Trigger Mortis was published by Orion Books in 2015, the first of Horowitz’s two authorized James Bond novels. Set two weeks after the events of Goldfinger, the novel follows Bond as he enters the world of Formula One motor racing to protect a British driver targeted by SMERSH, then discovers a larger plot involving a Korean villain named Sin Jai-Seong (Jason Sin) who plans to sabotage a British rocket launch.
Horowitz incorporated previously unpublished material from Ian Fleming’s archives — an abandoned screenplay treatment called “Murder on Wheels” — into the novel, giving it a direct connection to Fleming’s own creative output. The novel deliberately replicates Fleming’s prose style: the brand-name luxury, the casual cruelty, the Cold War certainties, and the combination of snobbery and physicality that defines the literary Bond.
Collecting Trigger Mortis
First edition (Orion Books, London, 2015): Boards with dust jacket.
Market values:
- Fine in dust jacket: $20–$40
- Very good: $10–$20
Projected values (2026–2036): Moderate appreciation. As an authorized Bond continuation incorporating Fleming’s own unpublished material, this has permanent interest.
Fleming’s Lost Material
The incorporation of Fleming’s “Murder on Wheels” treatment is the novel’s unique selling point. The motor-racing sequences are based on Fleming’s own notes, and Horowitz had access to the Fleming archives at Indiana University. This gives Trigger Mortis a hybrid quality — part Horowitz, part Fleming — that no other Bond continuation novel can claim.
Frequently Asked Questions
How was Horowitz chosen to write Bond? The Ian Fleming Estate approached Horowitz directly, impressed by his Sherlock Holmes novels. He was given access to the Fleming archives and asked to write a Bond novel set in the original 1950s-60s period rather than updating the character to the present day. This was a deliberate decision to maintain continuity with Fleming’s world.