Carte Blanche

Bond was in no mood for travelogues. Pg 245

Jeffery Deaver has no interest in replying to my emails or replying to the numerous tags I’ve included him in on my social channels. Which is fair enough, because I’ve arrived 13 years later to this James Bond novel first published in 2012 by Hodder & Stoughton.

As far as reviews go, I’ll leave those to the professionals. The first couple of pages are littered with the glowing 4 and 5 star accolades from The Times to The Telegraph. The Times wrote,

“Think of Jack Bauer let loose in Whitehall.”

Which is true in that Carte Blanche bares some semblance to the  TV show 24 in that the timeline is linear to the hour, barring an initial flashback on how Bond was initially recruited to the Secret Service.

However there is very little of Whitehall featured. During my annual trip through Cape Town and parts of Namibia, I enjoyed listening to the audio book narrated by Toby Stephens, aka Gustav Graves from Die Another Day.

This is akin to listening to the pulsating John Barry OHMSS soundtrack whilst skiing the black runs of Piz Gloria, (which I haven’t done) or the Bill Conti Rocky soundtrack whilst running the MOMA steps in Philadelphia, (which I have done).

The London locations I have clocked and will do a separate article for the sister channel London Bond Map. For now I wanted to paint some pictures of the chapters by sharing some photos I took of the hotels and landscapes that are featured in the novel. I wanted to touch upon some wines, positives and if I may be so bold, moments in the book where the author takes missteps.

The Wines in Carte Blanche

During his dinner meeting with the Admiral, Bond orders the halibut and requests a Burgundy wine to accompany his meal, the Cote de Beaune, or a Chablis. (Ch6 pg34). The waiter offers the Alex Gambal Puligny, I assume it’s this one below and I’ve lifted the notes from Wine Anorak.
Alex Gambal Puligny Montrachet 2006 Burgundy
Complex, full, herby nutty nose with a hint of toastiness as well as some tropical fruit richness. The palate is complex with nice nuttiness and good concentration. A serious, modern-styled white Burgundy. 92/100 (£28)
The wine is estimated to be around £400 now at the time of writing, you can locate one on sites like Cask Cartel.
The wine is described as having the colour of pale butter, as the grapes are sourced from the Chardonnay region. On page 37
Bond was about to sip from his glass of Puligny-Montrachet, the highest incarnation of the Chardonnay grape).
A red burgundy would source its grapes from the Pinot Noir region. I especially like how Bond is not afraid of any man’s gaze, nor should he be having killed a man in battle.
During the dinner Deaver also supplants Fleming’s love of Churchill into Bond, by citing his idols.
“Bond had few idols, but high on the list was Winston Churchill.”
When Fleming’s father Val died in the war, Churchill wrote his obituary which Fleming had framed in his office.

Other Wines and Drinks mentioned at a glance

  • Bombay sapphire (Lamb drinks not Bond) pg247
  • The wine a Red Rustenberg Cabernet Peter Barlow 2005. pg283
  • Back at the hotel he has felicity on the sofa drinking Stellenbosch Pinotage. pg 286
  • Auchentoshan Bond whiskey Pg 320
  • South Africa Constantia Pg 320
  • Wine Three Cape Ladies, a red blend from Muldersvlei pg357
  • Bakers bourbon pg461
  • Graham Beck Cuvee Clive wine pg 467
  • Reims mentioned 468
  • Crown Royal whiskey, mentioned plenty of times

Mistakes/Missteps

A slight misstep in Chapter 8 is when Bond was pressed by M on whether he had read his Whitehall briefing. He hadn’t and was forced to apologise.

There were administrative announcements about internal government matters, and accordingly, no Bond did not read them. pg50

Bond is rarely caught out like this and its out of character for him not to have done his due diligence on such matters. Endless examples, from Moneypenny in Skyfall complimenting Bond on doing his homework when reciting Mallory’s CV back to her, or Bond knowing all about Hugo Drax in the novel Moonraker.

Carte Blanche

On page 360, Felicity Willing tells Bond that a restaurant at an inn in Franschhoek has a Michelin star which we know is not true as no restaurant has or has ever had a Michelin Star. This for me is an unusual mistake from Deaver, unless he is trying to make Felicity out to be duplicitous.

