Devil May Care

A Review of the Sebastian Faulks' New Bond Novel

Aug 28, 2008 Karen Murdarasi

Written to celebrate the centenary of Ian Fleming's birth, Devil May Care is an exciting addition to the Bond canon.

Devil May Care, published by Penguin in 2008, is written by the well known author of Birdsong and Charlotte Gray, Sebastian Faulks, “writing as Ian Fleming”. Fleming was the author of the original thirteen James Bond novels, set and written in the 1950s. This new story is set in the 1960s, soon after the events of the other books, when Bond is feeling worn out and considering giving up active service as a “double-O”.

Thoughts of retirement are soon put aside when the sinister Julius Gorner enters the scene, involved in the drugs trade but possibly in much more besides. Bond is given extra motivation in his battle against Gorner by Scarlett Papava, the Parisian love interest whose sister has been enslaved by the criminal. It soon transpires that Gorner has a cunning plan to wipe out Britain altogether, and intends to force Bond to help him.

Bond is Back?

So is this a true James Bond novel? Many of the characteristic features are present and correct. There are beautiful women (twins, no less), car chases, gadgets, guns, and plenty of expensive food and drink. Exotic locations, from Paris to Persia, are also included, and the plot to destroy the western world is suitable for a Bond book.

There are some aspects which jar. The violence is rather graphic compared to the more clinical descriptions in Fleming's work. There is also the unavoidable problem that Devil May Care is written with hindsight, and modern perspectives on the sixties, drugs and east versus west do sometimes intrude. However, these are small quibbles to make about a novel written fifty years after its predecessors by a novelist known better for his literary works than spy thrillers.

Is it Any Good?

Even taken as a stand-alone novel rather than a James Bond tale, this is an exciting read. Gorner's plot is breathtakingly audacious, but also so well-planned that the reader is at a loss to know how Bond is going to thwart it. The colourful backgrounds of Paris and Persia add interest, and the heroine is tough and multi-layered enough not to be merely a love interest.

There are some interesting new characters such as Darius Alizadeh, James' opposite number in Tehran, and the reliable driver Hamid, as well as much-loved old faces like M and the flirtatious Moneypenny. The twist at the end is a little incongruous, smacking more of the noughties than the sixties, but the adventure itself is as exciting as Fleming himself could wish.

The copyright of the article Devil May Care in Mystery/Crime Fiction is owned by Karen Murdarasi. Permission to republish Devil May Care in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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