Carte Blanche

Carte Blanche is a new James Bond novel written by Jeffery Deaver, commissioned by Ian Fleming Publications.

In Carte Blanche, Bond has been deftly updated to fit with the 21st century setting, making it the first ever reboot of the literary James Bond series. Jeffery Deaver has stated that his James Bond will have been born in the early-1980s, making him a veteran of the wars in Afghanistan (Operation Herrick) and Iraq instead of a World War II veteran and Cold War secret agent as originally conceived by creator Ian Fleming. As part of his latest assignment, 007 travels to an assortment of exotic modern locations - including his first visit to Dubai.

"In the world of espionage, giving an agent carte blanche on a mission comes with an enormous amount of trust and constantly tests both personal and professional judgement. Part of the nonstop suspense in the novel is the looming question of what is acceptable in matters of national and international security. Are there lines that even James Bond should not cross?" - Jeffrey Deaver

Special Bentley Edition
To honour the release of Carte Blanche, Hodder and Bentley have partnered to create the exclusive Bentley Special Edition (available on Amazon.co.uk for £850), the ultimate luxury edition of the highly anticipated new James Bond adventure.

The Bentley Special Edition arrives encased in a shaped metal box that evokes the signature outline of the new Continental GT. The curve of the book's distinct case echoes the key feature lines that run through the automobile's exterior form.

The book is bound in white Nappa leather with a single line of meticulous red stitching around the edges. This is the same outstanding grade of leather that is used in a Bentley's interior.

The title and author's names are carefully debossed into the front and elegantly foil-blocked on to the spine. The text is printed in two colours, black and red, on sumptuous ivory paper, with endpapers of a matching red leather.

The pages are expertly cut and trimmed to reflect the handcrafted techniques of the Bentley construction process.

As with the other details of the Special Edition, the colours are carefully selected from the Bentley range. Perhaps the Special Edition's most dramatic feature is the die-cut bullet hole that pierces the book. Inside is carefully placed a single polished bullet, upon which is a number distinct to each copy of the book.

Ian Fleming always admired the stately beauty of the Bentley and, as a result, James Bond owned three over the course of the fourteen original novels. In Carte Blanche, award-winning thriller writer Jeffery Deaver reunites Bond with this classic marque. In this contemporary adventure, the agent will be behind the wheel of the sophisticated new Bentley Continental GT.

The Special Edition links the legendary hero with the iconic automobile in the most spectacular way. It is the product of Hodder's 150 years of publishing experience and a century of Bentley's engineering excellence.

The Special Edition is limited to 500 copies worldwide at a price of £1,000 each, order it on Amazon.co.uk.