Casino deal or no deal. Peppermill resort spa casino.

And how old must May be now? I suppose the overall decline in standards mirrors that of the films - which were all parodies of the novels anyway, with the possible exception of 'From Russia With Love'. God knows Fleming wasn't always on top form (try re-reading 'Diamonds Are Forever' for starters), but, at his best, in 'Casino Royale', he was a writer to match any in the post-war period. Only Kingsley Amis came close. No Deals, Mr Bond represents an overdue and immensely welcome departure from the formula used by Gardener in previous books (with the exception of 'Nobody Lives For Ever'). The story centres around an aborted ‘honey pot’ operation against the KGB called Operation Cream Cake. Bond is instrumental in pulling two of the girls involved in the operation out of Europe via the use of a nuclear submarine. Apart from this ‘set piece’ the book leaves the usual film-inspired plot lines (megalomaniac wanting to take over the world) and moves into murkier waters. No Deals, casino deal or no deal Mr. M sends Bond to find and protect the remaining two women and one man who have taken on new identities. In his attempts to do this he unravels a knotty puzzle involving double agents, the GRU (the military arm of the KGB), the old head of SMERSH and of course a beautiful woman. His travels take him first to Ireland and then to Hong Kong. There is a dollop of sexism and some mild racial stereotypes to cope with along the way, but in this respect Gardner mirrors Ian Fleming very well (whether this is a concerted effort is arguable). The final scenes where Bond is being hunted by four assassins on a small island off the coast of Hong Kong are excellently paced and executed by Gardner. Exposition is scattered about the book where required rather than being lumped at the end and the plot for once is wholly believable.