1998 British paperback edition.
Author:	Raymond Benson
Publisher:	Glidrose Publications
Hardback:	(UK) 1997 (U.S.) 1997
Paperback:	(UK) 1998 (U.S.) 1998
Alternate title:
Preceded by:	COLD
Followed by:	The Facts of Death

Zero Minus Ten, published in 1997, was the first James Bond novel by Raymond Benson, picking up where Ian Fleming and John Gardner left off. It is set mostly in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China.

Benson's approach to the character was more in keeping with the film version of 007 than the literary version of Fleming and Gardner. Continuity with the Gardner books was also, for the most part, not maintained. For example, Gardner had promoted Bond to the rank of captain in the Royal Navy in previous books, but Benson demoted him back to commander. Benson later stated in interviews that, as far as character continuity was concerned, he had been given free lease by his publishers to follow or ignore other continuation authors as he saw fit.

The book was first published in Britain by Hodder & Stoughton and in America by Putnam.

Benson's working title for the novel was No Tears for Hong Kong; this was eventually used as the title for the last chapter in the book.

Plot summary

The plot of Zero Minus Ten involves a wealthy British shipping magnate, who as a result of the exchange of Hong Kong from British hands to Chinese, losses his business EurAsia enterprises. Bond is first alerted to the case after a chain of events that are topped by a nuclear blast going off in the Australian outback. Bond is sent to Hong Kong to Figure out the cause of these events. He gains the trust of local triad leaders, who intern tell him a little bit more about a shady business man, Guy Thackeray - founder of EurAsia enterprises. Through espionage that can only be performed by Bond, we learn that Guy Thackeray has obtained a nuclear bomb and plans to destroy Hong Kong. Bond figures out how and when the bomb will go he confronts Thackeray and drowns him in Victoria Harbor after a brutal fight. He then stops the nuclear bomb.

Locations

Locations where the book takes place include:

• Jamaica
• England
• Hong Kong
• China
• Australia

The James Bond novels

Ian Fleming (1953-1966) Casino Royale -- Live and Let Die -- Moonraker -- Diamonds Are Forever -- From Russia with Love -- Dr. No -- Goldfinger -- For Your Eyes Only -- Thunderball -- The Spy Who Loved Me -- On Her Majesty's Secret Service -- You Only Live Twice -- The Man with the Golden Gun -- Octopussy and The Living Daylights Kingsley Amis (1968) Colonel Sun John Gardner (1981-1996) Licence Renewed -- For Special Services -- Icebreaker -- Role of Honour -- Nobody Lives For Ever -- No Deals, Mr. Bond -- Scorpius -- Win, Lose or Die -- Brokenclaw -- The Man from Barbarossa -- Death is Forever -- Never Send Flowers -- SeaFire -- COLD Raymond Benson (1997-2002) Zero Minus Ten -- The Facts of Death -- High Time to Kill -- Doubleshot -- Never Dream of Dying -- The Man with the Red Tattoo Sebastian Faulks (2008) Devil May Care Jeffery Deaver (2011) Carte Blanche