Octopussy and The Living Daylights
Book 14 of the James Bond series
Ian Fleming

"Octopussy" finds James Bond in Jamaica on a mission of vengeance decades in the making, while "The Property of a Lady" drops 007 into a heated Sotheby's auction to spot a KGB agent amid the crowd. In "007 in New York", Bone must warn an ex-agent of her boyfriend's KGB affiliations. And "The Living Daylights" forces 007 into a moral quandary when he's tasked with thwarting an assassination but unforeseen complications threaten to unravel his fraying nerves once and for all.

Sad to say, but this book of four Bond short stories is the last of the Bond materials done by Ian Fleming. It's left open, because the series was not meant to end when it did, the death of Fleming is what ended the series. However, the last story in this book does seem to be a fitting closure to the series. Had Fleming lived, there would have been better closure, but this will have to do.

"Octopussy" barely involves Bond at all. He is only there to let a man know that his criminal activity has come to light. Still, it makes for an interesting story from the criminal's point of view.

"The Property of a Lady" not only involves Bond, but it also involves a specific mission from M as most of the full length novels do. My only complaint would be that this story ended much too quickly.

"The Living Daylights" also involves an official mission from M, and interestingly enough, it's one that Bond semi-fails at. While he succeeds in protecting the life, he fails in executing a KGB assassin.

"Bond in New York" is a bit of fluff that normally would have no place in the series. But, because this is the end of Fleming's tales, it has an odd sort of closure to it for the series.

If you've been reading this series, continue on with this book of short stories.

My rating: Four out of five snails.