Carte Blanche [Hardcover]

Jeffery Deaver (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 14, 2011

“The face of war is changing. The other side doesn't play by the rules much anymore. There’s thinking, in some circles, that we need to play by a different set of rules too …”

James Bond, in his early thirties and already a veteran of the Afghan war, has been recruited to a new organization. Conceived in the post-9/11 world, it operates independent of MI5, MI6 and the Ministry of Defense, its very existence deniable. Its aim: To protect the Realm, by any means necessary.

A Night Action alert calls James Bond away from dinner with a beautiful woman. Headquarters has decrypted an electronic whisper about an attack scheduled for later in the week: Casualties estimated in the thousands, British interests adversely affected.

And Agent 007 has been given carte blanche to do whatever it takes to fulfill his mission . . .

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

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Amazon Exclusive: Olen Steinhauer Reviews Carte Blanche

Olen Steinhauer's latest novel, The Nearest Exit features former CIA agent Milo Weaver, whose story began in the New York Times bestselling thriller, The Tourist. His previous work includes a pentalogy of thrillers set during the Cold War, beginning with The Bridge of Sighs and concluding with Victory Square.

How do you bring a character created in 1953 into the modern world without disappointing that character’s millions of followers in the process? This was the challenge faced by Jeffery Deaver when Ian Fleming Publications handed him the responsibility of writing the next official James Bond novel, Carte Blanche. I don’t know how I would have done it, but I do know one thing—Deaver, a specialist in the art of crafting nail-biting suspense, has done it better than I ever could have.

It’s a tightrope walk, balancing the tradition with the requirements of contemporary life, and Deaver handles it with panache. Beautiful women with unlikely but mesmerizing names? Check. (See Ophelia Maidenstone and Felicity Willing.) A top-drawer set of wheels with occasional soliloquies to its grace and power? Check. (The Bentley Continental GT coupé, in this case.) M, Moneypenny, Mary Goodnight, Bill Tanner, Felix Leiter? Check on all counts. A drink on hand that requires extra care from a bartender, but has yet to be named? Check. License to kill? Check, but under a different name: carte blanche.

How about the subtly and unsubtly perverse villains? Naturally, and they come in two sharply defined forms: Niall Dunne, "The Irishman," a brilliant tactician who brings to mind From Russia With Love’s Kronsteen, and his boss, Severan Hydt, the head of a global refuse-collection empire, whose love of decay in all its forms borders on necrophilia. Time spent with Hydt will make you long for a shower.

But what the Fleming aficionado will inevitably notice here are the differences, which turn this latest escapade into what feels, and should feel, like one of those things that are very popular these days: a reboot.

James Bond, a veteran of Afghanistan, is an ex-smoker. Despite run-ins with an MI5 twit named Percy Osborne-Smith, this Bond is more of a team player than I remember him ever being. But where one really notices the encroachment of the contemporary world is in his relations with women. James Bond has become . . . sensitive?

Actually, yes, but never to the point of priggishness. The hard Bond remains, but it’s a different world than it was in 1953, and the women in Carte Blanche—the Bond girls, if you will—are of equal measure to the men. Ophelia Maidenstone, a coworker at ODG (Overseas Development Group, tenuously connected to MI6), besides being ravishingly beautiful, is indispensible—without her, Bond would be dead in the water. And when romance begins to bloom between them we find that, even after he’s left town, she remains, haunting his thoughts so much that after a night with another woman Bond feels, of all unlikely things, guilt.

If this seems very un-Bond, it is, but it’s a testament to Deaver’s strength as a storyteller that the reader so easily accepts that this is Fleming’s world 2.0, and it’s just as dangerous and exciting as it was when Le Chiffre glared from across a card table.

Don’t run from this new world, aficionado, for you’ll be rewarded. Not only with a gripping installment, but with a fascinating subplot concerning Bond’s parents, one that not only piques the reader’s interest but, by the end of the novel, begs for a continuation in the next Bond adventure. This new Bond may be a modern man, but his roots are deep in the past, and if Carte Blanche is any indication, the past will soon catch up with him. I, for one, will gladly be on hand to witness that confrontation.

