Casino Royale

The first in Ian Fleming's spy novel series, "Casino Royale" introduces readers to the dashing, but deadly, James Bond. After a Russian agent by the name Le Chiffre is caught losing an extensive amount of borrowed funds on a risky investment in brothels, Bond is sent on a mission to outwit Le Chiffre at his own game, Baccarat. With 25 million francs on the line, Bond must win a game entirely based on chance if they want to force Le Chiffre into bankruptcy and, thus, early 'retirement' from his secret agent status with the USSR. On his mission, Bond also meets the attractive and mysterious Vesper Lynd, who is the first, and possibly the last, to fully win over Bond's heart.

Fleming sets the pace for his series with this first novel, which combines intense drama with action scenes that are much more subtle than their movie counterparts. While it's hard not to love James Bond, this book definitely shows a side of him that Hollywood likes to skim over, which is that is his blatant misogyny. After toggling between his intrigue for Vesper and criticism over whether she's qualified to help him in his mission, it comes as a shock when he claims he's completely in love with her, even as she descends into an emotional wreck. While it becomes obvious that Vesper is hiding something, the revelation of her double-agent status provides a surprising twist to the story and creates a scar in Bond's character that explains his treatment of women in later novels.

For those expecting to read the literary edition of the movie, you'll find the action is cut in half when compared to the film. However, Fleming writes the story so well that readers will still remain transfixed until the final page.