ONCE IS NEVER ENOUGH

A deeply delusional man who imagines he’s an elite British spy is once again called on to save the world in this sequel.

In Orkin’s previous novel, You Only Live Once (2018), James Flynn believed, against all evidence and reason, that he was an agent in the British secret service with a “Double-0 designation.” He managed to foil a plot by the ruthless gangster Francisco Goolardo to kidnap the 10 richest men in the world, but the media attention that ensued hobbled James psychologically. Now, he’s a 37-year-old man reduced to living in a “halfway house for the mentally ill,” taking heavy medication, and working at a hot dog shop while routinely being humiliated by teenagers. But when Goolardo and his henchman Mendoza escape from prison and attempt to murder James for the sake of revenge, he snaps back into “the old Flynn, the masterful one, with the deep voice and the British accent with just a touch of Scottish burr.” He’s recruited by Sergei Belenki, the “high-tech billionaire” who founded Blinky Social Network, to help stop damaging information leaks likely coordinated by Russia. But in the process, James discovers that Belenki is the real danger to be thwarted. The author reprises not only James’ lead role, but also the preceding novel’s plot structure—the intrepid hero must save the world from yet another diabolical plan, assisted by his trusty sidekick, Sancho. Orkin can be hilariously inventive, and James is a memorable protagonist—simultaneously sane and bonkers, diffident and brave. But the frantic pace of the humor—the silliness is delivered relentlessly, one joke on the heels of another—can be a bit exhausting. For readers in search of ceaseless slapstick humor without a moment of reprieve, this book will fill the bill.

A comically free-wheeling espionage tale that delivers a barrage of goofy routines.