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Summary: Courageous and thrilling!
Review: I think Benson did a courageous job with this book. Some people criticized him for what he did with the characters of Marc-Ange Draco and Mathis. I say that the Bond Universe was his to make use of, JUST AS IN ANY FRANCHISE. What he did with Draco was dramatic and surprising. This is one of Benson's BEST Bond novels.
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Summary: My thoughts and comments...
Review: I think this was the Mother of the Benson Series, We see more of Bonds feelings and thoughts about family in love with the cold harded killer personalty that goes with James Bond i have read Gardner's License Renewed and Cold Fall, They were ok but lacked detail and vissualization. Benson is quite the oppsite he gives good detail and information while keeping it in a Screenplay like format that is easy to see. This is personal the best James bond novel i have ever read and i think it will be first on my book shelf, but if your a die hard fleming fan you might not like this one. It's hard for a another write to follow in the foot steps of another and keep it the same. raymond Benson is the closest to Fleming yet! his best work!
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Summary: Benson does it again! I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book and could not wait to get home each day to read it! The storytelling is very visual, full of action and intrigue. Bond finally meets up with the head of the UNION and he even connects with a very important man from his past. His love interest, Tylyn, sounds ravishing and it's easy to understand why Bond has some tough heartfelt decisions to make. Although many hardcore Bond fans don't like Benson, I really enjoy the way he writes. This book is a great read. Wish they would make movies of some of Benson's Bond books.
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Summary: OO7 is on the hunt
Review: In Nice, James Bond and his friend Rene Mathis fail to persuade Commandant Malherbe to call off the police raid. James and Rene feel the movie studio has too many civilians in the area while Malherbe feels they might not have a better opportunity to stop the Union from peddling their terrorist activities to the highest bidder. Nothing goes right as the raid turns into a trap leaving many dead, including several civilians. Movie producer/director Les Essinger uses the media to extract an apology from the French government.Over the next few weeks, Bond fails to find any clues on the Union. Meanwhile Mathis vanishes, but is actually in Corsica tracking a blind man who he believes is Le Gerant, the head of the Union. Finally, Bond obtains a lead from a murdered prisoner known as a Union man. The deceased has a tattoo on his eye. That takes Bond to Paris where he meets Essinger's estranged wife actress Tylyn Mignonne. 007 expects that when he meets up with Mathis all hell will break loose, but he is unaware that his trysts with Tylyn spells dangerous from the Union because that is personal. The latest Fleming-lite is an enjoyable James Bond tale that fans of the super spy will find entertaining. The story line is fast-paced although the Mathis sub-plot has almost as much ink as the 007 trail. Le Gerant is the usual Bond foe and Tylyn provides the typical female distraction. M, Moneypenny, and Boothroy add the SIS feel that accompanies Bond. All in all, Raymond Benson's latest 007 thriller provides the works, as Bond remains Bond. Harriet Klausner
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Summary: Benson's best
Review: In this new Bond adventure, Bond partners up with French Agent (I'm not sure) Mathis to take down the Union once and for all, an organization who stops at nothing just to make trouble, by taking down their blind, but dangerous boss, Le Gerant. This book, as I would say, is the sequel to Benson's books High Time To Kill and Doubleshot, and he's successfully ended this trilogy. From beginning to end, I couldn't stop reading this book. Benson may not write like Fleming or Gardner, but he writes an even better Bond. His books have more action and suspense. Although, this may be a little disappointing for Bond fans since the story is not as classic like Goldfinger and Dr. No, but anyone who likes something with action, love, and is in need for a book this summer should be looking into this book before they skip this. Overall, it's Benson at his best.
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Summary: BOND COMEWS FACE TO FACE WITH THE EVIL UNION LEADER
Review: IT STARTED WITH STOLLEN ARMS IN NICE WHERE A RAID TASK FORCE(GOOD GUYS) WITH BOND AND HIS FRENCH SPY BUDDY RENE MATHIS GOES ALL WRONG KILLING MANY INOSINT PEOPLE. THEN A PRODUCER LEON ESSINGER(BAD GUY) IMPORTS STOLEN GL-20 ON TO HIS MOVIE SET FOR A NEW ACTION MOVIE OF HIS "PIRITE ISLAND". AND BOND'S FATHER INLAW MARK-ANGE DRACO(SEEN IN OHMSS STARRING GEORGE LAZENBE) RETURN ONLY TO TRY AND KILL BOND AT THE END. THE MEETING OF A MODLE/ACTRESS TYLYN WHO'S LIFE IS IN DANGER FROM LEON HER DIVORCED HUSBAND. THE MISSING OF MATHIS AT LE GARANT'S HOUSE MONACO. THE FINDING OF MATHIS AND THE BRUTAL EYE TORCHUR BOND ENDURED. THE ESCAPE OF BOND(BECAUSE MATHIS HAS BEEN BLINDED). THE QUICK PLAN TO RESCUE MATHIS. THE RESCUE OF MATHIS AND ELILIMINATION OF MARK-ANGE, LE GARANT A.K.A. OLIVER CESARI. AND THE END OF THE UNION AT LAST!!!
