Rating: 
Summary: Brilliant!
Review: This James Bond novel gets under the character's skin like no other since Fleming's own "You Only Live Twice." Here we have a very human Bond, one that shows fear, anger, regret... The plot is one of the most engaging that I've read in any of the series... In looking at the reviews on this site, I am bewildered by the 1-star reviews-- did they read the same book? I recommend this novel not only to Bond fans, but to anyone who likes espionage fiction.
Rating:
Summary: The best James Bond novel yet!
Review: Raymond Benson continues to improve on his already amazing depiction of James Bond and his unique world. The characters of Bond and his associates and their relationships to one another ring abosolutely true. The warmth and the humour has never felt more natural. These probably aren't the words you expect to read about a 007 novel, well don't worry there are plenty of explosions, chases, fights etc. But this is not your typical Bond plot. This one is more personal, with charactes we care about, so the danger feels more real and more exciting. Benson succeeds in keeping Ian Fleming's Bond absolutely faithful, while at the same time putting his own indelible stamp on the series. The second half of this novel is a departure from the frenetic pacing of most Bond plots. I really enjoyed the expedition setting, and learned a lot. It was fun to feel the tension building chapter by chapter. Just when you think you know where you stand, Mr. Benson throws you a curve and you realize you are no longer sure of anything at all. An extended epilogue to the action adds a macabre twist. You've never read a Bond book like this one, but I assure you, you'll be very glad you did!
Rating:
Summary: The Bond tradition continues--#3 is Number 1!
Review: Like "Goldfinger", "The Spy Who Loved Me, and (hopefully) "The World Is Not Enough", the third time is the charm for Raymond Benson's new Bond thriller. His Bond knowledge, honed to a fine point by his prior works, and his clear crisp writing style make him a worthy successor to Ian Fleming. His books are chock-full of knowing references to the Fleming and Gardner novels. He also manages to continue seamlessly weaving the movies with the novels (witness his expert character development of the female M.)What separates HTTK from other Bond novels and makes it the best in the series since Win Lose or Die? The introduction of two adversaries worthy of 007. The first is The Union, a new world-wide criminal organization with tentacles reaching far into MI6. The Union is not just a "poor man's SPECTRE", to use Gardner's characterization of one of his own SPECTRE imitations. The Union is truly a villain for the 21st century, with lots of opportunity for future encounters with 007. The second is the introduction of an equally worthy opponent for 007--his childhood nemesis Roland Marquis. The conflict here creates many opportunities for character development of Bond and Marquis--an element too often lacking in the Bond novels--and leads to a thrilling climax. There are many nice touches throughout--the references to "Quantum of Solace"; the golf game with Marquis; a thrilling hotel fight that reminds one of the good old Oddjob days; and, of course, the race to recover Skin 17. Good to have you back, Mr. Benson!
Rating: 
Summary: High Time to be Disappointed
Review: I'll keep this simple. Benson's third original James Bond novel falls flat compared to his first two outings. There are far too many killers involved, suggesting that Benson wants us to belive that killing for greed is natural for most of us. Bond's role in the novel is minimal in that he survives and wins in the end, mostly due to devices and dumb luck. Some of the supporting characters are more interesting and face greater personal conflicts. How can one approve of a Bond novel in which this so called super spy fails to check his gear before climbing only to discover by falling that someone has tampered with it? in which he is easily konked on the head by a bady? in which he hides so poorly when the villains return to the room he is searching that they find him in the bathroom? I mean, come on! I thought Benson was a James Bond fan, not a James Bond satirist!! On top of everything else, almost every character in the book is killed, but not by Bond, the guy with a licence to kill. Stupidly, for the most part, the killers kill each other or themselves. Overall a ridiculous novel with a silly plot. Benson's challenge for his next book should be to write this beloved character as if he were a super spy, not a super dud. Keith W. Badowski
Rating:
Summary: A Page-Turner!
Review: I simply couldn't put down this book, and I rarely read a book in (nearly) one sitting! It was suspenseful and engrossing to the end. Easily the best of the Bond novels Benson has written, and far superior to those by John Gardner. It's not Fleming, but no one is.
Rating:
Summary: Bond keeps limping along...