Which I doubt, as it’s not referred nor circle backed to. No doubt many restaurnants in South Africa are worthy of a Michelin Star, most notably Salsify and La Colombe, but a the time of writing this, and when Deaver penned Carte Blanche, Michelin has not come to South Africa.

Restaurant La Colombe worthy of a Michelin star

I did like..

The introduction of well known Bond characters such as Mary Goodnight, Bond’s personal secretary. When he says “Good morning Goodnight,” it’s a loving throwback to the novel On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Tanner also appears and Deaver gives him a decent sense of humour which adds to the camaraderie with Bond. Mathis makes a cameo as does Q, who has Bond’s back despite it being a risk to him. Much like in the Craig/Whishaw era.

And in In Ch39

There is a nice expanse on Bond’s parents dying. The steel cartridge found at the body of Bond’s father used as a warning to other spies. Suggesting Bond’s father had been murdered by the KGB. Bond himself had carried out a multitude of sleuthing to determine the exact cause behind his parents death, and this is a nice subplot that permeates in the background.

Ch30

“They’re leaving tonight. A couple of hours. Going to Cape Town.” – Bond

“What’s down there?” – Leiter.

“No idea. That’s what I have to find out.” – Bond

We’re tee’d up nicely. Bond is leavving Dubai which mentions an assortment of landmarks, Burj Khalifa and Burj Arab.

Ch32

On page 204, Bond is pulled aside at customs and asked about why he is bringing a firearm into the country.

“How do you get close enough to a Kudo or a Springbok with a handgun when you hunt?”
“I never hunt springbok.” Bond replies coldly.
“No? It makes the best biltong.

I can confirm with our local travel guide that Springbok is the tastiest of all the biltong. Although for some unfathomable reason Springbok biltong was not on sale anywhere throughout the V&A harbour. Despite being the most abundant of all the game seen throughout our trip of Namibia.

Ch35

A point directed for Mr Deaver.

Interesting in chapter 34 you hide the identity of Bond to the readers as someone called Veron, and reveal it in chapter 35. We see that a lot cinematically but it always feels a bit chanc-y in a novel because you’re introducing a new character and asking more of the reader, but when we find out it’s Bond it works, congratulations on the misdirection Jeffery.

Carte Blanche cape grace

Ch37 – Bond’s Hotel

We are introduced to Bond’s hotel, Table Mountain Hotel. There is no Table Mountain Hotel, but in the authors notes he confesses that the hotel is in fact, Cape Grace Hotel, which you’ll find just outside Coy restaurant in the V&A Harbour.

Anastasia and I took a short trip to the hotel, and ordered a coffee at the bar. I cannot offer a comprehensive review, merely a glib overview and some exterior shots.

The dining room has an elongated rectangular bar in the middle. At the back a small pool area enclosed for its guests. Downstairs there is a whisky bar, which I did enjoy without realising it was connected to the main hotel. The food however is to be avoided. Not terrible per say, but when you have COY within a stones through, there really is no excuse to eat here.

The library and reading lobby looks brand new and is very well appointed. Naturally, there is no acknowledgement that the hotel was the inspiration for Deaver’s hotel of choice for James Bond.

hotel from Carte Blanche

The Sixth Apostle Inn hotel described on Pg 432 where Bond goes to have the showdown with The Irishman, is also fictional, (at least untraceable on Google). However, there is a Twelve Apostles Hotel & Spa in Cape Town.

Restaurants

Antoines in Bloomsbury restaurant pg110 is fake, although there used to be one on Charlotte Street during the 30s/40s. There is also no Celsius restaurant as mentioned on page 282. However, the writing is very Bond as he names a drink after the titular title, Carte Blanche, echoing both Bond’s and Fleming’s characteristics of creating and naming their own drinks.

“Crown Royal Whisky, a double on ice. Half a measure of triple sec, two dashes of Angostura. Twist of orange peel, not a slice.” Pg 281,282.

For the foodies Bond also oozes his masculine predilections;

“He (Bond) believed that steaks had enough flavour of their own and should be eaten only with salt and pepper.” Pg 283.

Clothing in Carte Blanche

American Company tactical clothing Pg 7

Turnbull and Asser, Canali Suit, Rolex Pg 32

Rolex over knuckles Pg 207

Lighters cap university of Texas longhorns grid iron team Pg 188