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We've all heard of Miss Moneypenny, personal secretary to 'M', confidante to 007 (The love of her life) and privy to some of the world deadliest secrets. But who was the lady behind the name?. Did you know that she was born in Kenya, had a sister called Helena, a dog called Rafiki, a boyfriend called Richard and her father served in the RNRV with Ian Fleming?

Miss Jane Moneypenny broke every rule in the book by keeping a diary and after her death in 1990 her niece Kate Westbrook decided to publish them. She chose to start with the year 1962 and The Moneypenny Diaries start on January 1st with the death of Tracy Draco-di Vicenzo (Bond's wife) and ends on New Years Eve with Jane sitting at her boyfriend's hospital bedside.

The diary covers all events of 1962 but deals mainly with the Cuban Missile Crisis and her part in it, including accounts of a visit to the White House to meet with the then Attorny General Robert 'Call me Bobby' Kennedy. She also recounts a meeting with JFK by saying "he was so charismatic that he could give lessons in how to treat women to the 00 Agents". It also recounts personal problems Jane encountered.

The diary also give as few more details about some of the faces behind the names, for instance Q actually has a name, Major Godfrey Boothroyd and M has a knighthood as well as a name, Admiral Sir Miles Messervy. Mary Goodnight doesn't just hop into bed with 007 she's also Jane's number 2 and closest friend. Bill Tanner features more in this book than he does anywhere else, he seems to be a close friend and confidant to everyone.

The story itself centres around Bond's obsession with finding Ernst Bloefeld and Irma Bunt to make them pay for killing Tracy as well as dealing with the Russian's setting up Nuclear Missiles on Cuban soil. Jane's personal life is just as thrilling as Bond's; boyfriends with hidden agendas, information that comes at too higher a price and stalkers who want to kill her.

All in all I really enjoyed this book, it gives a good account of the other side to Bond's adventures.

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