Anthony Horowitz's reliably authentic prequel to the first James Bond novel

Many took literary liberties with Bond, moulding and modernising him with debatable success

Ian Fleming died more than half a century ago but his creation, James Bond, flourishes in films and books that continue to defy time, space and the imagination. The films took on a life of their own, and their plots often bear little resemblance to the Fleming originals.  Less well known, except to aficionados of Bond fiction, are the writers — from Kingsley Amis, Jeffrey Deaver, Sebastian Faulk to John Gardner and Raymond Benson and even a chick-lit author creating Miss Moneypenny’s diaries — who have tried their hand at keeping the Bond industry alive under the careful stewardship of