cover image THE GIRL WITH THE GOLDEN BOUFFANT: An Original Jane Bond Parody

THE GIRL WITH THE GOLDEN BOUFFANT: An Original Jane Bond Parody

Mabel Maney, . . Harper Entertainment, $14.95 (368pp) ISBN 978-0-380-80311-8

Irrepressible lesbian secret spy Jane Bond is back in the flawed second installment of Maney's campy riff on the adventures of the Queen's favorite agent, 007, featuring his masquerading sister, known as 007½. It is 1966, and Jane is once again pressed into service impersonating her out-of-commission brother, James, at an annual, very secret all-male spy convention in Las Vegas. Jane is actually a double agent, a member of the even more secret all-female spy agency G.E.O.R.G.I.E. (Girls in Europe Organized to Right Grievances and Insure Equality), where her true allegiance lies. Jane heads to gambling heaven with fellow agent Cedric Pumpernickel, followed by her sexy undercover girlfriend, Bridget St. Claire, also a G.E.O.R.G.I.E. agent. A slew of wacky Vegas characters add color and pizzazz to Jane's adventures, which take a deadly turn when one of the convention's spies is tossed off the nearby Hoover Dam. As Jane discovers that the world's top agents are to be methodically eliminated one by one, she and her colleagues must race to stop the killer as well as to keep Jane's true identity secret. Maney (Kiss the Girls and Make Them Spy ; The Case of the Not-So-Nice Nurse ) ably parodies Ian Fleming's original Bond novels, including the sort of madcap details and outrageous stunts to be expected. However, the overwhelming number of minor characters and overly exhaustive side plots detract from the main story line, and the silly dialogue proves tricky to untangle. This is still a fun romp, certain to do well for the target gay and lesbian market. Agent, Mitchell Waters . (Apr.)