Murder, mystery and espionage take front stage in Raymond Benson’s “High Time to Kill,” an intriguing novel starring super spy James Bond.

“High Time to Kill” begins in the Bahamas with Bond on vacation. He is spending his time with a beautiful woman – as one would expect – at a dinner party. The fun ends when the host is found dead. A strange group known as The Union is found to be responsible.

Elsewhere, a British scientist has developed a high-tech device that will allow airplanes to travel at the speed of Mach 7. His joy is short-lived when he is killed and the project, “Skin 17,” is stolen by The Union.

The Union is a group of hired mercenaries. They have no political ties and will even betray their own countries.

Bond must race to Belgium to stop the thieves. However, when he arrives a company is waiting for him. This means there is a leak somewhere in MI6.

Through some strange happenings, MI6 learns the man who has “Skin 17” was in a plane crash. The plane is currently resting more than 8,000 feet above sea level on Mount Kangchenjunga, the third highest mountain in the world. Bond must go to the Himalayas and retrieve the project.

However, he cannot climb the mountain alone. Bond is forced to work with Roland Marquis, a world-famous mountain climber and member of the Royal Air force. Marquis also happens to be a long-time rival of Bond. Their competitive nature originates back in college, where they first met. Even now, their competitiveness is still prevalent.

James Bond must join Marquis and 16 other climbers for a nearly impossible climb. In addition to the mountain, they must face outside forces as well. China, Russia, and The Union all want to find “Skin 17.” Also, the leak inside of MI6 has yet to be found. In fact, the leak could be part of the climbing team. Can Bond overcome the obstacles in his way?

Raymond Benson is the author of six James Bond books. Bond is best known as a movie character, though he is at his best in books. James Bond first appeared in a novel by Ian Fleming.

Much more can be done in book form than on a movie screen. The storyline is much more developed, as are the characters. Benson does a magnificent job of getting the reader involved. His words are so visually descriptive that reading the book seems more like watching a Bond film.

Many similarities can be found when comparing the novel to the movies. Both contain humor, action, gadgets, killing and women. The novel also has the familiar characters of M, Q, Miss Moneypenny and Bill Tanner.

“High Time to Kill” is an excellent novel that gives the reader what they would expect from a James Bond story. It is also a good way for the fans to get their James Bond fix until the next movie is released in 2002.