In print: On Her Majesty's Secret Service by Ian Fleming (1963)

We're nearing the end of the run of the James Bond books by Ian Fleming. In 1963 we were given "On Her Majesty's Secret Service."

The book starts in France and Bond is strangely drawn to a girl that he senses is in terrible danger. It turned out he was right. She was suicidal and his intervention bought him some serious favor with a mafia crime boss. As a favor Marc Ange, the mob guy, provides Bond with a lead to capture a villain by the name of Blofeld.

The rest of the story is dedicated to Bond going after the villain, and falling in love with the girl along the way. In fact, Bond arranges to marry her after the mission. The mission ends up a partial failure with the escape of Blofeld which also ends in the tragic ending of the book.

This book was a fun read because Bonds a bunch of mistakes that nearly get him killed. He's not the flawless spy from the movies. You also get to see him fail head over heels in love, and you feel the tragedy of the ending. A real thriller and great read.

Trivia: This book announces the Bond family motto: The World Is Not Enough which goes on to become a title of ANOTHER 007 movie!