4. Nobody Lives Forever
Published in 1986 and written by Bond continuation author John Gardner, is a typical tale of intrigue and assassinations, as Bond has a price put on his head by Tamil Rahani, the mortally wounded SPECTRE leader who Bond injured in their last encounter. To make matters worse, Miss Moneypenny and May, Bond's faithful housekeeper, are kidnapped, and the spy is forced to attempt to find the pair while dodging assassins. The appeal of the novel is the presentation of Bond as a one-man army, surrounded by threats, including from those he considered allies, but spurred on by his singular desire to rescue May and Moneypenny. It ticks the box of allowing Bond to play his rogue agent card, and the action necessary would make it a bountiful source for an upcoming film.