- Hardcover: 445 pages
- Publisher: Thorndike Pr; Lrg edition (Nov 2000)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0786228709
- ISBN-13: 978-0786228706
- Product Dimensions: 22.2 x 14.4 x 2.4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,802,713 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Bond novels should have a greater freedom to explore 007's deeper psyche , free as they are from the rapacious demands of Hollywood. In Doubleshot, Raymond Benson delivers a vivid, tense view of a vengeance-obsessed Bond, injury-stricken and forced to confront his existence as a "blunt instrument of death". This is at the cost of the more traditional Bond set pieces; there are no Q-brand gizmo's or dizzying action sequences. Set mere weeks after High Time To Kill, Bond is forcibly off-duty, recuperating after facing The Union, yet hell-bent on avenging the death of his long time lover, exposed as a Union agent. Before you can say "personal vendetta", Bond straps on the Walther PPK and sets off to destroy his enemies. However, they are equally anxious to meet him, thanks to his involvement in an audacious plot to retake Gibraltar from Britain. Bond isn't the death-proof super-spy of old, instead he is afflicted with all-too-human injuries and plagued with doubts--both welcome and ignored. Benson ensures that such "weaknesses" are constantly pitted against Bond's superhuman tenacity and formidable murderous abilities: "He felt no remorse, but he felt no satisfaction either. He felt absolutely nothing ... and performed the task coldly and objectively." Even so, the anticipated action and ingenious gadgetry are conspicuous by their absence. Peeking into an intriguing and dark mindset, Benson accomplishes his mission with verve and efficiency. --Danny Graydon
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Product Description
In this new James Bond adventure, the sinister criminal organization called The Union creates an exact double of James Bond and sends the double out to cause havoc. Is this bizarre warning the catalyst for a series of unsettling events that could push James Bond close to the edge of madness?
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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The Convent's Security Officer gasped when he saw what came up on the computer screen. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
The Convent's Security Officer gasped when he saw what came up on the computer screen. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
If you're looking for a read that will twist and turn and make you want to stay up all night, this is it! James Bond is fighting in the battle of a lifetime against the Union. He foiled their last scheme and they want revenge. These villains will stop at nothing short of death to have their way with the world at large and of course there's only one man who has even an outside chance to stop them! Raymond Benson has found the formula for beautiful women, the plot that pulls you in and won't let go and the hero we all wish we were! James Bond is back in a big way!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Benson has hardly lived up to his first three novels with his latest episode of Bond. He has never been Ian Fleming, but has successfully avoided making the novels too close to the almost too stereotypical film character. Unfortunately Doubleshot is the weakest of his novel todate.
Despite the fact the whole book is based on the premise that Bond has suffered a head injury and is unsure of what is happening around him, Benson does not produce a convincingly sick Bond. The novel starts with promise but as Bond's adventures from country to country begin, events and situations are poorly constructed and lack a sense of either being genuinely contrived to guide Bond to certain conclusions or being haphazard events that lead Bond along the trail of the Union.
It is not a difficult read, and it is pleasurable read. It has fleeting moments where Benson creates memorable scenes such as the assassination of the bullfighter or creates vivid and interesting prose such as around the Union leader Le Gerant. However I shall be reading Never Dream of Dying with a little trepidation, hoping that Benson can produce a novel of the quality of the first two.
A weak middle chapter of the trilogy, but a worthy holiday read.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Thank God for the likes of Amazon because at normal retail... this is a lot of money for a thin novel. A weird sort of Bond this, too much self doubt and lack of the calculated killer instinct. Too many obvious plot lines ... and the frustration of a Bond that ignores the obvious and acts, well, stupidly. Mr Benson needs to do a little better next time and the publishers need to review their pricing policy!!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Doubleshot
Although not a direct sequel to the marvellous "High Time to Kill", this novel by Raymond Benson still incorporates "The Union" as Bond's arch enemies. Read more
Published on 20 July 2009 by David Jones
Absolute Rubbish!
I really enjoyed 'High Time to Kill'; it was exciting, well-crafted and suitably Bond-esque with nice some Fleming-ish touches. Read more
Published on 3 July 2001
Benson's most ambitious book
In all great trilogies Part II is always the darkest chapter, and this is certainly the case with DOUBLESHOT (part II of Benson's "Union Trilogy"). Read more
Published on 30 Jun 2001 by John Cox
Bungling Bond wins through once again
When I was fourteen years of age I went with my father to see the film version of "Goldfinger". It was the first James Bond film he had ever seen, and he hated it! Read more
Published on 14 Mar 2001
A very good book
This was a great book and it didn't take me long to read it because it was so good. it is one of my favorite books and my favorite bond book that i have read. Read more
Published on 11 Feb 2001
Rock solid or steep slope downwards?
Something was missing from this. Whether it's because I was spoilt by knowing Gibraltar or that the plot was so formulaic it became predictable. Read more
Published on 30 Jan 2001 by "cridders"
Benson has returned Bond to his original Fleming character
A well crafted book , whilst not overly in depth Bensons greatest strength is his knowledge of the character . Read more
Published on 3 Jan 2001
Don't think twice, Doubleshot is second to none!
Raymond Benson's fourth James Bond continuation novel, "Doubleshot" starts with a stylish experiment in structure giving us the end at the beginning - a cliffhanger - to... Read more
Published on 29 Dec 2000
A good book, but not as good as The Facts of Death
This is the second book to continue the story of Bond's fight against The Union. After Bond founders the Union's plans in High Time To Kill, the crime syndicate murders Bond's PA... Read more
Published on 14 Oct 2000
Took a long time to start - but I can't wait for next book!
With 'High Time to Kill', I understood the plot from the first page but 'Doubleshot' took a lot longer. Read more
Published on 5 Oct 2000
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