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Review

"A magnificently manic, impeccably researched and at times gory plot, with Deaver’s trademark misdirection and twists flying."—The Washington Post

"His creator may be long gone, but James Bond (with his gadgets, women, and suave lines) lives on in the skillful hands of a suspense superstar."—Malcolm Jones, Newsweek Magazine, "10 Must-Read Summer Books"

"Ian Fleming’s estate tapped American novelist Deaver to pen a new James Bond thriller, and the pairing is as smooth as vodka and vermouth. Yes, the villains are creepy and the women brainy and beautiful, but in a clever reboot, this 007 (who served in Afghanistan) comes armed with a tricked-out cell phone and an appealing sense of empathy."—Parade

"Ian Fleming's estate made a superb choice when it turned to thriller writer Jeffery Deaver for this summer's James Bond reboot Carte Blanche. . . . Familiar touches about, from M and Moneypenny to exotic locales. Then, too, Deaver adds a knowing wink . . . A spry spy bash not to be missed.”—Christian Science Monitor

“Carte Blanche is a fantastic book. . . . Deaver knows psychology and it shines here. Moreover, he knows human relationships . . . as [Ian Fleming’s stepdaughter] best summarized it, Jeffery Deaver truly got it.”—Ann Arbor News

“A page-turning, action packed rip-roaring novel with plenty of twists and surprises.”—Durham Herald-Sun

“Deaver, if anything, has written a 007 thriller that is superior to the best of Fleming.”—San Jose Mercury News

“Jeffery Deaver accepted one of the greatest literary challenges of the new millennium when he agreed to write a new James Bond novel. . . . With Carte Blanche, [he] somehow manages to spin a top-notch 21st-century spy thriller while both respecting Bond and reinventing him.”—Washington Independent Review of Books

“This terrific new pastiche will amply reward Bond fans and possibly bring new readers into the fold. Deaver (Edge), an avowed fan of the Fleming canon, has set the novel in the post-9/11 present, and Bond, that icon of the 1960s, handles the transition perfectly. . . . The plot is predictable in a purely Bond-ian way (credibly incredible), but also intricate and inventive, surprising and satisfying—a testament to Deaver’s skill as a storyteller. . . . Fleming purists may balk at the hint of a New Age sensitivity in Deaver's Bond, but they will recognize one of the world's most enduring fictional characters: competent, courageous, charming, and cool.”—Publishers Weekly

“Deaver, as fans of his Lincoln Rhyme and Kathryn Dance thrillers would expect, has clearly done his homework. . . . the most impressive feature of Carte Blanche is the ingenuity of the breathless, blood-thirsty plot. A master of misdirection, Deaver manufactures more surprises than anyone flogging an old warhorse can be expected to produce. . . . Kingsley Amis, John Gardner and Sebastian Faulks are among those who have tried to bring Bond back to life. Deaver, though, is in a class of his own: nobody's done it better.”—The Evening Standard (London)

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 432 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster; First Edition edition (June 14, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1451620691
• ISBN-13: 978-1451620696
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (135 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #74,470 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jeffery Deaver was born outside of Chicago in 1950. His father was an advertising copywriter and his mother was a homemaker. He has one younger sister who writes novels for teenagers ' Julie Reece Deaver.

Deaver wrote his first book ' which consisted of two entire chapters ' when he was eleven, and he's been writing ever since. An award-winning poet and journalist, he has also written and performed his own songs around the country. After receiving a Bachelor of Journalism degree from the University of Missouri, Deaver worked as a magazine writer, then, to gain the background needed to become a legal correspondent for The New York Times or Wall Street Journal, he enrolled at Fordham Law School. After graduation he decided to practice law for a time and worked for several years as an attorney for a large Wall Street firm. It was during his long commute to and from the office that he began writing the type of fiction he enjoyed reading: suspense novels. In 1990 he started to write full time.

