Quantum of Menace would make the perfect movie! Focusing on my favourite character of Q, this is the older Q of Major Boothroyd rather than the younger version from the more recent movies, but it would be a mistake to imagine that our Q is retired and resting on his laurels. When an old childhood friend dies in old circumstances, Q is highly suspicious and returns to his hometown to investigate. But without the might of MI6 at his disposal, just what lengths can Q go to in order to examine the case? With appearances from familiar faces, and lots of new characters, this is a novel that will keep the reader on their toes, constantly turning the pages to see what will happen next.
Yes, this is a compulsive page-turner and I'm excited for the next novel in the adventures of Q.

It's time for Q to enter the spotlight in this enjoyable murder-mystery.

"Quantum of Menace" opens in the present day, and Major Boothroyd, known to some as Q, finds himself unemployed - the result of a new M finding him surplus to requirements. While he is pondering his future, word reaches him of the death of a friend from long ago - and when a letter from this friend arrives, suggesting his death was not suicide, Q welcomes the opportunity to fill the void. So after a long, long absence, he returns to his hometown of Wickstone-on-Water, where he encounters people and memories he'd rather forget.

Quickly, Q is drawn into a mystery- the Police are satisfied the death was suicide, but some probing by Q soon uncovers more questions. However, his investigations inevitably bring him into contact with old friends and places, and memories he's kept under wraps. And this is what keeps the story alive - the author has cleverly taken a character from the Bond universe, about whom we know very little, and built him a back-story full of events and people that allow him to emerge more three-dimensional than he ever did in the books or films. The fact that everyone in the village knows he's "Q" - and calls him that - despite the fact that "Q" worked in a top-secret department of MI6 is a minor gripe. Add in some bang-up-to-date villains, science and greed, and the story takes off. There's plenty of sub-plots, red herrings and diversions to keep mystery fans happy.

Things fans of the James Bond world should consider - this is not the Q as represented by Desmond Llewelyn, nor even Ben Whishaw. Bond himself only appears briefly. Nor is this the 1960's world of James Bond - this is now. And this not a spy novel - it's a murder mystery. If you accept this, "Quantum of Menace" is an enjoyable adventure, fast-moving and held together with a nice back-story of Q's life before MI6.

The story is full of reflections of the Bond universe - Q remembering his time at MI6, his relationships with Bond, Moneypenny and more. There's gadgets, and girls and villains.

Whether or not you're a Bond fan, I'd recommend giving this book a try - it's a fine read.

**
A James Bond spin-off mystery series, following the head of Q branch.

After Q (Major Boothroyd), is ousted from his role developing technologies for the 00’s, he struggles to find his purpose. After all, what transferable skills would he have?

When Peter Napier, childhood best friend and quantum computer scientist, sends him a cryptic letter from beyond the grave, Q has no choice but to return to his hometown to investigate.
**

As someone who has limited knowledge about James Bond and MI6, I still found this book to be enjoyable.

I can’t comment on how true to life or realistic these characters are in comparison to James Bond movies/books, but I can say they are enjoyable without having this prior knowledge.

The plot line includes real-life events and possibilities, making this book scarier in the realities it poses.

I think if you enjoy James Bond and you’re looking for a mystery/thriller book set in the same universe, this would be perfect for you! If you have never watched James Bond before, I personally really enjoyed this and didn’t feel like I missed out on anything by not having this prior knowledge.

We've been expecting you, Mr.... Major Boothroyd!

Finding himself surplus to MI6's requirements Bond's quartermaster, Q, finds himself back in his hometown of Wickstone-on-Water and a past he's long avoided. His childhood friend, tech-genius Peter Napier, has died in mysterious circumstances, but not before sending a cryptic note to Q that suggests his death is anything but the suicide it's been declared by the authorities. What follows is a quirky mystery that's laced with dry wit.

All of Fleming's novels & short stories and films and I've never really wondered about Q's past. He was there, he provided Bond's tech and that was enough for me, but Vaseem Khan has developed a backstory for the character that works. One that's full of family, friends and lost love. The resolution of the central mystery didn't quite work for me, but I'm not going to elaborate further because it'll inevitably get very spoilery.

Thanks to NetGalley, Bonnier Books UK/Zaffre and the author for an advance copy.

Bruised from his ousting from MI6 on account of contrived ‘budget cuts’ by the new M, Q is back in civilian life not knowing what has hit him. When his childhood friend reaches out to him from beyond the grave Q can’t let go of investigating the reasons behind his friend’s death. He shows all the resourcefulness you would expect from a scientist who has been equipping the Double O agents of the British secret service.

Now for a confession. I’ve not read any Ian Fleming or any incarnation from the Bond universe before, so I was not sure what to expect. I grew up watching the Bond films in the Roger Moore era. There’s a witty style in the narrative. Early on Khan shows his inventedness with witty similes. Without the sexism and overt jingoism of the dramatised versions Khan weaves the light hearted Roger Moore era, in particular, into this work as Q’s relentlessness to unearth the truth proceeds. Q is given a purpose in seeking out, not just who killed his friend, but why. He’s given a past and a family as background stories to the overall plot and he inherits his neighbour’s depressed dog, known as Bastard. He draws on mantras he’s heard uttered by James Bond.

