Writer Deaver working on new Bond novel

The novel, which has been dubbed Project X for now, will be published a year from today, marking Bond creator Ian Fleming's birthday.

Deaver, who has been hailed as "the master of ticking-bomb suspense", has been selected to breathe fresh life into the super-spy by Ian Fleming Publications Ltd.

The American author, a Bond fan since childhood, has written 26 novels and sold more than 20 million books worldwide. He has started work on the book and its real title will be revealed at a later date.

Deaver said: "The Bond books appealed to me as wonderful stories but they also stood as singular examples of a thriller writer's craft.

"I learned, through osmosis as well as design, much technique from Mr Fleming's work: compactness, attention to detail, heroic though flawed characters, fast-pacing, concrete imagery and straightforward prose."