Nobody Lives for Ever

For the similarly titled video game, see The Operative: No One Lives Forever.

Nobody Lives for Ever
First edition cover.
Author(s)	John Gardner
Cover artist	Trevor Scobie (Jonathan Cape ed.)
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Series	James Bond
Genre(s)	Spy novel
Publisher	Jonathan Cape
Publication date	26 June 1986
Media type	Print (Hardcover and Paperback)
Pages	192 pp (first edition, hardback)
ISBN	ISBN 0-224-02861-8 (first edition, hardback)
OCLC Number	13271769
Preceded by	Role of Honour
Followed by	No Deals, Mr. Bond

Nobody Lives for Ever (published in American editions as Nobody Lives Forever), first published in 1986, was the fifth novel by John Gardner featuring Ian Fleming's secret agent, James Bond.^[1] Carrying the Glidrose Publications copyright, it was first published in the United Kingdom by Jonathan Cape and in the United States by Putnam.

Plot summary

En route to retrieve his faithful housekeeper, May, from a European health clinic where she is recovering from an illness, Bond is warned by the British Secret Service that Tamil Rahani, the current leader of SPECTRE, now dying from wounds suffered due to his last encounter with Bond (as described in Role of Honour), has put a price on Bond's head. "Trust no one," Bond is warned. Soon after, May and Miss Moneypenny, who had been visiting his housekeeper are reported missing, and Bond finds himself dodging would-be assassins while searching for his friends, assisted by a young débutante and her capable, yet mysterious, female bodyguard.

The price on Bond's head is a competition orchestrated by Rahani and SPECTRE known as 'The Head Hunt', and is an open contest to anyone willing to capture, kill, or present Bond to Rahani, where he would be subsequently decapitated by guillotine. Along Bond's journey of attempting to rescue Moneypenny and May, Bond is betrayed and chased by a number of people and organisations, including his own British Secret Service ally, Steve Quinn who has defected to the KGB, corrupted police officers, and agents of SPECTRE in disguise.

Characters

• James Bond
• M
• Miss Moneypenny
• May Maxwell

• Principessa Sukie Tempesta

  is an Italian Princess whom Bond saves while driving to check up on his Scottish housekeeper, May. He later sees her again and offers to drive her home to Rome; however, these plans are cut short after Bond learns of the price on his head. She stays with Bond acting as a hostage and later refusing to leave his side in his moment of need. She is accompanied after her second meeting with Bond by her friend and bodyguard, Nannie.

• Nannette 'Nannie' Norrich

  is the head of an all-female bodyguard organisation, NUB, tasked to protect Sukie. The two are good friends; however, Sukie is unaware that Nannie has entered the competition as freelance and has promised Rahani of delivering Bond to him.

• Herr Doktor Kirchtum

  is the doctor who was overseeing May while she was at the clinic. After Moneypenny and May were kidnapped, Kirchtum was taken captive by Steve Quinn and forced to send instructions to Bond. Bond later frees Kirchtum only to learn later that Kirchtum was actually in league with Quinn. Kirchtum is subsequently killed by either Nannie or Sukie (the identity is never given) upon attempting to rescue 007 from Kirchtum and Quinn's clutches.

• Steve Quinn

  is the British Secret Service's man in Rome. He is sent by M to assist Bond in fleeing mainland Europe so that Bond can return to London. Unbeknownst to everyone, Quinn has defected to the KGB and currently works for SMERSH (currently called Department Eight). Quinn is assisted in capturing Bond by Doktor Kirchtum, who likewise to Kirchtum is subsequently killed by either Nannie or Sukie (the identity is never given) upon attempting to rescue 007 from Kirchtum and Quinn's clutches.

• Tamil Rahani

  is the leader of SPECTRE, previously in Role of Honour. After parachuting from an airship at the end of Role of Honour to escape capture by Bond, he landed badly and injured his spine causing an incurable disease. Throughout the book Rahani is said to only have days to live. Knowing the end is near Rahani creates a competitive contest, the 'Head Hunt', for any person or organisation willing to capture James Bond. Rahani is killed by Bond after having his bed rigged to detonate upon pushing a button that would normally allow Rahani's bed to raise up.

Cover Art

Nobody Lives for Ever is the last time (to date) the trademark 'wood grain' cover art has been used on a Bond novel. It was first seen on From Russia, with Love in 1957.

Publication history

• UK first hardback edition: June 1986 Jonathan Cape
• U.S. first hardback edition: May 1986 Putnam
• Thai language first edition: December 1986 Kangaroo (Jing Jo) Press
• UK first paperback edition: August 1987 Coronet Books
• U.S. first paperback edition: July 1987 Charter Books

References

1. ^ MI6 :: The Home Of James Bond 007