Thanks to Kim Sherwood, William Morrow, and NetGalley for access to the Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

For fans of action / adventure and James Bond, this book has it all. James Bond is missing, there are terrorist attacks, and MI6 must find the source of the attacks before the next one occurs. There are plenty of twists and turns along the way as the team of 00’s, M, and Moneypenny race against time.

This is the second of a trilogy of the next generation of 00 agents (the first being Double or Nothing) and as a result, some items of the plot are unresolved and left for the continuing story. That said, still a good story – independently or as part of the series.

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A Spy Like Me by Kim Sherwood is the second book in the Double O series expanding the world of James Bond. Ms. Sherwood is a published author and creative writing lecturer in Edinburgh.

A team of MI6 agents attempt to undercover a smuggling ring of antiquities, diamonds, humans, and more which funds terrorism. Johanna Harwood, 003, tries to find clues to a black site where James Bond is being held captive.

Joseph Dryden, 004, and Conrad Harthrop-Vane, 000, follow the items from Sotheby’s to Crete, to Venice, to Afghanistan attempting to uncover who is the person that can launder the items and currency. That person knows the players involve and can be the key to take down the Rattenfänger network.

I am currently re-reading the James Bond novels, in order, in between my other readings. I was intrigued by this new series and was glad to get my hands on the second book.

A Spy Like Me by Kim Sherwood follows a Fleming-esque to a glob trotting adventure. Like Fleming himself, most of the locations are places one would like to visit. Ms. Sherwood sets up her own world but has many callbacks and references to Fleming books and movies. Some of them are, of course, just fan service but I enjoyed them, nonetheless.

The plot might be overstuffed, but I really enjoyed the new characters who are fleshed out. The fact that Ms. Moneypenny is COO of the 00 division is one of the aspects of the book that I liked the most.

Unlike the Fleming books, however, this one is not a male spy fantasy. It takes place in the modern world, with modern issues, and modern sensibilities. James Bond is hardly in the book since he’s missing but he’s always in the background.

The new characters are very intriguing and likeable, but especially the female ones. Johanna Harwood is certainly the most intriguing of the bunch. The story is packed and moves fast. Frankly, if I found myself skimming pages I went back and re-read them because there was a good chance I missed something.

I did, however, feel that I missed a lot by not reading Double or Nothing, the first book in the series. I already ordered it though and am looking forward to reading it working my way backwards.

Is James Bond dead? Joanna Harwood, 003, was deemed unfit for duty and assigned a desk job after the death of her fiancé, 009. She never believed that James was dead and makes it her mission to find him. She is missing at a time when a mole is working to destroy the 00 section, which is now under the direction of Moneypenny. The mole is working with a wealthy group that has been financing terror attacks. Stolen artifacts are being auctioned off and within six days of the auction there is an attack. Agent 004, Dryden, is setting a trap with an artifact from Iraq. The mole is determined to stop him and reduce the number of 00s by one more. It is Harwood, tracking one of the financiers to the frozen areas of Russia, who discovers the identity of the mole. This sets up the final scenes that will leave Moneypenny and her command in turmoil and sets the scene for the third book in Sherwood’s trilogy.

Sherwood brings a number of familiar faces from Bond’s world and ties in stories familiar to Bond’s fans, such as his tragically short marriage. She also introduces Rachel Wolf, a safe cracker and con woman. With no ties to the agency, she works with Dryden to discover who is behind the terrorist’s financing. She has another reason for accepting Moneypenny’s proposal. Her parents were involved with a group of thieves, which led to their murder. She is hoping that this will lead to her parents’ murderer. As Harwood gets closer to discovering Bond’s fate and Moneypenny, Dryden and Wolf find the mole and the group’s leader, the tables are turned on them, putting them all in danger. With constant action and unexpected twists, this is a treat for Bond fans. It has a cliffhanger ending that will have you counting the days until the release of Sherwood’s conclusion. I would like to thank NetGalley and William Morrow for providing this book.

I thought this was really well written and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. I think it will find readers at our library, so we will definitely be purchasing for the collection.

Considerably less confusing than the first book (which I DNF), this is a romp that would make a good movie. Don't worry if you missed that first installment, this will be fine as a standalone. Multiple other 00's are out to find 007 even as London comes under terrorist attack and threat. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. It's not deep but it is a page turner and would make for a good travel read.

I truly enjoyed this modern continuation of the James Bond series. Author Kim Sherwood makes some modern-day updates in this continuation of Ian Fleming's classic spy series. For instance, Moneypenny takes a senior role at MI6 and Q is no longer a person (you'll have to read the book + my upcoming Q&A with Kim to learn more about this one!) A Spy Like Me revolves around two things, finding out who is truly running the private military company Rattenfänger and if James Bond is still alive, where they are keeping him.  This novel keeps you on the edge of your seat as Johanna Harwood (003) and one of Bond's former lovers goes off the grid to find him, and in the process discovers that not every 00 is exactly who they seem to be.

In this second adventure of the Double O unit with Moneypenny as head, Joseph Dryden (004) is tasked to find the elusive head of the terror group, Rattenfanger. Johanna Harwood (003) is on desk duty after her fiancé was killed, but she decides that her time is better spent trying to find Bond, who is still missing and so goes rogue. Conrad Harthrop-Vane (000) is tasked to infiltrate high society looking for Valentin Wiltshire, who is involved with the Russian mafia and Rattenfanger. And Moneypenny recruits a thief and safe cracker, Rachel Wolff, to help in locating the Gray Group which is involved in stealing historical artifacts to fund their terrorist activities.
An exciting spy thriller with twists and turns as the Double O's organization works at keeping themselves safe but also fulfilling their missions.
Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for the opportunity to read this e-galley of "A Spy Like Me".

