• Forever and a Day

  • A James Bond Novel
  • By: Anthony Horowitz
  • Narrated by: Matthew Goode
  • Length: 7 hrs and 36 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (1,002 ratings)

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Forever and a Day  By  cover art

Forever and a Day

By: Anthony Horowitz
Narrated by: Matthew Goode
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Publisher's summary

A spy is dead. A legend is born. This is how it all began. The explosive prequel to Casino Royale, from best-selling author Anthony Horowitz.

Forever and a Day is the story of the birth of a legend, in the brutal underworld of the French Riviera, taking listeners into the very beginning of James Bond’s illustrious career and the formation of his identity.

M laid down his pipe and stared at it tetchily. “We have no choice. We’re just going to bring forward this other chap you’ve been preparing. But you didn’t tell me his name.”

“‘It’s Bond, sir,'” the Chief of Staff replied. “James Bond.”

The sea keeps its secrets. But not this time.

One body. Three bullets. 007 floats in the waters of Marseille, killed by an unknown hand.

It’s time for a new agent to step up. Time for a new weapon in the war against organized crime.

It’s time for James Bond to earn his license to kill.

©2018 Copyright 2018 Ian Fleming Publications Limited and The Ian Fleming Estate (P)2018 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

"Narrator Matthew Goode does a sterling job of taking the listener back to the 1950s and helps paint a picture of a postwar world full of steely spies, truly evil villains, and, of course, a beautiful woman... His narration helps create the feel of a traditional James Bond story, full of adventure combined with the reassurance of a predictable outcome. His pacing is a perfect match for this latest take on Ian Fleming's legacy." (AudioFile)

What listeners say about Forever and a Day

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Another fantastic Bond novel

This is a great Bond novel. Horowitz adds classic intrigue, excitement, and plot into this story that we've seen in Ian Fleming's novels. There is an obvious amount of research that Horowitz has put into this book, and this book seems to easily fall into line with the classic Bond novels.

Matthew Goode is a great narrator. I typically listen to books at 1.5x speed, but slowed this one down to 1.25x due to Goode's accent. That is not a criticism, just a random aside.

I think this is a great book, and Horowitz's other books I have loved too, especially The Word Is Murder and The Magpie Murders. I highly recommend this book, as well as those.

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29 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Didn’t Disappoint

I’ve read quite a few of Anthony Horowitz’s books, beginning when I read the Alex Rider series to my them young son.

As well, when I was younger, I read most of the Ian Fleming Bond novels, loving them all.

So my expectations were high when I started Forever and a Day. I was not disappointed. Horowitz delivered a heck of a story that aligned well with the James Bond I’ve grown to love.

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16 people found this helpful

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

A fun James Bond story and beautiful performance

I absolutely loved Matthew Goode's narration of this book. He needs to do more! He has the perfect Bond voice and I love his subtle performances of other characters. They are all very convincing. I'm also a huge Anthony Horowitz fan and he captured the era and the voice of a Bond story perfectly. I would recommend this to any Bond fan!

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15 people found this helpful

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

Meet Bond

Horowitz was the perfect person to write a Bond novel. If you enjoy his spy series for teens, Alex Rider, you’ll love this. Horowitz introduces Bond, like we’ve never seen him as he embarks in his first mission as a 00 agent. Horowitz gets everything right—story, action, pace—while perfectly capturing Bond’s sassy wit that we all love.

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12 people found this helpful

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

Bond. James Bond - Origin Story

A spy is dead. A legend is born.
The sea keeps its secrets. But not this time.
One body. Three bullets. 007 floats in the waters of Marseilles, killed by an unknown hand.
It’s time for a new agent to step up. Time for a new weapon in the war against organized crime.
It’s time for James Bond to earn his license to kill.
This is the story of the birth of a legend, in the brutal underworld of the French Riviera.

Horowitz has done an admirable job at an origin story for James Bond as he is promoted to 00 status after 007 is found dead in the south of France. While this is Bond's first mission with a license to kill I felt that this book was not up to the same level as his previous 007 novel "Trigger Mortis". The villains in this novel didn't inspire the level of emotion out of me as I hoped it would. The story does seem a bit typical & parts of the end were a touch anti-climatic. I am such a fan of James Bond that I still enjoyed this book immensely.

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10 people found this helpful

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

Fleming would be proud.

One of the better Bond books in a long time. hope he does more going forward!

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9 people found this helpful

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

introducing James Bond

in this prequel to Casino Royale We meet James Bond before he officially becomes 007 An excellent Novel by Anthony Horowitz The Author of the Bond Novel Trigger Mortis One of the Best Non Fleming 007 Novels taut thrilling a welcome addition to the Bond Saga

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8 people found this helpful

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

True to Form

great reading and fantastic story from start to finish. set as a precursor to Bond's known stories. Forever and A Day features a fast paced, well written story of deceit, growth, and maturity.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Good for Fleming Fans. This is old Bond.

The low grade nihilism we expect in Fleming's universe is on full display--as is the clumsy and obvious foreshadowing. If you're not familiar with the source material, it can sometimes pull you out of suspended disbelief. If you're looking for Daniel Craig, this isn't it. But if you like older Bond, this will certainly scratch that itch: charming locales, ostentatious set pieces, cynical seductions, unique villains, and quintessential style. I listened to it on part of a long, scenic road trip, and it was the perfect fit.

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7 people found this helpful

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

Classic Bond

Overall, this is a good story with all of the James Bond principals in place. While enjoyable, the writing style and delivery are not up to par with the best fiction writers. For Bond fans, especially early Sean Connery, you will find it satisfying.

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5 people found this helpful