Guardian Angel

'Thrilling' Joanna Lumley

Plot Summary

'My heart breaks for James' - so begins the explosive, true, private diary of Miss Jane Moneypenny, Personal Secretary to Secret Services chief M and colleague and confidante of James Bond.

From her colonial childhood in Kenya to her death in 1990, Jane Moneypenny led an extraordinary, clandestine life. Positioned at the heart of British intelligence she had a ringside seat at the political intrigues that shaped world history. But, contrary to popular belief, she was not simply a bystander while James Bond saw all the action. As her diaries make startlingly clear, Miss Moneypenny played a central role in the build-up to the Cuban Missile Crisis and the threat of all-out nuclear war.

But a life of espionage has personal as well as political ramification. For Jane Moneypenny the price was high. Romantic relationships were necessarily built on lies - sometimes on both sides - and you could not trust the motives of anyone. The impact of Jane Moneypenny's career on her emotional life was even more profound as, with her access to classified information, she began to investigate the mysterious circumstances of her father's presumed death while in service.

Guarding so many secrets with no one to confide in, she found herself breaking the first rule of espionage. Unbeknownst to anyone, she kept a diary. This became an outlet for her innermost thoughts and, despite the risk of discovery, for state secrets. It should never have been made public...
Plot summary from the jacket copy of the hardback John Murray edition

Jane Moneypenny is the perfect example of chic sophistication and unflappable poise. She handles her cohort of unruly 00 agents with good-humoured grace. Yet, behind her polished perfection, she exudes a certain aura of mystery. Indeed there is more to Miss Moneypenny than meets the eye. When she hears that her favourite agent James Bond's secret Cuban mission is jeopardised and his life in danger, she impulsively plunges into the glamorous, dangerous world of espionage to save his skin.

'A thoroughly enjoyable romp' The Guardian

'A damned good read' Roger Moore

'A compelling tour de force' Jeffrey Deaver

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