• High Time to Kill

  • James Bond (Original Series)
  • By: Raymond Benson
  • Narrated by: Simon Vance
  • Length: 9 hrs
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (115 ratings)

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High Time to Kill  By  cover art

High Time to Kill

By: Raymond Benson
Narrated by: Simon Vance
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Publisher's summary

The Union is a criminal organization with tentacles throughout the world, specializing in military espionage, theft, intimidation, and murder. After one of its agents assassinates Bond's friend and host at a glittering dinner in the Bahamas, the Union becomes 007's priority target.

When information vital to Britain's national security is stolen, both M and Bond suspect that the Union is behind it. The trail leads Bond from one of England's most exclusive golf clubs to the cosmopolitan city of Brussels and finally to an expedition up the icy heights of the legendary mountain Kangchenjunga, the third tallest peak in the world. Led by the abrasive mountaineer Group Captain Roland Marquis, aided by the expedition's sexy and beautiful doctor, Hope Kendall, and opposed by an unknown traitor working out of SIS itself, Bond must pit his strength and guile against two deadly adversaries - the forces of nature at high altitude and the most resourceful criminal minds he has ever encountered.

©1999 Ian Fleming Publications Ltd. (P)2014 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved. JAMES BOND and 007 are the registered trade marks of Danjaq LLC, used under license by Ian Fleming Publications Limited. All Rights Reserved.

Featured Article: No, Mr. Bond, I Expect You to Drive—A James Bond Cars List


When people talk about the most memorable aspects of James Bond novels and movies, there are so many things to list—his famous quotes and drink preferences; beautiful women and dastardly villains (which are not always mutually exclusive); all those fun spy gadgets, like poisonous wrist darts, shoe daggers, and ring cameras. Certainly, there's no doubt that James Bond gets all the good stuff—but he's especially spoiled when it comes to cars.

What listeners say about High Time to Kill

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Bond is heavy on the filler

I have to admit, I was terribly disappointed by this novel. While size isn't everything, the production is only about nine hours, . And a good two-thirds of the story is filler that is only vaguely germane too the story.

It's almost like the author was writing a script for a TV show, or a movie. There was a good ninety minutes of story, but then the author needed to stretch another seven hours to make a novel.

Too much of the mystery is given away in long winded exposition, and Bond becomes a somewhat incompetent and whiney passenger in the story.

Most of the events are clearly telegraphed ahead of time, and there are no real surprises. Characters are largely flat and stereotypical. And after the initial events, the listener must sit through two-thirds of the book without anything of interest or import happening.

Frankly, it was dull, and the climax was predictable and derivative. I spent most of my time listening to this novel just waiting for something, anything, to happen.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Pleasant Surprise

The Benson Bond is solid. And this escapade and plot was very good, and something that easily could be seen converted to a modern movie. The only critique is that the mountain climb was a bit drawn out.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Bond at the top of the world.

Great story and performance. The finale of the book is great. It’s something I bet you’d never see in an actual Bond film and that’s kind of cool in and of itself.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Better than most

This is one of the first bond novels in a long line that has not been as predictable as the others

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Great read and listen

This is the first book in the trilogy involving the Union, an organization very similar to Spectre. I liked this story and the books that followed it, though in my opinion this is the better of the three stories.
This time Bond is trying to recover schematics for Skin 17, a prototype polymer to be used on airplanes.
Give this one a listen or a read.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Poor Bond

I’m a James Bond guy ever since at age 8 my father took me to see Doctor No in a drive-in movie theater. Hi time to kill was not a bad story, but the writing is terrible. Shameless product placement throughout and really bad pornography really unhinged a good story that could’ve been great with better writing. Read Anthony Horowitz for the true bond experience.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Simon Vance gives well textured performance

Simon Vance’s performance is well balanced and modulated to the characters who are from different cultures, countries, genders, educations, motivations. He narrates a widely texture, and active plot, bad guys and good guys, extortion, double-crossing, gruesome calling card murders, and a new criminal organization, the Union. This is a quick and entertaining read, an above average Bond one.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Benson’s Best Bond

Great fun and an original situation. Would love to see some version of this make it into the film series. Interesting locales, villains, Bond girls and HIGH excitement. I really thought the character of Bond’s friend Chandra was terrific too and would be great on screen. No one performs Bond novels better than Vance either. He really portrays Fleming’s world, as does Mr. Benson.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Formulaic but Excellent James Bond

Bond is amazing in the Raymond Benson books, written mostly through the 90's but still have a relevant feel in technology and culture although pre 9/11. I actually started on the last book of his series not realizing how many there were but this title you can listen to without listening to the previous books in the series.

"High Time to Kill" is Benson's 3rd original Bond in the series and is the best since the first "Zero Minus Ten". The action, characters and locations are typical Bond, but that is good thing. While I say Formulaic and Typical, I think most Bond fans find comfort in that - There is the women, the double-crosses and mystery that you need to see through to the last word. This book specifically gives some excellent characters to love and hate, possibly the best built characters outside of Bond himself. It also introduces a great arch nemesis in The Union, a group of baddies that Bond will run into over the next few novels.

Simon Vance is an EXCELLENT voice for Bond novels. I have tried to listen to a few other Bond novels not voiced by Mr Vance and I just can't get over how well he does. If you are a fan of the movies and want a more modern Bond story, I find the Ian Flemming novels a bit antique after so many great modern Bond movies have been made.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Ridiculous

I was hoping for a modern take on Bond like Jeffery Deaver”s novel, which was excellent all around. But oh well. I do like Simon Vance but for some reason his narration always seem rushed. Anyway I lasted twenty minutes in and realized I wasted my money.

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