"Icebreaker" is John Gardner's third James Bond novel, and this British author … has begun to influence the rather stock presentation of the 007 series. In Fleming's hands Bond tended toward a kind of macho cartoonishness…. Mr. Gardner, in this latest novel, has added a touch of the plot subtlety of less insistently action-oriented thrillers….

The most intriguing aspect of this Bond caper, however, is determining who among the Icebreaker team is a double agent. The final scenes are as surprising as they are exciting.

Although Mr. Gardner's Bond is less raffishly macho and arrogant than previously depicted, the spirit of the 007 series remains intact, and few Fleming admirers are likely to object. There is, in fact, something appealing about a James Bond who can react to women with some sympathy and admit to confusion at a crucial moment.