Title is Double or Nothing…
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Calling one of the agents Johanna Harwood and another one Dryden… OK, fair enough, but does everything new in Bond of whatever medium have to have this sort of back-reference-y “for the fans” coy stuff in it?
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Almost forgot: 1. September is OO-Day.
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003, 004 & 009…
Strangely familiar.
I’m not giving up my office.
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I was just guessing, if it is it’s own timeline (or follows Carte Blanche), then we can possibly see some new characters come back in each book. Maybe Blofeld and Spectre could come back as well. After the mixed bag of Dynamite Comics’ Goldfinger and Oddjob arc, we could see them come back. We know that Kim Sherwood will do a trilogy, but she may continue after it.
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Not the most imaginative title, but I’m still interested.
I like the title. The use of Johanna Harwood is interesting. A tip of the cap to one of the first Bond screenwriters. I agree with Jim though about the use of the Dryden name (as well as Harwood’s) causing a back reference for the film Casino Royale’s Dryden character whether intentionally done or not. I assume it’s not, but we’ve had so many call backs in the Daniel Craig era that one can’t help but spot them or expect them. As for what little we know of the plot itself, I can’t say that I’m too wild about it, but I remain guardedly optimistic and wish Kim Sherwood the best. Either way, I’ll be getting my copy when it comes out.
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I must admit to having felt the same.
Ian Fleming’s friends were named in the books but in that circumstance, no one knew them or were ever likely to know them, and so didn’t detract or distract from the content’s thrust.
Still, not as bad as Burl Barer’s novelisation of The Saint film back in the 90’s when he named one of the Saint’s aliases as being George Sanders.
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Sadly, it seems to be a requirement these days. Much like the absurd notion that it can’t be BOND without Moneypenny or Q, it seems as though it can’t be BOND without desperate attempts at callbacks, self-references, etc.
But none the less we will have something to read,and I await Mr. Horowitz’s 3rd as well
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I am still in two minds about this idea. I wonder if the casual bookstore browser would go for the idea of “Bond without Bond”?
I’d love to pre-order the Kindle edition, but Amazon UK won’t let me, and Amazon US doesn’t list it (yet). GRRRRRRR!!! 
I know they’re (most likely) different continuities and all that, but still…I can’t help but wonder if agent 004, Dryden, could possibly be the son of the Dryden who Bond killed at the start of the Casino Royale film to earn his 00?
Could be an interesting angle to explore - a 00 agent from a new generation who maybe even looks up to the legend of 007 only to learn the truth about his father’s treachery and the fact that 007 is the one who killed him…though I guess that’s way too fan-fictiony 
I am still in two minds about this idea. I wonder if the casual bookstore browser would go for the idea of “Bond without Bond”?
In the great Disney/Marvel era of expanded universes and spin-offs, I wouldn’t necessarily rule that out…
Also, agent Sid Bashir, 009, seems to be a reference to Doctor Bashir from Deep Space Nine, as played by Alexander Siddig, who was notably a 60’s spy fan, particularly in the episode Our Man Bashir.
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I was thinking the exact same thing
Oh. We’re heading into internal Star Dreck fan-“pleasing” referencing too.
I simply say hurrah.
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It’s all connected.
Wait for the scene in which the main baddie is called The Rock. He wore a tuxedo in his latest movie after all.
Mandatory retirement at age 45. It’s a non starter 
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