Solo

The story, without spoilers

In 1969, Bond is sent to stop a civil war in the fictional West African country of Zanzarim. The mission leaves him with a personal motive for revenge, and he acts against M's orders. The trail continues to Washington, where the conflict opens into wider political intrigue.

Boyd's version is a veteran rather than a newly recruited agent. The period setting makes this a later-career Bond story, while the invented African country lets the mission explore a conflict without claiming to reproduce the history of a specific real nation.

Can I start here?

Yes after some Fleming, particularly The Man with the Golden Gun. There are no earlier Boyd Bond novels. It is a useful one-book choice for a period continuation with an African setting.

What stands out

The fictional Zanzarim and the 1969 date distinguish this from both Fleming's own missions and modern reinventions. Bond's departure from official orders gives the personal aftermath of the assignment an important role.

Who wrote it

Boyd, the novelist behind Any Human Heart, became an official Bond author with Solo. His 2013 commission keeps Bond in the Fleming-era historical world.

Where it fits in Bond’s life

Boyd sets the mission in 1969, six years after The Man with the Golden Gun in his account of Bond’s life. This is a later period adventure, rather than the next day after Fleming’s ending.

Content notes

Adult readers. Civil war, militia violence, revenge and distressing wartime events.

Setting

• Zanzarim, West Africa Fictional
• Washington, DC

Main characters

James Bond, M, The local militia and Bond’s accomplice.