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This is the first Bond novel I've read. I was inspired to pick it up after hearing Mr. Horowitz on NPR's Book of the Day podcast. I was intrigued by the notion that it picks up immediately after Goldfinger, one of my favorite movies, and included his relationship with Pussy Galore.

James Bond, warts and all, is infused in every paragraph of this novel. I say warts and all because, let's face it, there are certainly aspects of a Bond movie that make you shake your head. The unfortunately named female characters. The bizarre death rituals of the bad guy. The quips. The "let me tell you every aspect of my evil plot because there's no way you could possibly escape this deadly situation that I'm not going to bother to ensure actually gets the job done" scenario. They're all here in Trigger Mortis, and I'd have to say it jolted me to actually READ this instead of just watching it all happen.

However, there was a lot to like here. It's a fast, fun read. Now I have to read more Bond novels to see how they compare.

I want to start this review by talking about its redeeming elements, which tells you right off the bat that I didn't like this book very much.

First, do NOT read the ad copy for this book. It gives away quite a lot.

I liked the first 60% of the book. It's a New York City murder mystery set in the backdrop of out-of-control climate change. I enjoyed Pressfield's take on law enforcement in the near future, where a single photo on a phone can lead to a coordinated high-tech pursuit that would involve drones if the weather wasn't so bad.

The book falls apart in the third act. Our protagonists abandon their familiar stomping ground for a setting that's much more wide and wild than an urban landscape. They go on a bit of a tour that seems to take up more space in the novel than it's worth. We already know where they're going. We already know what they're planning to do. They spend a good chunk of that time not going there.

Then there's the role of women in this book. Look, I get it. We're going for some Old Testament type stuff here. But to have things play out the way they did because of the weakness of female characters, seemingly weak simply for the sole fact they are female, is jarring.

Overall, some interesting things here, but be prepared for a letdown. This book is unsubtle and uneven.

Hot damn I loved this book. LOVED. THIS. BOOK.

Ms. Walschots's style is punchy and direct. There's no fat on this book. Ms. Walschots opts to skip the parts of a story that might be mundane and delivers a story with the crisp, action-packed editing of a fight in a Rocky film and the casual obscenity of a Kevin Smith diatribe.

Not to take anything away from Ms. Walschots, but any fan of Mr. Smith's work will be right at home here. Yes, it's a superhero tale, but the protagonist isn't a hero, and isn't super. She focuses on the aspects of superhero-dom that resonate with the same blue-collar vibe as Smith's "what about the independent contractors on the Death Star" speech in Clerks.

There's plenty of space for a sequel here, and I hope to see one in the future... along with a TV show or movie. Because this book ROCKED.