The story is built up layer by layer and just when it seems Q has discovered the truth there’s still pieces of the puzzle missing. As a lover of the Bond universe and an accomplished crime novelist Vaseem Khan brings us a believable character in Q/Major Boothroyd who no doubt will have several more interesting outings as the series progresses. For lovers of crime fiction there’s the layers of mystery within a mystery to solve. For lovers of James Bond there are repeated references to Bond and ways Q has interconnected with the life of the secret agent with a promise of more to come on that front. A five star recommendation. I expect this book is going to win some awards too.

Major Boothroyd, or Q as he is known throughout the book, is unceremoniously chucked out of his job as head of Q Section in MI6. The world has moved on. Time for new faces. He returns to his home town, Wickstone , where with something less than enthusiasm, he sees a quiet uneventful retirement. Until, that is, he receives a note from an old childhood friend, Peter Napier, recently deceased, implying that his death, reported as a suicide was no such thing. Included in the note is a code which if deciphered, will give Q clues as to what really happened. Napier was a brilliant scientist who, with other brilliant scientists, was working on quantum computing in his lab on the outskirts of Wickstone.

Q, of course decides to investigate and so puts himself in danger, and along the way we meet a rejected old flame, now a detective (corny) his estranged father, and various thugs and criminals heading up a major drugs racket, all in the sleepy town of Wickstone.

I was looking forward to digging into this book but was really disappointed. I found the plot slow, the writing plodding and the characters hard to care about. There was a great deal of repetition about Q and his shock at being “ let go”. There were anecdotes about 007 which just made it appear that Q sort of hero worshipped him and did nothing to move the plot forward. The humour such as it was, I thought somewhat clichéd. In all of this, very little sense of danger or personal risk…until about 3/4 of the way through.

I’m sorry to give this book such a negative review but maybe I’m missing something as so many people have raved about it. However, this is my honest opinion after a complete reading of the book

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy which I read on my kindle though it wasn’t formatted properly.

Quantum of Menace by Vaseem Khan is, at this stage, the first in the Q Mystery series. It is published on 23 October. Thank you to Bonnier Books UK and Netgalley for the advance copy to read and review. Q (real name Major Boothroyd) has been cast off from his job as Armourer with British Intelligence working on inventions for the 00 agents. He returns to his hometown, and it is not long before he is investigating the death of a childhood friend, scientist Pete Napier. He finds a cipher from Pete he needs to crack to hopefully unlock the investigation. It is set in the present day, which of course is not where James Bond is from, but this doesn’t detract from the story at all. We only have brief glimpses of Bond. I loved the writing, which paints the scene. It took me back to the James Bond books which I loved.. Plenty of interesting characters with flashes of humour through the story mainly involving Q. He still has a few tools from his Secret Service days to help him. There are secrets, murder, surprise reunions, which are quite emotional for Q, and quantum computers. This is a fabulous read, and I hope there are going to be more in the series.

4* Quantum of Menace - Vaseem Khan. A first outing for Q and it’s a super romp of mystery, intrigue and fun.

Q’s time in MI6 is up, having being unceremoniously removed from his role in favour of a new Q. At a loss as to what to do, he receives news of the death of his childhood friend Pete, a cutting edge computer scientist. Just before his death Pete wrote to Q, suggesting that his life may be in danger.

Having spent a career hidden in a lab, Q takes to the field to try and work out what happened to his friend. Returning to his childhood village, he has to confront many ghosts of the past, a whole posse of potentially bad actors and unravel a knotty mystery.

I’ve read just about everything Vaseem has written and was thrilled when this series was announced. He has absolutely thrown himself headlong into this new series, picking up a character that is so well known but which next to nothing is known about. There is dry humour and gadgets a plenty, along with plenty of nods to the many other characters in the Bond series.

The story is superb and keeps you guessing all along (I guessed some but not all of the twists) and the wider cast are all worthy additions in their own right. I romped through this over 2 days. If you like Bond and/or just love a good mystery, you will hugely enjoy this book. Looking forward to the next instalment but please fit in a Malabar House as well.

I note the nod in the acknowledgements about having a bit of fun at the expense of those of us from Newcastle … I hope one of the Northern authors is set for some revenge.

Thanks to Bonnier Books and Netgalley for an ARC.

Vaseem Khan has a licence to thrill in this new James Bond-inspired mystery series.
Major Boothroyd (Q) has left British Intelligence and is living in Wickstone-on-Water. He turns sleuth to investigate the death of his childhood friend Peter Napier, a quantum computer scientist. Was his death an accident or murder? Q hopes that the coded message left by Peter will hold the answer.
You don't have to be a James Bond fan to enjoy this pacy thriller. It will appeal to readers who like a different take on the classic whodunnit. with believable characters and writing full of wit and humour.
Khan is on top form here. I look forward to reading more in this series.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.