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Summary: Benson is back
Review: It's only fair that after savagin g Benson's last 2 Bond originals that I give him his due when a scores a winner. This is Benson's Best-on a par with his Zero Minus Ten. THe conclusion of the Union Trilogy almost makes suffering the previous 2 bearable. Benson brings in Marc Ange Draco, Rene Mathis and a surprising link between Bond and Le Geraint to make this a major adventure for the best spy in the business. Welcome back to my shelves, Mr. Benson.
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Summary: Great Effort by Benson!!!!
Review: James Bond returns in a novel that very much recalls the world of Ian Fleming. To begin with, the book completes the "Union Trilogy" whereas Bond discovers the identity of Le Gerant and works to deal the criminal organization a death blow. However, this story is much more personal and long time Fleming fans will note that it effectively recalls the flavor of the Ian Fleming novels LIVE AND LET DIE and ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE. As one reviewer noted, while Benson does not write like Fleming, he is able to capture his world and the essence of the James Bond character. One of the major ties to Fleming is the return of French agent Rene Mathis and Bond's father-in-law Marc-Ange Draco. Both of these characters are handled well and greatly add to the story and the James Bond saga. Benson has also turned up the notch with the amount of pain and suffering inflicted on Bond and his allies by the villains, much as Fleming did in LIVE AND LET DIE. Benson has definitely done his homework regarding Fleming and keeps true to the series. However, casual Bond fans will find they are not left out as Benson's Bond has similarity with the cinematic 007. The careful reader and viewer of the films will be able to pick up subtle clues and ties to the Eon Productions film series and how Benson has neatly and seamlessly entwined both of these worlds together. Finally, Benson has crafted a Fleming style, Bondian love story, yet manages to give it an original twist. Overall an excellent effort from an author who seeks to keep the true Bond alive while injecting new elements to the saga.
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Summary: Exciting, thrilling and Bond all the way!
Review: Never Dream Of Dying concludes the three part Union series with a bang! It is quite possibly the best book by Raymond Benson, (except maybe High Time To Kill being better.) It's full of great action, Bond girls, over the top villias and a magnificent plot.
The book begins with 007 engaging in a police raid of a suspected Union headquarters that ends up going terribly wrong and killing innocent people. M then gives Bond the assignment to find Le Gerant, the head of the Union. Bond questions a Union member called Yassassin, but he is killed before he can divulge and information he knows. Bond discovers that all the Union members have tattoos on the retinas of their eyes. Bond travels to Paris and meets the suspicious film maker, Leon Essinger and his distant wife and actress, Tylyn Mignonne. Bond finds out that Essinger also has one of the Union tattoos. Bond searches Essingers boat, when a large scale battle breaks out, with Bond appearing to be dead. Bond is alive and kidnapped where he meets a person he thought dead years ago. Marc-Ange Draco, head of the Union-Corse and father of Bond's dead wife, Tracy. Bond discovers that Le Gerant is actually Draco's son. Bond meets up with his old friend, Rene Mathis, who is now working on the case with him. He is captured with Mathis and brutally tortured, by having their retinas burned. Bond escapes in a fury and finds out that Essinger and the Union are planning to explode a bomb t the Cannes film festival, where his new movie is opening, this will kill many members of the British royal family who are at the festival. Bond arrives just in time and stops the bomb, he also discovers that Draco was behind the bombing as well, and Essinger is taken away. Bond rescues Mathis and finds out that Draco, who was once Bond's friend, wants him dead because he thinks Bond was responsible for the deaths of his wife and child, that were in the building of the police raid in the beginning of the story. Bond kills Draco and destroys the helicoptor that Le Gerant was escaping in. This concludes the Union organization and the Union series. One member remains however, Goro Yoshida, who was planning with the Union. Bond deals with him in the next book by Raymond Benson.
Never Dream Of Dying is a magnificent Bond book!
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Summary: Best book ever!!!!!!!!
Review: Never Dream of dying was wonderful(I know I sound like an old lady). I coulden't put it down. Even the boring parts kept me at the edge of my seat! Raymond Benson could write an awesome book if he was sleeping! I've read all of his james Bond books they are great too! So sign on and get them off amazon. If you like action, explosions and the old bond charm you'll love this. It's the best book!(aside from Batman the ultimate evil) Buy this book
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