Strike Lightning (Young Bond)

by Steve Cole

Now this is more what I wanted to see when I first heard the Young Bond series would continue. The first two books have been okay but pretty average, but this one returns to form.

I was excited to see more of Perry Mandeville and was glad that his appearance lasted the entire book. He's hilarious with both his comments, his ideas and the way he manages to get in and out of trouble in a whole different way to Bond.

A familiar face, though now trembling and terrified, popped up into sight from inside the D-8. ‘Get in, then, for m-m-mercy’s sake.’
‘Perry?’ James stood there, mouth open in amazement, until the sharp prang of the Blutbanner’s fast-release catch brought him back to reality. He helped Kitty out of the frame and over to the armoured car, lifting her up and dumping her unceremoniously inside before scrambling in after her. Perry quickly put the car in gear and headed back out. James and Kitty clung to each other like half-drowned mariners washed up on the shore.
‘Where the hell did you spring from, Perry?’ James asked.
‘The same bloody m-m-motorcar you left m-me to rot in! Blade’s burgundy Tatra 77.’ Perry screeched round a corner, his knuckles white on the steering wheel. ‘When you went off to find your Ghost Train, I felt so tired, I had to have a kip. I was too scared to stay in the back, so I crawled into the trunk space, out of sight. When I woke up, the car was moving! It was heading for . . . well, for this dreadful hole, to be precise.’
‘Grünner was rounding up all traces of Blade,’ James explained. ‘And brought you along for the ride.’
Kitty’s laugh bordered on the hysterical. ‘Isn’t that perfect, James? The hell we went through to end up here – and Mandy here gets chauffeur-driven!’

Cole, Steve. Strike Lightning (Young Bond) (pp. 254-255). Ian Fleming Publications. Kindle Edition.

I really liked Kitty Drift. It was fun to see her interest in trains but also her ability to embrace her femininity when it suited her. Plus she's badass with her first dan in judo. And of course I love James. He's had a hard slog since his last adventure at Eton and he's definitely struggled to make peace with the person he's becoming. I liked though that he was making friends again (Marcus) and the return of Perry made this feel more like the first books.

The mystery was interesting and I loved the action sequences. It did start out slow but it soon picked up speed with action and adventure flowing. The train hopping had me feeling very queasy - the whole thing was terrifying. I was on the edge of my seat for that bit. The motivations of the characters was riveting - I loved that they all had multiple motivations and shades of grey. Even Bond struggles with life and death and country and self. At what lengths are we willing to go to protect our way of life? Our loved ones? And what might be worth that sacrifice?

4 stars. Hopefully, the final book in the series is just as good.