WIN, LOSE OR DIE (1989)

This has got to be one of the most uneven Bond novels I ever read.  It is also one of the most off-beat atypical entries with so many plot twists that I thought John Gardner was leading me through a maze.

007 is promoted to Captain and sent back into the Royal Navy.  It seems an organization known as BAST is planning on disrupying a top secret meeting of President Bush, P.M. Thatcher and Premier Gorbachev on board HMS Invincible in 9 months time.  The fact that it takes nine months for these leaders to get together, 9 months for Bond to prepare and 9 months for BAST to stew seems not very plausable.

Most of the action takes place on board the Invincible.   Not a great setting for a character as atmospheric and globe trotting as James Bond.  It is interesting though that we get to see 007 as a military officer, rather than a secret agent.  Plot twists feature an agent named Beatrice (who Bond falls for... but hard!  Some of his lines with her sound like Gardner lifted them right out of Casino Royale!).  In the first third of the novel, Bond spends Christmas with Beatrice.  He realized he never fell for anyone so hard and so fast "...not even Tracy."  This reference is very welcome in my opinon.  Bond's happiness is short lived when Beatrice is blown up opening their rented Fiat.

First Officer Clover Pennington is a woman also out for the affections of 007.  Bond keeps brushing her off, sensing something amiss with her.

I'm not going to recap the whole 319 page book, but there are some great action sequences and areas that are pure Bond.  But, as I see it, Win, Lose or Die is a very weak entry in the series.

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