Devil May Care

By: Sebastian Faulks

Narrated by: John Lee

Length: 8 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's Summary

Bond is back. With a vengeance. Devil May Care is a masterful continuation of the James Bond legacy - an electrifying new chapter in the life of the most iconic spy of literature and film, written to celebrate the centenary of Ian Fleming’s birth on May 28, 1908.

An Algerian drug runner is savagely executed in the desolate outskirts of Paris. This seemingly isolated event leads to the recall of Agent 007 from his sabbatical in Rome and his return to the world of intrigue and danger where he is most at home. The head of MI6, M, assigns him to shadow the mysterious Dr. Julius Gorner, a power-crazed pharmaceutical magnate, whose wealth is exceeded only by his greed. 

Gorner has lately taken a disquieting interest in opiate derivatives, both legal and illegal, and this urgently bears looking into. Bond finds a willing accomplice in the shape of a glamorous Parisian named Scarlett Papava. He will need her help in a life-and-death struggle with his most dangerous adversary yet, as a chain of events threaten to lead to global catastrophe. 

A British airliner goes missing over Iraq. The thunder of a coming war echoes in the Middle East. And a tide of lethal narcotics threatens to engulf a Great Britain in the throes of the social upheavals of the late 60s. Picking up where Fleming left off, Sebastian Faulks takes Bond back to the height of the Cold War in a story of almost unbearable pace and tension. 

Devil May Care not only captures the very essence of Fleming’s original novels but also shows Bond facing dangers with a powerful relevance to our own times. 

Shaken? Stirred? Check out 007's other assignments.

©2008 Sebastian Faulks (P)2008 Books on Tape

Critic Reviews

"With a delivery as cool and dry as a vodka martini, Tristan Layton brings numerous international locals and characters to life in Faulks' homage to Ian Fleming's greatest creation, James Bond." ( Publishers Weekly)

Exciting James Bond Adventure

The first and only James Bond novel by Sebastian Faulks. It’s a shame he didn’t do more and in interviews it seems like he felt this was beneath him. Unfortunate.

Overall the book has all the earmarks of a classic Ian Fleming story. If they did a period piece film I would like to see this adapted. Without spoilers I will say the book loses a little steam after the adventures on the plane. But a small criticism in an overall fun story. Well performed by the reader John Lee.

Bond at his most boring

I have read all of Ian Flemings books. This is not Ian. I have read all the other authors that attempted Bond. This is not that either. Just kinda boring. The few “action” sequences are quick and predictable. I found so many references to Bond movies that it was getting silly. But the worst part is that a character could not be introduced without a long drawn out back story. Too much caviar (read it and you will understand). And the bad guy is this big bad drug dealer, who in one paragraph decides he’s going to nuke a major city on the premise that it will start a war. And this is for revenge? And wait, he already has the nukes, stole a plane, built a boat, and is so easily defeated that it is simply mind boggling that anyone would find this a 5 star read. I give it two monkey hands (you would understand if you read it) and 3 stars for the valiant effort at narrating it.

I cringe to hear John Lee

Why oh why does John Lee continue to be employed to narrate? He clips off each word. His rhythm is like a wagon with square wheels. He isn’t smooth at all. He seldom can pull off characters. Absent any modality of voice, he makes me cringe. Yet this novel equates with his voice. It is a mundane patchwork of other Bond novels. Nothing new, just formulaic. Flat, trite, overused dialogue, just ridiculously and embarrassingly silly at times. Obtuse and lazy writing.

typical James bond

it was predictable, not the best bond book but adequate. okay to read for a filler.