Red Nemesis

The story, without spoilers

In summer 1935, James receives a package carrying a message from beyond the grave. Its contents draw him into a long-running plot threatening London and the Bond family's name. Staying alive is only one part of a mission in which trust is unusually difficult.

Cole's fourth and final Young Bond novel makes family history central to the danger. It ends the nine-novel Higson–Cole publication sequence, so the earlier books provide the most useful context for the young character arriving at this last confrontation.

Can I start here?

Save it until after the earlier Young Bond novels, especially Cole's preceding three. It is a conclusion rather than the clearest introduction to James's teenage adventures.

What stands out

The package and the threat to the family name give this finale a personal reason to matter. Readers following the complete series arrive here after Strike Lightning, with no tenth prose novel in this run.

Who wrote it

Cole, a former children’s editor and the Astrosaurs author, took over Young Bond from Higson and wrote Red Nemesis. He began his four-book run with Shoot to Kill in 2014.

Where it fits in Bond’s life

Red Nemesis is book 4 in Steve Cole’s Young Bond run. These adventures take place during Bond’s youth, before his adult career and Casino Royale.

Content notes

Older children and teenagers. Threatened public bloodshed, family secrets, betrayal and violence involving a teenager.

Setting

• Britain
• London

Main characters

James Bond, The Bond family through the mysterious package, The conspirators.