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King Zero
- Author
- Charlie Higson
- Narrator
- Peter Serafinowicz
- Publisher
- Penguin Books Ltd
- Publish Date
- 24 September 2026
- Run Time
- 12 hours 57 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
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What to expect
Le Chiffre. Dr No. Goldfinger. James Bond has faced them all. But now the world is changing, and even 007 has no idea what’s coming for him…
It starts with a murdered agent in the Saudi desert.
Only a traitor could have known enough to bring him down.
But even James Bond can’t guess at the secret that was worth killing him to keep.
As Bond follows the trail across the globe, he doesn’t realise the countdown has already begun.
And hiding in the shadows is a man with more power than he could ever have imagined.
Prepare for a villain unlike any before.
Prepare for KING ZERO.
© Charlie Higson 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026
Critics Review
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A brilliant addition to the James Bond canon, written with great brio and aplomb and a shrewd understanding of what makes the Bond universe tick. Wholly compelling
William Boyd
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[Charlie Higson] knows a thing or two about what makes for a good 007… the new film’s producers could certainly take tips when it comes to keeping 007 up to date… Fans can rest assured that King Zero also brims with danger and sensual femme fatales, with sex and run-ins with sharks – even a streak of horror… it’s a terrific read
The Times
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Charlie Higson hasn’t just seamlessly picked up the Ian Fleming baton, he’s sprinted so far into the distance with it we can barely see his heels. King Zero is proper old-school Bond but with a modern edge (Bond on Spotify, anyone?) – violent, stylish, scarily plausible. And in King Zero, Higson has created the most memorable Bond villain for a long time, one who sits comfortably alongside Goldfinger, Dr. No and Hugo Drax . . . A superb book and highly recommended.
M.W. Craven
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Sharks, Eton, a magnificently monikered femme fatale – King Zero is a surefooted homage to Bond’s heritage. Gives 007 the shake it needs
The Times Thriller of the Month (September 2026)
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A Bond fit for the 2020s… [Higson] has made a very good job of it… a series of gloriously hair-raising action set-pieces, all of which culminate in an apocalyptic finale
Telegraph
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A new Bond novel is always a major event, and with a new writer at the helm, expectations have run high. Higson does not disappoint. King Zero delivers the authentic Bond experience, whilst adding a sense of up-to-the-minute flair. When an old field agent turns up dead James Bond is called into action, dropping into a plot featuring everything we love about the franchise: exotic locations, dangerous women, villainous megalomaniacs, and, above all, Bond doing what he does best: fighting the good fight while dancing with the devil. A must for Bond and thriller fans alike
Vaseem Khan
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Charlie Higson has given us everything you could possibly want from a James Bond literary adventure - and so much more. All the Bond ingredients are present and refreshed with real contemporary wit and bite, with so many memorable characters and standout, unforgettable scenes. Bond stories excel when you are faced with something you’ve never seen or heard of before, and consequently blow your mind - and that happened repeatedly as the pages blasted by. Achingly exciting, desperately compelling and, at times, utterly jaw-dropping, King Zero is nothing short of an electrifying triumph - and up there with the very best of this beloved series
Rob Parker
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Charlie Higson's 007 is back on His Majesty's Secret Service in King Zero. As a guy who knows a bit about that, it's a cracking read
George Lazenby
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Unquestionably in the upper 007 echelons, a colourful, adroitly constructed adventure for a latter-day Bond that nevertheless cannily incorporates traditional elements of the franchise. Bond fans need not hesitate – not least for the fact that in the eponymous King Zero, the multi-talented Higson has created a truly memorable villain
Crimetime
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Holy mackerel, that second half is one of the most page-turning, stay-up-and-finish second halves of any Bond novel!
Raymond Benson
User Reviews
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Details
- Author
- Charlie Higson
- Narrator
- Peter Serafinowicz
- Duration
- 12 hours 57 minutes
- Release Date
- 24 September 2026
- ISBN
- 9781405986199
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Penguin Books Ltd
- Genre
- Espionage and spy thriller, Adventure / action fiction, Crime and / or mystery fiction, Fiction: inspired by or adapted from other media
Synopsis
Le Chiffre. Dr No. Goldfinger. James Bond has faced them all. But now the world is changing, and even 007 has no idea what’s coming for him…It starts with a murdered agent in the Saudi desert.Only a traitor could have known enough to bring him down.But even James Bond can’t guess at the secret that was worth killing him to keep.As Bond follows the trail across the globe, he doesn’t realise the countdown has already begun.And hiding in the shadows is a man with more power than he could ever have imagined.Prepare for a villain unlike any before.Prepare for KING ZERO.© Charlie Higson 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026
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