Thunderball

Nine books in, and James Bond's health is just now being called into question.  With all he's done, you'd think this would have happened sooner.  Turns out drinking and smoking takes a bit of a toll one one's health.  Go figure, right?  Well, M has just the cure for 007.  A stay at Shurblands Health Clinic will do the trick.  Against Bond's wishes he heads off for his health adjustment.

But why stop there?  Let's throw in an encounter with Count Lippe, a member of the Red Tong Triade.  After trying to kill each other,  Bond figures he is done with Lippe, and heads back to MI6.

Enter SPECTRE.  The Special Executive for Counter-Intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion.  Turns out Lippe was a member.  Go figure, right?  Anyway, they stole a couple of nuclear bombs and hold the world hostage.

M sends Bond to the Bahamas to poke around and see what he can find.  And boy does he find something.  Namely his buddy Felix Leiter and the nukes.  Not that Leiter has the bombs; he was just sent by the CIA to assist Bond.  Just when the trail seems dry, Bond and Leiter find the bombs and save the day.

But this kicks off a story of revenge.  The leader of SPECTRE, Ernst Stavro Blofeld did not take kindly to Bond's thwarting of plans.  And the hunt is on.

I really liked this book.  Its probably one of my favorites.