Published in 1962, The Spy Who Loved Me is Ian Fleming’s tenth James Bond novel and an unusual entry in the series, narrated in the first person by Vivienne Michel rather than from Bond’s perspective. Vivienne, a young French Canadian, recounts her relationships and travels before taking temporary responsibility for an isolated motel in the Adirondacks of New York State.

Her situation becomes dangerous when two armed criminals arrive as part of a scheme connected to the motel. James Bond, travelling through the area after the events of Thunderball, arrives by chance and becomes involved in protecting her. Bond appears relatively late in the novel, allowing Fleming to present him through another character’s observations. The book combines crime, suspense and romance with reflections on Vivienne’s independence, past relationships and vulnerability, making it structurally and narratively distinct from the other Bond novels.