Ian Fleming's tenth James Bond novel is unique in the series: it is narrated not by 007 himself but by Vivienne Michel, a young French-Canadian woman. Fleeing a failed romance, Vivienne takes a job at an isolated motel in the Adirondacks. Her quiet night turns into a nightmare when two murderous gangsters arrive, intending to burn down the property for insurance money—and kill her as a witness. By chance, James Bond appears and becomes her only protector. As violence erupts, the spy must fight to save her life, in a tale blending noir suspense with Fleming's signature glamour.
