The end of James Bond’s first year at Eton is almost here, and the young boy, still thirteen, is working to figure out what to do with his summer holidays. His Aunt Charmain endorses his choice to go on a school trip to Sardinia, with the caveat that if it gets too dull, he can peel off and spend time with his much older cousin, Victor.

But that’s just the beginning, because before the summer break even starts, young Bond finds himself discovering some terrible secrets, perhaps a cult, working within the grounds of the school.

Is it connected to the rash of art thefts that are plaguing his fellow students’ families? And what about a missing family being lost at sea? Are they all connected?

Of course they are. And despite the trappings of a young James Bond, there is a familiar series of beats and moments filling the story.

Much like the first book in the series, the tale is set in the early 30s, and eagle-eyed 007 fans may catch a couple of familiar names and titles.

Bond finds himself going up against Ugo Carnifex, a germophobe with grand delusions of becoming a new Emperor, in the vein of Caesar.

There’s a missing girl, exotic locations, solid action beats, and a young man growing into a character we know and love. There’s a lack of gadgets, not even the hollowed out soles of his shoes. Well, there kind of is a gadget, but it’s only a new gadget of the time.

Higson writes a crisp tale. It rockets along like a sled on rails, and entertains from the get-go. Much like Fleming, Higson tries to incorporate a punchy delivery style, that isn’t quite as detailed oriented as Fleming, but you can see it there, lurking at the edges.

I’m not going to lie, both of the books that I’ve read are really entertaining. I’ll be interested to see if the novels go until Bond joins the Navy.

That being said, there are devious henchmen, exotic locales, unexpected allies, and Bond is definitely starting to notice girls. The action sequences are fun, and definitely seem to be a nice blend between the cinematic and literary 007. Though they do work to remind themselves, and the reader, that this Bond is still a young boy.

That being said, Higson doesn’t pull his punches when it comes to the violence and fates that strike some of the characters. They are dark, bloody, and very much in keeping with how we know the book series, and the film legacy will portray.

They are a lot of fun, and I can’t see what happens when James Bond returns in… Double or Die!