bond is still missing in action—and that’s the least of MI6’s worries. After a bombing in London nearly kills Dodger Macintyre, Agent 008, the quantum AI program known as Q determines that exorbitant auctions at Sotheby’s often presage such terrorist attacks by six days, with the winning bids funneled to Rattafänger, the ruthless military contractor suspected of kidnapping 007, in a potential money laundering scheme. Double O head Moneypenny recruits cat burglar Rachel Wolff to infiltrate the facility where the last suspicious haul originated and relay any notable discoveries. Meanwhile, Johanna Harwood—Agent 003—embarks on a determined mission to rescue Bond, despite being deemed psychologically unfit for duty after her fiancé’s death. As she searches, she comes to fear a mole within MI6 may be hindering her progress. Sherwood delivers all the hallmarks of a Bond novel, including a complex plot replete with double-crossing and exotic settings, plenty of Easter eggs for Ian Fleming fans, crackling prose (“He begins to edge up the mountainside, keeping to the bushes, his steps light as wishes”), and a jaw-dropping conclusion. Readers will be on tenterhooks until the final installment. Agent: Viola Hayden, Curtis Brown U.K. (Apr.)
From the Publisher
This modern-day approach to the world of Bond takes familiar characters and story elements and does new and rather wonderful things with them… This familiar-but-new world of Bond is precisely detailed and beautifully imagined, and Bond fans will certainly love the book even if their favorite super-spy is not the focus of the story.” — Booklist
Sherwood delivers all the hallmarks of a Bond novel, including a complex plot replete with double-crossing and exotic settings, plenty of Easter eggs for Ian Fleming fans, crackling prose... and a jaw-dropping conclusion. Readers will be on tenterhooks until the final installment.” — Publishers Weekly
“I spy . . . a brilliant thriller! Double or Nothing is a clever and utterly compelling addition to the Bond canon. Filled with characters so real we feel we know them, the novel races through its surprising plot twists like an Aston Martin in high gear. Get this book and clear your calendar—though it won’t be for long; I read it in one sitting.” — Jeffery Deaver, author of Carte Blanche, a James Bond novel
“More than an addition to the [Bond] canon, Double or Nothing is an expansion of the universe, and an exploration of how the Bond archetype can be channeled into other characters. . . In this subtle but refreshing way, Sherwood manages to shift the perspective. . . What if Bond were Black? What if Bond were a woman? Would that change anything about the essential Bond-ness of Bond? And if not, then what are we waiting for?” — Washington Post
“[Double or Nothing] delivers a thrilling experience on various levels, both honoring tradition and pushing forward into uncharted territory. It promises to offer greater diversity across a new generation of superspies; updates to familiar characters and elements; and a bit of contemporary thematic urgency . . . Sherwood, acutely aware of the traditions she’s working within, knows how to call out the usual and re-energize it . . . I’ve got my eye eagerly on Sherwood’s second Double O book, thrilled by what she’s accomplished in Double or Nothing and ready to follow her wherever she goes next.” — Washington Independent Review of Books
“There are plenty of things in this outstanding thriller that will be familiar to Bond fans, while at the same time Sherwood introduces some new elements that make the environment feel fresh and just a little bit different. . . It’s the first of a projected trilogy, and volume two cannot come soon enough.” — Booklist on Double or Nothing
“This entertaining James Bond pastiche, the authorized first in a projected trilogy, from British author Sherwood (Testament) introduces a diverse team of new 00 agents. . . [A] refreshing update on the venerable franchise. . .Readers will be curious to see what’s next for her team in book two.” — Publishers Weekly on Double or Nothing
“Blistering, breakneck, brilliant. Sherwood's first Double O novel delivers everything you could want and more from a high-octane, high-stakes spy thriller. The world of Bond is in expert hands.” — Tim Glister, author of Red Corona
“Stylish, explosive, fresh and fun, Kim Sherwood takes one of the world’s most beloved series and makes it her own. Faithful, yet entirely original, Double or Nothing is everything you could want in a spy novel.” — Chris Whitaker, author of We Begin at the End
“Bang up to date and action-packed, Kim Sherwood has taken the world of James Bond and turned it on its head.” — Charles Cumming, author of Box 88
“A cleverly plotted and absorbing novel with a fantastic cast of fully rounded characters in this breathtaking new novel. I loved it.” — Lisa Ballantyne, author of The Innocent One
