James Bond: Pussy Galore returns in new novel

Pussy Galore is to be reunited with James Bond in the superspy's latest literary outing.

Ian Fleming's famous leading lady is back in Anthony Horowitz's new official Bond novel, Trigger Mortis.

The bestselling author has revealed his new 007 adventure begins in 1957, two weeks after the end of Fleming's original novel Goldfinger.

The book, out on 8 September, is set against the backdrop of the Soviet-American space race.

As well as Pussy Galore - played by Honor Blackman in 1964's Goldfinger film - the new book features a new Bond girl called Jeopardy Lane and Jai Seung Sin, a "sadistic, scheming" Korean adversary.

Trigger Mortis will begin with an original Fleming idea - a motor racing scene written for an unmade TV series.

Horowitz said: "It was always my intention to go back to the true Bond, which is to say, the Bond that Fleming created and it was a fantastic bonus having some original, unseen material from the master to launch my story."

He went on: "I was so glad that I was allowed to set the book two weeks after my favourite Bond novel, Goldfinger, and I'm delighted that Pussy Galore is back!

"It was great fun revisiting the most famous Bond girl of all - although she is by no means the only dangerous lady in Trigger Mortis.

"I hope fans enjoy it. My aim was to make this the most authentic James Bond novel anyone could have written."

William Boyd, Jeffery Deaver and Sebastian Faulks are among the authors in recent years to have written officially-sanctioned books since Fleming's death in 1964.

Fleming's niece, Lucy, said: "Anthony has written a James Bond book with a nail-biting adventure that could have come from Ian's own typewriter."

Ajay Chowdhury, from the James Bond International Fan Club, said news of the new book was "a gift" for fans of 007.

"Bond fans will be excited for a number of reasons," he said.

"Firstly, the title is evocative of the clever yet deadly Fleming play on words. Secondly, with its use of previous Fleming notes and Pussy Galore... the novel promises to be rich in period detail and action and stay true to the original spirit of the classic novels."

Horowitz's prolific output includes the teen spy series, Alex Rider, which has sold more than 19 million copies.

He has written two official Sherlock Holmes novels - The House of Silk and Moriarty - and as a TV screenwriter he created Midsomer Murders, Foyle's War and Crime Traveller.