Bond film bosses have turned down the chance to adapt the latest 007 book for the big screen.

Devil May Care was written by British novelist Sebastian Faulks to commemorate Bond creator Ian Fleming's centenary this year.

Faulks, the author of historical novels Birdsong and Charlotte Gray, was selected to write the book by Fleming's estate.

When it was published in May, Faulks said it was up to film company Eon Productions whether they made a big screen version of Devil May Care but added they liked the book.

The latest Bond adventure is set in the Cold War, revolves around the international drug trade and sees Bond in Rome, London and the Middle East.

As well as exotic locations, Devil May Care features martinis, glamorous women and arch-villains - including one with an oversized monkey's paw for a hand.

The first handful of copies of the book were delivered from the printers to the bookshops under military escort in May, and the title became an immediate best-seller.

If other production companies were to buy the film rights to the book, they would not be able to use the James Bond name, the 007 sign, the Bond theme or gun-barrel sequence because of Eon's control over copyrights.

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