Trigger Mortis

At the start of this impressive James Bond pastiche from bestseller Horowitz (Moriarty) set in 1957 soon after the action of Goldfinger, a German rocket scientist working for the U.S. sells secrets about a forthcoming American launch. Meanwhile, Bond, who's living in London with Pussy Galore, of Goldfinger fame, travels to Germany to participate in an auto race, during which the Soviet SMERSH agency is planning to kill a British driver. (This section is based on original unpublished material written by Ian Fleming.) At the race, Bond encounters evil genius Sin Jai-Seong, a Korean multimillionaire; meets Jeopardy Lane, who has her own reasons for pursuing Jai-Seong; and discovers photos of an American rocket (the title refers to a "panic button" that can explode a malfunctioning rocket before it crashes). The sturdy plot involves a suitably diabolical and grandiose scheme. An excellent mimic of Fleming's prose, Horowitz delivers an entertainment sure to please James Bond fans. Agent: Jonny Geller, Curtis Brown (U.K.). (Sept.)