Dr. No

Dr. No by Ian Flemming
Read by Hugh Quarshie

A while ago I published a post a about Casino Royale - the first of the James Bond adventures. Finishing up my James Bond audiobook kick, I listened to Dr. No. You got the racism and sexism that can be found in the other books. But, other than that, Dr. No is a good way to end my James Bond escapades. 

The story begins with an assassination of the MI6 agent stationed in Jamaica. Did he just run off with his beautiful assistant, ask the higher ups in MI6. It looks like it. They send Bond to investigate. In the previous tale, Bond was captured and tortured. The psychologists recommend an easy assignment, a vacation, something to give him some rest. Soon as Bond arrives, things start to get fishy. His attention is drawn to a nearby privately owned island which, turns out to also be a national heritage site for a particular bird.

We have action and clever tactics and a colorful cast of characters including the iconic Dr. No and Honey Ryder - the incredible beautiful yet infantile, if that's the word, woman who wants to become a prostitute in a big city...

 

The pacing for Dr. No is on par with the other books in the series; it's quick and easy. The audiobook provided great voices too.

As a side note, the movie follows the book pretty darn faithfully. I think it's missing a couple scenes because of special effect restrictions. I think the descriptions and the intrigue between the characters is more dynamic than not so I'd say the book version is better.

If you're in the mood for a Bond book and have already read Casino Royale, I'd recommend this one