Double or Die (Young Bond Series #3)

Kidnapping. Explosions. Murder. This is no ordinary weekend. But then, James Bond is no ordinary boy. . .

In a north London cemetery, a professor is kidnapped at gunpoint. Then, a suspicious letter crammed with cryptic clues arrives at Eton. To decipher the deadly mystery, James Bond must take a series of dangerous gambles. Once the code is cracked he has just forty-eight hours to save the professor from the dark forces that threaten to destroy them both. And if they can't escape, it's not only their future under threat. It's the rest of the world's...

Kidnapping. Explosions. Murder.

This is no ordinary weekend. But then, James Bond is no ordinary boy. . . .

In a north London cemetery, a professor is kidnapped at gunpoint. Then, a suspicious letter crammed with cryptic clues arrives at Eton. To decipher the deadly mystery, James Bond must take a series of dangerous gambles. Once the code is cracked, he has just forty-eight hours to save the professor from the dark forces that threaten to destroy them both. And if they can t escape, it s not only their future under threat: it s the rest of the world s

VOYA

Marking an obvious path to the future 007, this third installment is the most marvelously complex in The Young Bond series. The mystery begins after one of the Eton professors sends a cryptic, confusing resignation letter, which he requests be read by Pritpal, a student in his crossword club. Readers begin to envision the evolution of the mind of James Bond as he, Pritpal, Tommy, Perry, and several other boys work steadily to decrypt the clues and puzzles. Bond must battle dark forces to save the world from villains Sir John Charnage, his misbegotten henchmen Ludwig and Wolfgang Smith, and the cagey Russian "Babushka." The mystery turns to high action-adventure with danger at every corner over the next forty-eight hours as Bond is reunited with Red Kelly and his sister Kelly Kelly. Readers catch glimpses of the Bond tradition with world-class cars and car chases, games of chance, classic one-liners, a chance to save the world, and adventurous women. Kelly Kelly is the first incarnation of the later Bond girls but without the sexy overtones. Great historical language and period touches of 1930s London enlighten without forcing history lessons upon the reader. The latter half of the book also introduces some of that wonderful Bond action, which keeps the book well-paced and provides plenty of fear, menace, and gore as well as creative thinking to escape death, all of which will attract a wide audience of pleasure readers. Reviewer: Ava Ehde

Charlie Higson is an acclaimed comedy writer, producer, and actor. His previous novels written for adults include Getting Rid of Mister Kitchen, Full Whack, Happy Now, and King of the Ants. He lives in London.