M called this case a soft option. Bond can’t quite agree. The tropical island is luxurious, the seductive Honey Rider is beautiful and willing. But they are both part of the empire of Dr. No.

The doctor is a worthy adversary, with a mind as hard and cold as his solid steel hands. Dr. No’s obsession is power. His only gifts are strictly pain-shaped.

"Dr. No is certainly one of the best James Bond novels. In terms of sheer excitement and thrills, it ranks very high. It also has a simple, direct plot, a very appealing heroine, and the best villain since Hugo Drax. It isn’t surprising that it was also chosen to be the first 007 film" —Raymond Benson, author of High Time to Kill

"The essence of a James Bond thriller is its speed, its knowingness . . . Dr. No has a full quota of every ingredient. Bond is better than ever." —Evening Standard