"Hurricane Room" Advanced Proof Copy Arrives

Like his big screen counterpart the lterary James Bond has also evolved to remain relevant more than 70 years after Ian Fleming first struck a key on his golden typewriter for 'Casino Royale".  Kim Sherwood's interpretation of James Bond is no exception.  When the first installment of her "Double O" trilogy debuted in 2022, her Bond and his world of fellow agents became contemporary, inclusive and refreshingly current.

In her first act, "Double Or Nothing" (2022), Ms. Sherwood moulded (some may say redefined) the modern Bond universe by introducing a new generation of "00"s along with a revamped M16, and the mystery of a missing 007.

Act two, "A Spy Like Me" (2024), was a fast paced action adventure with a six day countdown to stop a terrorist group while simultaneously searching for Bond.

The final act, "Hurricane Room" (2026), was released in late May and promises an epic conclusion to the whole trilogy saga (the cover reads "James Bond is alive"... phew... after "No Time To Die" at the cinema !!!).

I was fortunate to acquire an advanced proof copy of Ms. Sherwood's "Hurricane Room" in the mail last week.  The cover looks great and matches the hardback edition from Harper Collins in the UK.

I've already added cover scans of  "Hurricane Room" to my Proof Copies page.  (Remember to click on the cover image if you go to this link to see the entire book image).  And here's some photos of the complete UK "Double O" trilogy proofs together from Harper Collins imprint Hemlock Press which I'm fortunate to own.

I know a lot of James Bond literary fans concern themselves with the modern version of James Bond.  Personally I think it's great.  Bond remaining current and in today's world will result in new readers and more new adventures.  

There are many literary characters that were once hugely popular, now only alive in old hardbacks on dusty book shelves.  That fate should never befall 007.  May the modern literary James Bond thrill readers for many years to come.  And who knows, maybe the "Double O" trilogy from Kim Sherwood will become "A trilogy in four parts" as Douglas Adams' "Hitchhikers" once was.  We can only hope.

William Morrow - James Bond Set From 2023

Back in 2023 the U.S. publisher William Morrow released a new set of Ian Fleming's James Bond novels.  Predominantly black in colour, these simple in design covers look much better in the flesh than they ever have online.

I tried to purchase the complete set last year.  They're not available on book shelves here in Australia so I had to order them from the U.S..  I chose an online book retailer, and when half the order arrived, most of the books were damaged.  I cancelled the rest of the order and the retailer kindly offered a full refund.

Roll forward to a few weeks ago when I reluctantly ordered the books again, this time through Readings Books, an independant book store here in Victoria.  Today the books arrived...

With great trepedation I opened the box and unwrapped the books one-by-one... and to my great relief they've all arrived safely.  Apart from some minor shipping bumps and scuffs  the books are still in excellent condition.  Eventually once I've scanned them all they'll appear on this page of my website.

Here's a few pics:

Addendum: It turns out I ordered the wrong copy of one title.  I'll let you work it out from the photos above.  Looks like I'll have to order a copy of the correct edition now.  Slightly frustrating but it was 100% my mistake !!!