High Time to Kill

The story, without spoilers

A stolen microdot contains a crucial military secret. Its courier's aircraft crashes on Kangchenjunga, forcing Bond and a team of climbers onto a dangerous Himalayan ascent. The criminal organisation behind the theft is the Union, and the recovery expedition may have an enemy within it.

The terrain creates a second opponent. Recovering the secret requires the team to survive altitude, ice and suspicion, making this a markedly different mission from a city investigation or a resort-based encounter with an adversary.

Can I start here?

This is the starting point for Benson's Union trilogy. Read it before Doubleshot and Never Dream of Dying. Zero Minus Ten and The Facts of Death come earlier in his overall publication order.

What stands out

The mountaineering mission is the strongest reason to choose this book. The first appearance of the Union also makes it the correct entry to a three-book enemy sequence rather than a middle chapter.

Who wrote it

Benson wrote The James Bond Bedside Companion before becoming the first American commissioned to write Bond; his official work includes High Time to Kill. He wrote six original Bond novels and three film novelisations.

Where it fits in Bond’s life

High Time to Kill belongs to Benson’s six original 1990s–2000s missions, read in publication order. It is part of the Union sequence: High Time to Kill, Doubleshot, then Never Dream of Dying. The publisher gives no immediate Fleming-book placement for this adventure.

Content notes

Adult readers. A fatal aircraft crash, armed pursuit, betrayal and dangerous mountain conditions.

Setting

• Kangchenjunga, Himalayas

Main characters

James Bond, The climbing team, The Union.