# What are you reading? **URL:** https://quarterdeck.commanderbond.net/t/what-are-you-reading/1150 **Category:** Books **Created:** [January 10, 2019, 7:54pm UTC](https://quarterdeck.commanderbond.net/t/what-are-you-reading/1150 "2019-01-10T19:54:51Z") **Posts on this page:** 1 **Showing post:** 512
### Author: ![Dustin](https://quarterdeck.commanderbond.net/user_avatar/quarterdeck.commanderbond.net/dustin/32/7_2.png) [@Dustin](https://quarterdeck.commanderbond.net/u/Dustin) #### Post date: [June 21, 2026, 1:29pm UTC](https://quarterdeck.commanderbond.net/t/what-are-you-reading/1150/512 "2026-06-21T13:29:14Z")
Double or Nothing This is a busy book with lots of things going on. Predictably, a lot of it is setting the stage, building the OO world and introducing the characters, lots of dialogue exposition. So far so good, there’s a new M that’s supposedly a former OO and Bond’s former mentor. Moneypenny has morphed into OO section head - without having been a OO? - and a team of young-ish new OOs to do the heavy lifting in this series. I like the setup in general. However, what in my view doesn’t work at all is the suggestion this close-knit ‘family’ is freely pursuing ‘relationships’ inside the shop. Good. Lords. I’m sorry but this is so many levels of wrong I can’t quite decide where to begin. Even Fleming suggested the infamous bets on ‘winning’ Ponsonby’s favours was an off-the-books thing and having this stuff going on between agents, employees, anybody inside the intelligence community is a potential security risk and asking for trouble. There’s a reason this kind of thing isn’t encouraged even in most ordinary businesses. Presenting the love triangle of 007, 003 and 009 like the plotline in a medical drama soap is just bonkers. Yes, these agents are supposed to be one big brother- and sisterhood sworn to the protection of the realm. But they are also supposed to be human and fallible and not above and beyond jealousy, animosity and any number of human reactions to being rejected. Pairing two guys who only recently have both been involved with the same woman - another colleague - then only seeing one return…how extraordinary, nobody could have foreseen that, could they? Sorry but this part is truly hard to swallow. That aside, there is much interesting stuff going on here. Double or Nothing covers a lot of the Queen & Country setup (which in turn was a modern Sandbaggers variant). Naturally, the new OOs are now the main focus and supposed to work in a slightly updated, slightly fast-forwarded 10 minute into the future world. In general, this works surprisingly well. You could even imagine this adapted as some mid level action production - so as not to rival the main property - for the amazing warehouse now in possession of Bond. Add a couple of set pieces and this might easily take off. Where I think Double or Nothing is straining the concept is 007 himself. Or rather, his absence. This way the book misses a centre. Sherwood should have trusted her characters and her story and leave Bond out entirely. That would also take care of the love triangle sticking out from these pages. The other major drawback is directly related to this, the many many references and callbacks to Fleming’s original work. Of Double or Nothing’s 400 pages at least 150 feel like fanservice; an endless string of cameos and Easter eggs only the seasoned fan will understand. Cut this down by a factor of five, keep out the devotion to Bond supposedly the entire SIS feels, and voilà, the whole book would be stronger for it. I picked Double or Nothing up again - after a failed first attempt - to give the entire concept of the OOs a chance. There are no doubt some promising angles Sherwood explores. After a little break I’m going to move to A Spy Like Me --- _[View the full topic](https://quarterdeck.commanderbond.net/t/what-are-you-reading/1150)._