I received a free copy of, A Spy Like Me, by Kim Sherwood, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.MI6 agents are looking for James Bond, or at least one of them is, agent Johanna Harwood is looking for 007. Can she find him? An interesting read.

Advance Copy Review: A Spy Like Me by Kim Sherwood

February 24th, 2024

James Bond is alive! He is miss missing. But Joanna Hardwood, 003, has not given up her search. “A Spy Like Me” is a thrilling adventure! Author Kim Sherwood descdibes herself as a lifelong Bond fan and it shows. From the opening sequence, I can see this story play like a movie in my mind. the easter eggs, character cameos, and reimagining of Miss Moneypenny richen and update the world of 007 like no author that’s come before. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of the book, set to publish in April 2024.

The Plot

Every chapter ends on a cliffhanger, every twist leads to another turn, and there are so many highlights, I can’t pick just one as “the most exciting scene.

“An elite team of MI6 agents must go undercover to unravel a smuggling network funding violent terror in the second thrilling adventure in the acclaimed Double O series by Kim Sherwood.
James Bond is alive.
Or at least, he was when he left a clue at the black site where the insidious private military company Rattenfänger held him captive. MI6 cannot spare any more lives attempting to track down one missing agent—no exceptions, even for Bond. But Johanna Harwood, 003, has her own agenda. Sidelined by her superiors while she grieves the loss of a loved one, Harwood goes on an unsanctioned mission: to find 007. Meanwhile, MI6 has another problem…
A bomb has detonated in London.
Double O agents on the trail of the terrorists responsible acted quickly to prevent mass destruction and save lives. But MI6 failed to neutralize the nation’s enemies before they could strike, and one of their own was seriously injured in the blast.
They won’t fail again.
Assigned to root out the source of the terrorists’ funding, Joseph Dryden, 004, and Conrad Harthrop-Vane, 000, enter the field. Tracing clues from Sotheby’s auction house to Crete to Venice, they uncover a money laundering scheme involving diamonds, black market antiquities, and human trafficking. Once a major sale is made, a six-day countdown to the next terror attack begins. As the Double O’s follow the twisting trail, they find themselves unexpectedly inching closer to Bond.” – Publisher’s description

Led by the incomparable Miss Moneypenny, this ensemble cast has developed from their first adventure in “Double Or Nothing”.
My personal favorite of the new 00’s is Joanna Hardwood, 003. At the beginning of “A Spy Like Me”, she is recovering from the loss of her fiancée. Sherwood manages to humanize this lifelong assassin by drawing a parallel to 007’s own doomed engagement in “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”. Remember those cameo’s I mentioned? Sherwood set the scene for one of those very naturally here. No spoiler’s. You’ll have to read it to find out who from Bond’s past shows up.

Another highlight for me was 004, Joseph Dryden. Besides having a very special link to Q, Dryden plays a critical part in the climax of this adventure. Very similar to the reveal of Joanna Harwood’s triple agent twist in “Double or Nothing”, Dryden pulls off a shock that had me flipping back to previous chapters “looking for clues”. But I didn’t have to. Sherwood ties everything up with electric prose.

On Writing
After Ian Fleming passed in 1964, author Kingsley Amis was brought in to edit the final 007 adventure “The Man With The Golden Gun”. Since then many authors have gone on to continue the adventures of Britain’s favorite super-spy. John Gardner, Raymond Benson, Anthony Horowitz, and Charlie Higson all come to mind. Now Kim Sherwood stands in a class of her own as the woman who updated and broadened the world of the double-oh section.

Sherwood doesn’t try to copy Fleming’s style but she winds up embodying his spirit. She sets us up with a familiar setting and a few familiar faces but the world around them feels fresh and new. Where Sherwood overlaps with Fleming is in her attention to detail, product placement, and rich characterization of our hero’s.

I’ve read that Ian Fleming publications originally signed her on for three books. I hope they extend a new contract (with pay bump) that allows her to keep returning to the world of British espionage.

Alright, I know I said no spoilers but I can’t help myself. Remember how James Bond was missing? Well you’ll never believe what happens at the end of this book. Let’s just say…The double-oh’s will return— for a third outing! And I will enjoy every word of it.

A terrific sequel to the new world of James Bond with characters that stand on their own against the legendary spy, and twists after twists with gritty action that culminate in a cliffhanger that will steal your breath away like a gunshot.

Full review out on https://www.bestthrillerbooks,com/kashif-hussain

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Johanna is bored. She decides to go on a mission to find an individual. This will take everything she has to locate him. A nice read.

A thrilling spy novel, giving you everything you'd want from a James Bond-proximate story, updated with a wide array of interesting heroes and villains. The writing is crisp, the action is thrilling, the plot twists -- while not earth shattering -- are deftly executed and well timed. Sure, it ends on a cliffhanger that feels a bit TOO unsatisfying (there are plenty of ways the story could have produced a more satisfying climax while setting the table for the big finish), but that seems to be the second-of-a-trilogy rule these days.

If I have a quibble -- and it is that -- it's that James Bond is not only extraneous to the plot, but a bit of a drag on it. The Easter Eggs, cameos, and callbacks feel more obligatory than woven into the narrative. The novel feels like it would have sung on its own had it been unburdened by fan service.

But all in all, a terrific book. I'll be there for #3.