Penguin managing director Tom Weldon said at an event last night, "Sebastian has written a tour de force . . . it is everything we hoped for and a couple of Martinis more." According to reports, Penguin plans an unmissable marketing and publicity campaign. "Imagine a speedboat coming down the Thames with the first copy... imagine [Penguin marketing chiefs] Joanna Prior and Naomi Fidler in gold lamé swimsuits abseiling down the building." (MI6 Note: this sounds more like a movie promotion than for the literary Bond...)

The cover to "Devil May Care" was shown to guests of the publicity event, and it is said to feature a single iconic image, which has been designed by The Partners branding agency.

Faulks said he had retained 80% of Fleming's style, and aimed to blend the pace of the crime stories with the menace of the spy sagas. "It's a period adventure in which I've tried to capture a playful spirit." The story features favourite characters Felix Leiter and Miss Moneypenny, and Faulks said he had avoided deep psychological portraits: "This is not Bond meets Charlotte Gray... my Bond has no inner life."

Penguin will also be republishing the 14 original Ian Fleming novels in hardback with new jackets for £14.99.

No details on the possible cover designs for this series were revealed.

The last time the Fleming novels were republished in paperback, Richie Fahey produced pulp-style covers for the US, which were also later used on the UK editions.