Double or Die (Young James Bond #3) - Charlie Higson

Young Bond Book #3: Double or Die
2008
Read by - Nathaniel Parker
Listening Library
Unabridged - 7 discs (~9 hours)

In a Nutshell -
In this third book in the series, James gets caught up in a murder mystery, when his mess-mate gets a cryptic letter from a missing teacher, the advisor for his crossword puzzle club.

The Whole Enchilada -
Picking up shortly after returning to England after his adventures in Sardinia (Book #2 - Blood Fever), this installment plunges James into a world of cryptic crosswords, 1930's London, and sinister Russians. The tale definitely bridges the gap between the first two books in the series (with James getting his first tastes of espionage and action) and Ian Flemming's Bond. It is darker, and reads at a much more mature level. It still qualifies as a juvenile work, but the tone seems more like a young adult novel.

James' school chums get to play a slightly larger role than in the last two books, helping James solve the clues and even getting actively involved in a wild climactic battle with the communist baddies. The sometimes biting and dark humor provides a bit of comic relief. There is a running gag that has one of the villains coming away from every confrontation with James with one less body part; gory, somewhat sad, but definitely reminiscent of Wile E. Coyote.

Overall, I've really enjoyed this series. I'm always on the lookout for books I can recommend to young male readers, and this qualifies without hesitation. Higson does an admirable job of exploring the early development of such an iconic character. As fantastical as the situations seem, I believe James would get as involved as he does, because Higson gives us that insight into the forces that would make a bright, charismatic orphan into a world class spy. Definitely check out Double or Die, but make sure to listen to Silverfin (book #1) and Blood Fever (book #2) first.

About the Reading -
Plain and simple - I love listening to Nathaniel Parker. Ever since listening to the Artemis Fowl series, I know if I see his name listed as reader, I'll enjoy the book. He again helps creates an atmosphere of adventure that draws you into a good story. And with the exception of a minorly irritating bad Chinese accent for one of James' mess-mates, his voices were well developed and consistent. Chalk-up another great listen to Parker.

Prey - Michael Crichton

Prey [UNABRIDGED] (Audiobook)
2002
Read by - George Wilson
Harper Audio
Unabridged - 11 discs (~13 hours)

In a Nutshell -
Jack Forman, an unemployed computer programmer gets called in to help solve a problem at the bio-technology company where his wife is a VP. The problem turns out to be an escaped swarm of artificially intelligent nano-bots that have begun to display predatory behavior.

The Whole Enchilada -
The story starts with Jack forcing his children to vomit (for reasons we discover later), then immediately back tracks to several chapters of establishing his life as a house-husband with a wife who is acting increasingly odd. But Jack used to be an expert on multi-agent systems in artificial intelligence, and his wife's company needs his help with a "little" problem with the software he wrote. Enter the rampant nano-technology, greedy corporate types, and disgusting gooey sludge. You never quite know what the real situation is, which ramps up the tension. And as each strange new adaptation of the swarm is revealed, it is definitely disturbing.

The book is typical Crichton fare - issues ripped from recent science headlines, psychological drama, and social commentary. I always enjoy his stories, but this one just didn't have the same level of suspense for me. While the insight into nano-technology was interesting and thought-provoking, I just didn't feel as connected to the characters as usual. Maybe it was due to Crichton's use of first person storytelling; maybe the characters just weren't as well developed. Regardless, it was entertaining and worth a listen if you need a Crichton fix.

About the Reading -
George Wilson has a pleasant enough voice that seems fit well with Jack's first person narration of Prey. Unfortunately, there was less distinction with the voices for the other characters. That could be put down to the nature of first person perspective, but I've heard it done better under similar circumstances. Overall Wilson's pacing matches the tempo of the story and he makes Prey an enjoyable listening experience.