The author of twenty-two novels, Deaver has been nominated for six Edgar Awards from the Mystery Writers of America, an Anthony award, a Gumshoe Award, and is a three-time recipient of the Ellery Queen Reader's Award for Best Short Story of the Year. In 2001, he won the W.H. Smith Thumping Good Read Award for his Lincoln Rhyme novel The Empty Chair. In 2004, he was awarded the Crime Writers Association of Great Britain's Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award for Garden Of Beasts and the Short Story Dagger for "The Weekender." Translated into 35 languages, his novels have appeared on a number of bestseller lists around the world, including the New York Times, the London Times and the Los Angeles Times. The Bone Collector was a feature release from Universal Pictures, starring Denzel Washington as Lincoln Rhyme. A Maiden's Grave was made into an HBO film retitled Dead Silence, starring James Garner and Marlee Matlin.

Jeff has also released two collections of his short stories, called Twisted and More Twisted.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

119 of 140 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Well written adventure .... but not James Bond, June 23, 2011

By 

M. A Spitzer "mas017" (Fort Lauderdale, Florida USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Carte Blanche (Hardcover)

Jeffery Deaver is a great writer.

CARTE BLANCHE is a fairly good adventure story (if you are careful to keep track of the long list of organizations and surplus of numerous characters}

The problem ?

It's not really James Bond.

Of course the cover says it is James Bond, and we are told this is a James Bond story.

But if I were to "search and replace" all references to the use of the name James Bond in this novel and substitute another name -------- you would never recognize this was supposed to be a James Bond story.

Yes, there is the attempt to capture the "Fleming Flair" by identifying by specific brand wines, clothes, watches, etc...

But unlike Fleming who was able to make it flow naturally and interestingly; here it feels forced and stiff.

Ian Fleming was once quoted as saying he realized he was not writing great literature but he was writing stories that interested people. He said the secret to a good story is "it keeps the reader turning the page".

Nothing should distract, annoy or hinder the reader from simply flying thru the book effortlessly and enjoyably.

So while Fleming's stories sometimes really stretched the realism and Bond got into some sticky situations that a skilled spy would have easily avoided; the stories were still tons of fun.

I confess, it took some work to get thru CARTE BLANCHE.

It was not a book that grabbed you and made you feel like you could not put it down until you finished.

I said at the beginning, it was a fairly good adventure story, and it was ....... but in a kind of stiff & clinical way.

It may be that Deaver is a good writer (and he is as evidenced by other books of his) ... but James Bond is not the right subject to come naturally for him.

Much like a hard rock musician may be great at what he does -- but would be weak at classical or country music.

In CARTE BLANCHE we are told what Bond does, but not so much what he thinks.

For example,

Deaver may write that ..

"Bond tried to make his way thru the crowded street filled with locals and tourists"

By comparison, Fleming may have written that same scene .....

" Bond navigated the slow moving mass of casually clad sunburned bodies thinking how odd it was in America that nobody seemed to work on Fridays. The resulting traffic and crowds were always worse on this final day of the supposed work week. "

In CARTE BLANCE, few of Bond's personality traits exists .

Instead we have a watered down, politically correct, neutered centrist who could be anybody.

Bond had strong views. Some were abrasive.

He had a bit of a snooty, persnickety attitude, he had vices.

He was flawed but still effective.

This Bond is some sterilized, bland and weaker redefining of the character.

Heck, both James Bond and Dirty Harry Callahan back in the 50s-70s were in their own ways warning us of the dangers of too much political correctness, going soft on evil criminals, union labor and abuse of social programs, etc..etc..

I am still surprised when I re-listen to Fleming's Bond books (read by Simon Vance) how often Ian Fleming throws in a sly criticism of trends he saw developing in UK and US back in the 50s and 60's that have become major problems for us today.

To summarize,

A nice, well written adventure book.

But it is NOT James Bond.

UPDATE (August 4, 2011)

This past week I had to take a long road trip so I listened to Sebastion Faulk's "Devil May Care" in the car.

While listening to this story which I liked better than Carte Blanche, a thought came to me regarding my original review above.

I must give some consideration to the fact that Deaver was given the difficult task of modernizing Bond with this novel.

When one thinks about it, this in itself goes a long way towards defeating the feel all of us long time Bond fans have for the character.

