Forever and a Death

Over twenty years ago the producers of the James Bond series hired famous crime novelist Donald E. Westlake to write the story for the then-next film. Westlake, who gave us The Stepfather, among many other classic novels, created an evil tycoon who craves revenge after being kicked out of Hong Kong once the Chinese re-took control back in the 1990s.

The idea wasn't used because it was deemed too politically charged at the time, but Westlake rewrote it into Forever and a Death, which has only been published now, several years after his death. The evil tycoon seeking revenge against the Chinese is still here, and it's the one flavor of this book that still feels like a Bond film.

However, instead of a secret agent battling this tycoon, Westlake has created a group of ordinary people who band together to take him down. The feeling is more like an Alfred Hitchcock film--with ordinary people facing extraordinary situations--with a Bond villain (complete with a super-weapon) that's driving the plot.

The book is a superb and gripping read overall, with Westlake creating nail-biting suspense with well-rounded characters whom you can easily root for. I love the attention to details that Westlake provides for both the heroes and bad guys. And there's a special section at the end that goes deeper into how this story was originally created for James Bond. Makes a great gift for you, or for the mystery or James Bond fan in your life. Highly recommended.