Dr. No, Fleming - B

         Bond is slowly recovering from injuries suffered during a recent assignment when M calls him in. M sends him off to Jamaica on a job that he believes will be a short vacay in the Caribbean. When two attempts are made on his life in the first twenty-four hours, Bond concludes that is not the case. His predecessor was likely killed by a gang under the thumb of Dr. Julius No, a recluse who owns and lives on a private island about twenty miles from Jamaica. Bond  heads there under cover of darkness. He runs into a beautiful girl of twenty, Honeychile Rider, who collects and sells rare seashells. When No's men seek them out, they head inland. They are captured and dine with Dr. No, who informs them that there is much going on at Crab Key, including interfering, with Moscow's assistance, with US missile launches. Both Bond and Honeychile are set up to die, when Bond endures torture, survives, kills No and some of his men. They escape back to Kingston and set the authorities onto Crab key. I do not think I've read a Bond book in over sixty years, and am totally shocked at how good it is.