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Moonraker- Ian Fleming 1955

Summary-This novel starts with Bond experiencing a very mundane Monday, which consists mostly of paperwork. His day gets interesting when M. calls him into his office, asking for a "personal favor". It turns out that at Blades, a card club M. frequents, Sir Hugo Drax may be cheating at cards. This wouldn't be a big deal, but Drax is the man behind Moonraker, the new missile defense system which will take Britain into a new era of safety. M. doesn't want any scandals, even cheating, connected with Drax days before the first test fire of Moonraker. Bond goes with M. to Blades, and out cheats Drax to get him to quit. This would have been the end of Bond's connection with Drax, but the next day he is called into M.'s office again.
  Two men working at the Moonraker compound are dead, one of whom was Major Tallon, a member of the Ministry of Supply, who is keeping an eye on the Moonraker project. 007 is sent to act as a security guard for protect Moonraker and to discover what is going on. He works with Gala Brand, a policewoman from the Special Branch of Scotland Yard, who is posing as Drax's personal secretary. After they are almost killed by a few of Drax's agents blowing a ton of Dover cliff face on top of them, they begin to see a trail of deception by Drax and his men. After Brand is captured for discovering that Drax has changed the Moonraker's flight plan to hit London instead of the North Sea, Bond discovers that Drax isn't really an English gentleman. He is from Germany, for whom he fought in WWII. Drax and his men, disguised as British troops, plan to blow up a British headquarters. In a twist of fate, Drax is attacked by a German plane, the pilot obviously thinking Drax is British. Drax ends up in the building they planned to blow up when the bomb goes off. He feigns amnesia, becoming Hugo Drax. He begins to amass a fortune, especially through the mineral columbite, which is needed to resist the extreme heat produced by the Moonraker. Drax plans on putting a real atomic warhead instead of the dummy warhead during the Moonraker's flight.
  Bond is captured after a daring car chase, in which Kreb's cuts huge newspaper rolls off of a truck, forcing Bond's car to crash. Bond manages to get Drax angry during their interrogation. So much so that he storms off, forgetting the lighter and blow torch he had on the table, in case Krebs needed it for "persuasion" to get them to talk. Bond and Gala manage to stop escape, and hide in one of the exhaust vents near the Moonraker. They then foil Drax's plans by resetting the coordinates so the Moonraker will land in the North Sea. There is some loss of life, including Drax's, but a cover up is done, and the public never learn how close London was to being destroyed. Bond and Brand are rewarded with a month of vacation. Unfortunately, they don't end up spending it together, since Gala is engaged.

My Grade-B- This is not quite as good as Fleming's first two novels, but it was definitely entertaining. The character of Drax is much more compelling than the movie version, and the plot is more believable than Bond out in space.

Best Moment- This novel has the first great char case scene, with Bond's vintage Bentley chasing Drax's Mercedes. Bond loses the chase when Drax has his henchman cut huge newspaper rolls off the back of a trailer. Bond is forced off the road, and his Bentley meets its end. Despite Bond losing, this chase sets the bar for all of the future novels.

Also Notable-*Although this isn't really a good thing, it is very notable that Bond does not end up with the girl at the end. He wants to spend his month vacation with her, but she tells him that she is engaged. Poor Mr. Bond. For once he doesn't get the girl.
*Bond is pushed to the limits of his endurance during his escape from Drax, having to survive a severe beating, climbing up and down a jagged exhaust shaft, and being sprayed with hot steam.
*Bond's card skills are showcased again, but this time, so are M.'s. He actually beats Bond at piquet, although this isn't Bond's game.
*Bond's Bentley from the first two novels is destroyed. But he gets a new 1953 Mark VI with the same battleship grey color, an open touring body and dark blue leather upholstery.

Quotable-
"They want us dead. So we have to stay alive." Bond