After all, once you remove an iconic figure from their original environment, you really change the character.

By comparison, imagine trying to bring Clint Eastwood's "Man With No Name" western figure into modern times.

Imagine a modern day Tarzan.

Imagine John Wayne's character of Rooster Cogburn in the modern day West.

I feel this modernization in itself where we remove Bond from the world that Ian Fleming lived and wrote in (1950-1960's) ... does much to make this story not feel like a true James Bond story as many of us expected.

By comparison, I feel "Devil May Care", being set in Fleming's universe just months following the battle with Scaramanga better felt like the Bond many of us "old-timers' feel a literary connection with.

OVERALL SUMMARY --

Deaver obviously spent much time and effort to write this book.

The plot is pretty involved and intertwined.

Carte Blanche is actually a good spy story, and on its own I would rate it 4.0-4.5 stars.

But if you are expecting to recapture the "Fleming Feel" of Bond, then it is not really in this story.

Maybe it is the attempt to remove Bond from his original time period, maybe it is the attempt to reboot the series, maybe it is the different writing style of each author.

Maybe it is a combination of all three factors.

Whatever the reason, this does not feel like Fleming's character of James Bond.

Thus as a continuation of the James Bond universe, I rate it as 3 stars.

But ... if you approach the book with an open mind and no expectations of experiencing "Ian Fleming MKII", you will find the story entertaining.

52 of 65 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars He's back, June 15, 2011

By 

Paul Rooney "Paul Rooney" (Opotiki,New Zealand) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Carte Blanche (Hardcover)

Bond is back,again,and he is very good.

This new Bond novel written by Jeffery Deaver is a modern Bond,contemporary and functioning in a post Iraq invasion world.

There is a very nasty villian, which Deaver does well anyway, but this one would have done Fleming proud.

This is much better than Sebastian Faulks book of a few years back, and as a American author he is very good writing in Flemings style.

He is a very clean Bond, no smoking - he still has a drink but nothing excessive. He doesn't bowl over as many women as he has in the past either or perhaps he doesn't make the most of his opportunities, this is according to me anyway.

I am a fan of James Bond novels, love them and I have read most efforts by other guest authors and I can honestly say there is only daylight between this book and the next written post Ian Fleming's passing.

Great,great fun.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not your father's James Bond, June 22, 2011

By 

David W. Nicholas (Van Nuys, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Carte Blanche (Hardcover)

I read all of the Ian Fleming James Bond novels while I was in high school, 35 years ago. At the time they were a bit dated: now of course they're almost antiques. Ian Fleming's estate keeps the character alive, hiring various authors to write new versions of the character, with new plots. Apparently, Jeffrey Deaver is the 5th author to take up the charge, and he's decided on a total reboot of the series. What you get, then, is pretty similar to the new Sherlock series that was on the BBC this year; just as that was Sherlock Holmes reimagined in modern London, this is James Bond, the womanizing spy from the '50s and '60s, reimagined as a 21st century, iPhone-carrying, sort-of-spy. He doesn't work for MI6 anymore, instead being employed by a supersecret agency that works to disrupt terrorist organizations and bad actors "by any means neccessary."

Things start out with Bond surveilling bad guys at a restaurant in Serbia, trying to figure out how they're related to a series of messages that Britain's codebreakers have partially deciphered. The bad guys try to derail a train carrying toxic gas, but Bond thwarts them, and the principal bad guy vanishes. Bond pursues him back to London, and of course things begin to get complicated. There is a full cast of characters (or at least their names) from previous Bond books, M, Moneypenny, Felix Leiter, etc., and the action moves along at a very good clip. I read this book cover to cover in about 6-7 hours. There is a twist at the end, though it wasn't that surprising (at least compared with the endings I remember from some of Deaver's other books). Still, the story was satisfying and the "solution" to what the terrorists were after was interesting and believable.

I have enjoyed the few Jeffrey Deaver novels I've read. For what ever reason, the idea of the Lincoln Rhyme series never appealed to me. This new book is a welcome addition to the James Bond library, however, and I look forward to seeing where Deaver will take the series from here.