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The story concerns James Bond's reassignment to Naval duty to act as bodyguard and head of security for an international summit meeting between President Bush, Prime Minister Thatcher, and Mikhail Gorbachev aboard the Royal Navy aircraft carrier Invincible. The meeting is top secret, and it will take place during a major internationally co-operative event called LANDSEA '89.

Bond is promoted to the rank of Captain and undergoes extensive training for several weeks, ultimately becoming adept at piloting a Sea Harrier. He also becomes acquainted with a Wren working on the operation, Clover Pennington.

But a terrorist organization known as BAST, led by the mysterious Bassam Baradj, has plans to take over the ship and hold the celebrity politicians for ransom.

When Intelligence learns that BAST means to assassinate Bond over Christmas, M sends 007 to a resort in Italy, where he falls in love with the beautiful Beatrice Maria da Ricci. But on Christmas Day, Beatrice is killed by a car bomb set by Clover Pennington, who informs the distraught Bond that Beatrice was actually Saphii “The Cat” Boudai, one of BAST's three senior leaders.

"His wife either left him or she's
dead. She's dead I suppose.
I don't mention it. I suppose
I shall now. Maybe in
BOND #13."

The book also seems much more like a “techno-thriller”, more in the style of a Tom Clancy novel. It works like gangbusters, especially the detail with which Gardner describes the Harrier aircraft business. Gardner himself practised in a Harrier simulator and described it as “very hairy”.

We also get a little more of Bond's life “in-between” adventures. We learn he took part in the Falklands conflict by landing secretly and training civilians before war broke out in earnest. We learn that 007 now drives a dark blue BMW 520i. There are many nostalgic remembrances on Bond's part, such as his memory of his “best Christmas”, just before his parents were killed. There are further throwbacks to his life with Tracy, which brings us to another strong element of the novel: the love affair. Bond describes Beatrice Maria da Ricci as someone who could “easily become the love of his life”, and the romance that ensues is the most dramatic to date.

Unfortunately, Gardner has not brought the woman back in subsequent books.

Yes, it was too good to be true. I was playing games with that book, because one of the other girls, Sarah Deeley, was my niece.

It's one of those things, you create a character, it's a good character, but traditionally they can't go on. You're quite right; she could have gone on, but...

The villains are part of a new terrorist organization called BAST (Brotherhood of Anarchy and Secret Terror). It's a pity that we never get to know these fellows very well, but this isn't detrimental to the success of the novel.

Bassam Baradj is the group's leader, and he only appears briefly in the book. The most significant villain is Saphii Boudai, aka “The Cat” and this is one time that one of Gardner's “false identity” plots works well.

One fine moment in the novel occurs when Bond meets George Bush, Margaret Thatcher, and Mikhail Gorbachev, brought together for their summit conference.

It was fun. You know, I wasn't actually too far off - they actually DID get together later; there was a summit with Bush, Thatcher, and Gorbachev, off Gibraltar! Or they planned it, but it failed to take place because Bush couldn't make it, or something. I had a lot of letters asking, are you a mind reader or something?

We were walking and saw that museum which features in the book. The next day, Margaret fell in the street and broke her patella, so we came back in very bad order indeed. Anyway, the writing of the book came during the recovery process, so there was a lot of serious emotional and ill health-related baggage tied into this book.

In BROKENCLAW, Bond's assignment is to infiltrate Brokenclaw Lee's organization while impersonating a British spy for Red China (accompanied by Chinese female spy Sue Chi-Ho, known as Chi-Chi). Brokenclaw Lee is half-Chinese, half-Blackfoot Indian, and the most powerful gangster in San Francisco. He has kidnapped key members of the LORDS and LORDS DAY team, which perfected the most successful submarine tracking device ever made and he plans to sell the information gleaned from these men to colleagues in Red China. He has also developed “Project Jericho”, enabling him to tap into Wall Street's computer system and wreak havoc with stock market.

After taking part in an assault on Lee's hidden fortress near San Francisco, Bond accepts Lee's challenge to undergo a torturous ancient Blackfoot Indian ritual known as “O-kee-pa” to determine the “best man”. Bond survives the ordeal, kills Lee, and recuperates with Chi-Chi.

The book is still a fun, fast read, and it contains a unique and exciting villain - certainly the most well-drawn and complete villain in a Gardner Bond since ROLE OF HONOUR. But there are many events which seem just a bit too fantastic, as if they belong in a different genre altogether. The climax of the book, which deals with the bloody Indian ritual used to test young warriors in line for leadership, reminds me of the Richard Harris movie, A Man Called Horse (1970). Somehow, I find it difficult to picture James Bond dressed in Indian regalia and voluntarily submitting himself to this ritual.

There are also some character inconsistencies with our hero which I was surprised to see. James Bond is drinking tea at the beginning of the book, and this is something he never does. At one point, he admits being superstitious about “that Scottish play” (many theatrical people feel that Shakespeare's Macbeth is a very unlucky play and they will not refer to it by name). Bond was never superstitious about anything in the past, why should he care about a play?

I cringe whenever I hear anyone quote lines from that particular play. There is evidence that it is a bloody unlucky play! It was an intent on my part to show that he does have a little more culture.

Other odd things pop up in the book, such as Bill Tanner's participation in the assault on Brokenclaw's burrow in California (rather like Q in the films bringing in a hot air balloon at the end of Octopussy!).

But there are many good things about the novel as well. The character of Ed Ruisha (pronounced “Roo-sha”) is a wonderful creation, an ally as good as a Kerim Bey or a Felix Leiter.

He's a real person, a very good friend. And his speech patterns are exactly the same. Many people objected to his dialogue, saying I was making fun of hick accents - but he really does talk that way! Yes, Dr Ruisha, he lives across the street. He actually came and sat with me at the hospital when I had the surgery. I repaid him by using him in the book. Peter got the manuscript and said, “I like it very much, but we can't have this man, this fellow Ruisha [pronouncing it ‘Russia’]. I said, "Peter, it's ‘Roo-sha’, and when Peter came over to visit, he met the man and we all went out and had a great time”.

Other highlights include the aforementioned O-kee-pa ritual, which itself is fascinating! The torture scene is interesting: Bond's genitals are painted with animal fat. He is then staked down naked, about to become the afternoon snack for some hungry wolves!

And the title, for once, is very Flemingesque!