A masterclass in backstory
- With a Mind to Kill by Anthony Horowitz
With a Mind to Kill is a short, modestly plotted 007 adventure, pared down to only what matters. And so, in that spirit, I’m keeping my review of this classic cold war tale short.
For me, Horowitz’s third 007 novel really hits its target, where the first two both shot a little wide of the mark. Despite a winning first scene, I found some of the action-scene elements in Trigger Mortis outlandish. Forever and a Day was a definite improvement but I did find the plot reveal too easy to guess, and the obviousness of what was happening eroded the tension for me – but I liked the old school South-of-France setting and the fifties period.
In With a Mind to Kill, Horowitz delivers a deadly accurate, single shot to the heart. The mid-sixties period is beautifully rendered and in the descriptive prose Horowitz seems to channel Fleming. The writing is sublime. The setting too is perfectly crafted, faultless in its execution.
Like many of the books I consume, I listened to the audible version of With a Mind to Kill. The voicing by Rory Kinnear is perfectly paired to the writing – like the pearls of Caspian Sea Beluga are to an ice-cold vodka. The relationship between Bond and Katia, his Russian minder forms the body of the book, and over dinner with Katia, after the vodka and caviar, Horowitz delivers a masterclass in the art of backstory. The emotional tension he generates in relating her tale is unsurpassed and was a stand-out moment for me. It had me gripping the steering wheel far too tightly as I sped through the Kent woodland after the school drop-off, listening intensely to Kinnear over the car’s audio system as he revealed Katia’s pain.
The other stand-out moment for me was a twisty set-piece which takes place in a superbly described Moscow underground station. Apparently trapped by an impossible situation, no matter which way Bond chooses to play it, what then happens is wholly unexpected, shocking and fits into the plot better than a Gieves & Hawkes tailored suit.
As far as criticism goes, I don’t have much. There are abundant references to Fleming’s novels throughout the book and, while I understand the author’s desire to link this tale to the wider story of Bond, the sheer number of references comes to feel like Horowitz is trying too hard to connect with Fleming’s oeuvre, something he really doesn’t need to worry about. His writing does it already, and wonderfully too.
And the mind control shenanigans are a bit silly when you stop to consider them, but in the reading, I accepted this somewhat far-fetched premise. Afterall, when does a Bond caper not require a little suspension of disbelief? In fact, having enjoyed this novel so much, I may even go back and reread Trigger Mortis to see if this time, I can stomach Jeopardy Lane's flying Thunderbird motorcycle.
About the author
Photo credit: Jack Lawson
Anthony Horowitz is one of the most prolific and successful writers working in the UK – and is unique for working across so many media. Anthony is a born polymath; juggling writing books, TV series, films, plays and journalism. Anthony has written over 40 books including the bestselling teen spy series Alex Rider, which he adapted into a movie that was released worldwide in 2006. The Alex Rider series is estimated to have sold 19 million copies worldwide.
Anthony is also an acclaimed writer for adults and was commissioned by the Conan Doyle Estate and Orion Books to write two new Sherlock Holmes novels. The House of Silk, published in 2011 and a sequel, Moriarty, published in 2014. With a Mind to Kill is the third James Bond novel Anthony has been commissioned to write by the Ian Fleming Estate.
Extracted from anthonyhorowitz.com (edited & updated)