Trigger Mortis

With Original Material by Ian Fleming

By: Anthony Horowitz

Narrated by: David Oyelowo

Incorporating original, never-before-published material from 007 creator Ian Fleming, New York Times best-selling author Anthony Horowitz returns literary legend James Bond to his 1950s heyday in this exhilarating and dashing thriller.

The world's most famous spy, James Bond, has just returned victorious from his showdown with Auric Goldfinger in Fort Knox. By his side is the glamorous and streetwise Pussy Galore, who played no small part in his success. As they settle down in London, the odds of Galore taming the debonair bachelor seem slim - but she herself is a creature not so easily caught.

Meanwhile, the struggle for superiority between the Soviet Union and the West is escalating. In an attempt to demonstrate Soviet strength, SMERSH plans to sabotage an international Grand Prix in the hot zone of West Germany. At the Nürburgring Racing Circuit, Bond must play a high-speed game of cat and mouse to stop them. But when he observes a secretive meeting between SMERSH's driver and a notorious Korean millionaire, it becomes clear that this is just the infamous organization's opening move.

An orphan of the Korean War, he has a personal reason for wanting to bring America to its knees. He's helping SMERSH decisively end the white-hot space race - but how? With the help of an American female agent, Bond uncovers a plan that leads first to Florida and then to New York City, where a heart-stopping face-off will determine the fate of the West.

This thriller has all the hallmarks of an original Ian Fleming adventure and features welcome familiar faces, including M and Miss Moneypenny. Horowitz delivers a smooth and seductive narrative of fast cars and beautiful women, with ruthless villains and a breathtaking plot that will leave listeners hanging until the very end.

©2015 Anthony Horowitz (P)2015 HarperCollins Publishers

I was not a believer but now I am

this is my first 007 book and I purchased via a sale . glad I did. lots of action and also history that I enjoyed. as a woman I had not been a fan but I am now. look forward to many more.

A thrilling story that stays true to the Fleming classics!

If you like the old-school James Bond stories and movies like Dr. No and Goldfinger, you will love Trigger Mortis.

Davids voice acting is sublime and the story is both full of surprising twists as it is of classic Bond stuff.

Welcome Back, Mr Bond

I was first introduced to James Bond in my teens in the early '60s. Reading this book half a century later made me very nostalgic.

This book is split into two parts, each covering a different mission. In tone and content, it feels like it is set right after "Goldfinger," and even contains the same erroneous death sequence, In overall tone, it feels very much like the old Ian Fleming novels, right down to Bond's mysogeny and moral attitude. The first part even re-introduces Ms Pussy Galore, even though she feels like an add on. Also, reading the two parts I thought Mr Fleming had written the first part and Mr Horowitz the latter; although according to the notes section, Mr Fleming only wrote a very few pages. Overall, the second part held the scope that we have come to expect from the Bond movies, even though the first was much more engaging and suspenseful. And Ms Galore was a welcome addition.

I would love to see both parts of this book turned into Bond films.

James Bond is no longer what used to be....

For a fan of the old Ian Fleming books like me there an irresistible nostalgia and excitement that emerge when a writer of reputation engages in a new Bond story. The aftermath is usually always one of slight disappointment , no matter how well the book is writes, because Fleming's style was unique or , may be, because James Bond is now outdated as a character and trying to revamping him is mission impossible. Having said this, i sort of enjoyed the reading , but without the pleasure that the "real thing" was giving me back way when....

Misogyny restored

I suppose there's some merit in maintaining traditions in these reenactments and restorations of notes and carryings forward of favorite stories . . . but the casual misogyny of the 50s-60s is so grating to the modern ear, despite the assorted heroics the distaff manage to carry out . . . yes, perhaps there is some merit, but if so it is lost on me.

narrator missed the target

unfortunately the narrator was completely off Target. The accent, the Brooklyn accent making her sound like a man... slow narration. we put the speed up.
we felt it was very unfortunate that this was not the right narrator for
trigger mortis.

Shaken and Stirred

This book brought me into the world that Mr. Fleming would have been proud of. I pictured every moment in my mind. The story was wonderfully read. Hats off to both the author and the narrator for such an awesome story.

A bit dated

While true to Ian Fleming I found the plot dated and somewhat contrived. Lots of action but no real suspense.

Can't have Bond without the Puns Now Can We?

Would you consider the audio edition of Trigger Mortis to be better than the print version?

I really enjoyed this audio version. It really captured the style of the book. I don't know if I'd ever consider an audio book "better" or "worse" than a print edition- they are two different animals.

If you’ve listened to books by Anthony Horowitz before, how does this one compare?

This was my first book by him, and I thought he effectively captured the spirit of the Ian Fleming novels. Unlike many of the other writers who've tackled Bond I felt his was clearly based on the novels rather than the films.

Have you listened to any of David Oyelowo’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This was my first book with David, I thought he was quite good. I don't agree that his American accents were terrible, they were fine.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

The book kept my attention and I found it hard to "put it down".

Any additional comments?

I lean more towards non-fiction or classical literature but this foray into Fleming's Bond world was well worth it and a nice way to pass some time.

this narrator is terrible

the guy sounds like a machine. you might as well have a computer read this book. good story, bad narrator.