Review: I'm sorry, but one would have a difficult time convincing me that John Gardner was a worse Bond novelist than Raymond Benson. Gardner's best books--Death is Forever, Icebreaker, No Deals, Mr. Bond (in my humble opinion)--stand out from Benson's effort in a number of ways. Gardner admitted that he was more distant when he wrote Bond because it was not his character, and sometimes that wasn't bad. Some of the books were refreshing in that they were a kind of admission that Bond didn't have to save the world in every single book, but that he had missions where he was not central and where he questioned what he doing. Gardner's Bond seems weary in Death is Forever or in The Man from Barbarossa, and this is actually a good thing because it is believable. Benson clearly tries too hard to make us believe that he knows Fleming's Bond so well. He knows the books and the stories, but he cannot write Bond well at all. His prose is strictly amateur night, and he seems afraid to stray from anything Fleming did. Gardner was British, highly educated, he was an experienced and successful spy novelist and writer, he was even in the armed forces and knew some things about spies from the second world war. All of this is evident when you read him. He is way out of his league in terms of Bond and in terms of writing novels period. Gardner was far from perfect, most of his books were flawed, but he delivered smooth tales and he was a decent writer, which counts for something.
Rating:
Summary: Benson still aims to please the 007 faithful.
Review: Benson and Bond are Back!!! I'm really enjoying late spring and early summer with a new Benson 007 adventure to savor. I was very impressed by the way in which Benson was able to pull this one off. At first, the plot, invoving top secret military technology, microdots, and the fate of British defense research seemed a little more like a Bond rip-off than genuine 007. However, Benson makes it work in great style. First of all, his supporting cast is top notch. It was very amusing to have Bond twich at the presence of his old Etonian rival, Roland Marquis. I also very much enjoyed the character of Gurkha Sergeant Chandra. He is a throw back to the Bond pals of the Fleming days, cast in the model of Quarrel and Darko Kerim, two of Ian Fleming's most endearing characters. Also, the sub-plots are interesting as well, especially the activity in Nepal on the part of MI6's India station chief. And how can we forget the girls; Hope, Gina, and Helena make for great fun for Bond, just as we'd expect. Fun and sex aside, one woman will remind many readers of a girl from Bond's past. A girl whom Fleming used to help harden Bond's edge and his heart. While some may criticize the Union crime organization as too similar to SPECTRE, Benson probably intened for them to appear that way. While the author has brought Bond into the ninties, he works had at keeping him in territory familiar to Fleming fans. Anyway, we'll have to see how the Union pans out. I have read that HTTK is the first in a trilogy involving the nefarious organization's activities (remember Fleming did the same thing with SPECTRE). The bottom line is that HTTK was a great read and I very much look forward to Benson's next effort and believe that the forces of "Sex, Sadism, and Snobbery" are still alive and kicking.
Rating:
Summary: The Horror!
Review: Ian Fleming is rolling over in his grave once again. Not only is an American writing about England's greatest spy, but an absolutely awful writer at that. Fleming was incredibly smooth, his books flowed cleanly without causing one to stop too long and think about them. Benson tries too hard to put continuity references into his books--ok, we get it Raymond, you've read all of the books 800 times--instead of concentrating on any real writing or insight into Bond. The action is lame-the most exciting points involve reaching new heights on the mountain and trying to figure out who the villain on the mountain is, even though we find out early. No surprises here folks, just another limp attempt to introduce yet another SPECTRE-type organization with yet another cliched terrorist group. And their calling card? How original! They cut the throats of their victims. This one pained me to finish. Let Bond die or find him a new writer!
Rating:
Summary: Please give us more Bond!
Review: Raymond Benson has done it again! From The Bahamas to Brussells to Nepal and the high Himalayas, Benson has once again brought James Bond to life with enough plot and character twists to satisfy even the most devout Bondian reader. This reader, for one, would love to see this adventure turned into a movie filmed on the actual locations. My only other wish is that Benson would write more than one Bond novel a year. That's much too long to wait.
Rating:
Summary: Benson and Bond better than ever.
Review: It's exciting to watch an author get comfortable with his protagonist and genre, and reading "High Time to Kill" reveals Raymond Benson settling into his role as the rightful heir to Ian Fleming and John Gardner. Juggling the classic Bondian mix of exotic locales, femmes fatale and ruthless villains, Benson puts Bond in situations where he can no longer take his invincibility for granted. He even ends up owing his salvation to the courageous efforts of other characters. Yet no one who loves Bond will doubt his fundamental "hardness" by the end. May there be many more to come.
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