The Golden Typewriter
After Fleming

Young Bond books in order: Charlie Higson and Steve Cole

Charlie Higson’s five novels, Steve Cole’s four and the Danger Society guide.

By Does Your Duck QuackUpdated 21 October 2026

The nine Young Bond novels in publication and recommended reading order
OrderBookAuthorYear
1SilverFinCharlie Higson2005
2Blood FeverCharlie Higson2006
3Double or DieCharlie Higson2007
4Hurricane GoldCharlie Higson2007
5By Royal CommandCharlie Higson2008
6Shoot to KillSteve Cole2014
7Heads You DieSteve Cole2016
8Strike LightningSteve Cole2016
9Red NemesisSteve Cole2017

Danger Society is a companion with a short story, not an additional novel in this sequence.

Where to begin

Begin with SilverFin and read Higson’s five novels in order, ending with By Royal Command. Cole continues with Shoot to Kill, Heads You Die, Strike Lightning and Red Nemesis. These stories concern Bond’s youth before his adult service career. Danger Society is a companion guide with a short story; it is an optional extra rather than a sixth Higson novel.

Reading order

  1. SilverFin (2005) — Start here.
  2. Blood Fever (2006) — Next in publication order.
  3. Double or Die (2007) — Next in publication order.
  4. Hurricane Gold (2007) — Next in publication order.
  5. By Royal Command (2008) — Next in publication order.
  6. Shoot to Kill (2014) — Next in publication order.
  7. Heads You Die (2016) — Next in publication order.
  8. Strike Lightning (2016) — Next in publication order.
  9. Red Nemesis (2017) — Next in publication order.

Illustrations are AI-generated and inspired by each book; they are not book covers.

1

SilverFin

2005 · Charlie Higson

A young James Bond makes an enemy at Eton before travelling from the school’s playing fields to Loch SilverFin in Scotland. A dangerous discovery threatens to turn a schoolboy adventure into a new kind of warfare in Higson’s first Young Bond novel.

Paperback · Audiobook 8h 28m

2

Blood Fever

2006 · Charlie Higson

In summer 1933, a schoolmate’s family disappears at sea while James discovers a secret society at Eton with troubling connections. The investigation takes James towards Sardinia and an Italian count’s remote fortress, where he must untangle the island’s links to the missing family.

Paperback · Audiobook 8h 40m

3

Double or Die

2007 · Charlie Higson

A professor’s kidnapping in a North London cemetery leads to a letter filled with cryptic clues arriving at Eton. James must decode the message before a rapidly approaching deadline, following a puzzle whose dangerous gambles reach beyond the missing teacher.

Paperback · Audiobook 8h 32m

4

Hurricane Gold

2007 · Charlie Higson

James is left with former pilot Jack Stone's children when thieves target a safe and its valuable contents. The pursuit takes him through the Mexican jungle and towards Lágrimas Negras, an island refuge for criminals.

Paperback · Audiobook 8h 13m

5

By Royal Command

2008 · Charlie Higson

After a rescue in the Alps, James prepares to return to Eton but discovers that someone is watching him. A clue draws him towards a threat to the school and Britain, forcing him to flee to Austria in Higson’s final Young Bond novel.

Paperback · Audiobook 8h 57m

6

Shoot to Kill

2014 · Steve Cole

In 1934, James has left Eton and briefly attends Dartington Hall in Devon, where new friendships lead to a remarkable school trip. A zeppelin journey takes him to Hollywood, where the film industry’s glamour conceals danger in Steve Cole’s first Young Bond novel.

Paperback · Audiobook 7h 5m

7

Heads You Die

2016 · Steve Cole

A Cuban holiday turns into a rescue attempt when James must save an old friend from an adversary with elaborate methods of killing. Corrupt police and pursuing assassins drive him through Havana and Caribbean waters, while a countdown makes the danger larger than the rescue alone.

Paperback · Audiobook 7h 7m

8

Strike Lightning

2016 · Steve Cole

A death described as an accident at Fettes College looks to James like murder, prompting a search for the truth. His investigation leads across Europe towards a new weapon and a warmonger, with former schoolmate Perry Mandeville helping him confront the danger.

Paperback · Audiobook 6h 27m

9

Red Nemesis

2017 · Steve Cole

In summer 1935, James receives a package carrying a message from beyond the grave and drawing him into a long-running plot. London and the Bond family’s name are threatened, making trust and family history central to Cole’s final Young Bond confrontation.

Paperback · Audiobook 7h 22m

The companion

Danger Society: The Young Bond Dossier combines guide material with “A Hard Man to Kill”. Save it for after Higson’s five novels.

Illustrations are AI-generated and inspired by each book; they are not book covers.

1

Danger Society: The Young Bond Dossier

2009 · Charlie Higson

This Young Bond companion explores the characters, vehicles, weapons and locations of Higson’s series through photographs, maps and Kev Walker’s illustrations. Higson’s short story A Hard Man to Kill adds another adventure, making the book a reference extra rather than a sixth novel.

Paperback

The SilverFin audio drama

Big Finish and Ian Fleming Publications announced a full-cast SilverFin adaptation in two box sets containing sixteen episodes. The latest announcement gives 29 October 2026 as the release date.

SilverFin at Big Finish · Big Finish’s announcement

Where next

Sources (39)
  1. Ian Fleming Publications: James Bond libraryPublisher
  2. Ian Fleming Publications: bibliographyPublisher
  3. Ian Fleming Publications: Charlie HigsonPublisher
  4. Publisher: SilverFinPublisher
  5. Audible UK: SilverFinAudible UK
  6. Young Bond: SilverFinPublisher
  7. SilverFin: The Graphic NovelPublisher
  8. Penguin Readers Level 1: Silverfin (ELT Graded Reader)Publisher
  9. Penguin Readers Level 1: Silverfin (ELT Graded Reader)Publisher
  10. Publisher character profiles: SilverFinPublisher
  11. Publisher: Blood FeverPublisher
  12. Audible UK: Blood FeverAudible UK
  13. Young Bond: Blood FeverPublisher
  14. Publisher: Double or DiePublisher
  15. Audible UK: Double or DieAudible UK
  16. Young Bond: Double or DiePublisher
  17. Publisher: Hurricane GoldPublisher
  18. Audible UK: Hurricane GoldAudible UK
  19. Young Bond: Hurricane GoldPublisher
  20. Publisher: By Royal CommandPublisher
  21. Audible UK: By Royal CommandAudible UK
  22. Young Bond: By Royal CommandPublisher
  23. Publisher: Danger Society: The Young Bond DossierPublisher
  24. Ian Fleming Publications: Steve ColePublisher
  25. Publisher: Shoot to KillPublisher
  26. Audible UK: Shoot to KillAudible UK
  27. Young Bond: Shoot to KillPublisher
  28. Publisher: Heads You DiePublisher
  29. Audible UK: Heads You DieAudible UK
  30. Young Bond: Heads You DiePublisher
  31. Young Bond: Heads You DiePublisher
  32. Publisher: Strike LightningPublisher
  33. Audible UK: Strike LightningAudible UK
  34. Young Bond: Strike LightningPublisher
  35. Young Bond: Strike LightningPublisher
  36. Publisher: Red NemesisPublisher
  37. Audible UK: Red NemesisAudible UK
  38. Young Bond: Red NemesisPublisher
  39. Young Bond: Red NemesisPublisher