8. The Hildebrand Rarity
Not the greatest, or most action-heavy Bond story by any means, but The Hildebrand Rarity is note-worthy for exploring an extra dimension of Bond and adding a human touch to the character who has occasionally ascended to a super-human, and unfortunately impenetrable status in former Bond adaptations. The short story follows Bond on assignment in the Seychelles Islands, where he meets American millionaire named Milton Krest, who challenges Bond to assist him in the search for a rare fish, The Hildebrand Rarity. Bond agrees along with local contact Fidel Barbey and the pair join Krest and his English wife Elizabeth on the Wavekrest in search of their prize. Not exactly an action-packed spy caper, but on the trip Bond discovers that Milton abuses his wife, is verbally abused by the man himself and then finds him murdered, choked to death on the very rare fish he sought to find (and ultimately poisoned to death). Rather than become involved in a murder enquiry, Bond covers the murder up, suspecting both Barbey and Elizabeth, but allows it to remain a mystery, spurred on by Milton's revolting behaviour and abuse of his wife. The story shows a more human side to Bond as a character, developing something that hasn't been explored in much depth since then, and though the story is not the greatest in terms of high-octane action, it is certainly intriguing to read.