The Hero: James Bond; The Bond Girl: Percy Proud; The Villain: Jay Autem Holey; Supporting Characters: Cindy Chalmers, Dazzle St.John-Fiennes, Tamil Rahani, Joe Zwingli; Locations Covered: The French Riviera, Oxfordshire England, Genevea Switzerland, Corfu Italy, First Published: 1984
“The world`s greatest spy has resigned his 007 status and put his deadly talents on sale to the highest bidder, in an ingenious scheme that will place him at the heart of the enemy camp…if he can pass their diabolical tests…”
That`s a fair summation of Role of Honor, John Gardner`s fourth entry into Ian Fleming`s Bond literary legacy. This also just happens to be Gardner`s best book at really convincing the reader that he has a good grasp on who and what the character of James Bond is really about.
The book starts off with 007 coming into a private windfall of cash, courtesy of the death of his Uncle Bruce. Meanwhile, certain Russian operatives have descended into London, quietly on a mission to recruit potential new agents. “M” already knows the kind of damage they`ve done to other security agencies, and decides to bait the agents, using 007 as the “Tethered goat”. With his new status as an independently wealthy playboy, “M” and James let it get around in certain circles that Bond is dissatisfied working for M.I.6. and has resigned his 007 status, his license to kill, and is willing to accept bidders M.I.6 is highly curious to see who these agents are actually working for, and who will come knocking at 007`s door.
But actually the whole plan is a ruse. M.I.6 knows full well who their myster man is: Jay Autem Holy, a computer wizard, believed to be the mastermind behind several high tech thefts of art and money around the world. The common link among the thefts is that they were first drafted out and programmed on a computer to simulate every possible obstruction to the plan. Now, M.I.6 have an ally in their fight against Jay Autem Holy: his ex-wife, Percy Proud. A woman with a mysterious and intriguing past.
The book then shifts to the French Riveria, where Bond is tutored in the ways of computer programmnig by Percy, as well as living dangerously like a man cast out into the darkness from his former company. And that he does.
Percy Proud is with 007, to tutor him on the types of computer systems Jay Autem Holy would be using to simulate and train thieves on. In a moment of weakness, she gives in to 007`s advances, and it proves to be one of the more awkward attempts by Gardner at portraying romance:
“So they became lovers, their needs and feelings adding urgency to every moment of their days and nights”.
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Yecch. Sounds like a bad romance novel.
But on page 79, Gardner makes up for the romantic faux pas, by providing his readers with one of the most poingnant moments in his books. Ever. After 007 begins driving back to London from the Cote d` Azur, he begins singing a song to himself:
“Rolling home… By the light of the silvery moon
I have two pence to lend
And twopence to spend
And twopence to send home to …”
“His voice trailed off. He could not bring himself to sing the last line, about sending money home to his wife. For the ghost of his dead wife Tracy still haunted him, even though he consciously missed Percy Proud`s clear mind and agile, beautiful body. Weakness he chided himself. He was trained as a loner, one who acted without others, one who relied on himself. Yet he did miss her.
But that`s not all. On page 115, Gardner throws in a sly reference to Fort Knox, obviously referring to GoldFinger. On page 272 he refers to a trip to Geneva Bond took when he was 16 and the affair he had with a waitress that ensued. Was James Bond even a virgin at that point? Hard to believe, and Gardner doesn`t answer the question. But it`s little things like those details that help flesh out the character of James Bond. Gardner is successfully able to make 007 seem real in this book and by that, we`re able to bring the character home, so to speak. Through these details we are able to see 007, not as a cardboard character, but as a flesh and blood human being with weaknesses and strengths.
There are several very good Gardner Bond books in print. Gardner`s particular strength seemed to be in creating unique and interesting situations for Bond to embark on. But none get at the heart of who 007 was quite the way `Role Of Honor` does.