In this continuation of the very popular Young Bond series by Charlie Higson, James Bond is back after his expulsion from Eton, this time at a relaxed, quiet school in the countryside. But his plans for a peaceful summer are never realised after he accidentally receives a rather gruesome film reel and becomes caught up in a web of murder and conspiracy. On his school trip to the film studios of Los Angeles, he and his friends Hugo, Dan and Boudicca become woven into a dark web of murder, revenge and conspiracy, all set within the mysterious world of the cinema. Men in fedoras seem to be trailing them, mysterious recording devices are found in their cabin roofs and, to top it all, their driver abandons them in the middle of a full-blown riot. There's clearly a hidden plot, but can they survive long enough to work out what it is?
Having avidly read all of the previous Charlie Higson novels in this series, I have to say I was more than a little disappointed by this novel. I didn't feel that it really matched all the very popular teen spy novels there are around - I'm thinking of Young Sherlock, Alex Rider etc. here. Sure it was fast-paced and gripping, but I felt its plot lacked some of the complexity I was expecting. It didn't seem to be packed full of clues and red herrings like many detective novels, so I couldn't connect as easily to trying to solve the 'mystery'. It's also rather clichéd, which I guess is unavoidable to some extent when reworking a famous series, but I do think it could have been more imaginative than gangsters, violence, fast cars, glamourous parties and very definite good/bad characters. However, it may be that since reading the Charlie Higson novels (which were really good!), I have simply outgrown this style of book.
That said, the ending was impressive and the twist unexpected, which did make it worth reading through some of the duller parts. I also really liked the way it included some very authentic details from the time without making a big thing about them, they were included easily as if they were commonplace. For example, the very idea of a film reel is quite alien today, but while reading this it seemed the most natural thing in the world.
Guns were a key theme, identified by name and described in great detail. I have to say, though, much of this was lost on me, as I suspect it would be to many readers. Who cares if this particular gun is a Colt or something else, or the size and amount of ammunition it has, especially in a moment of otherwise great suspense?! I also found this to be true with the cars, which were also all named.
So, Shoot to Kill? Maybe more like a flesh wound… It's certainly not a disaster, and is a great example of a straightforward thriller, but it may not live up to the expectations of fans of the series!
• Buy this book at the Guardian Bookshop.
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