Doctor No by Ian Fleming

This selection from Doctor No introduces readers to James Bond, a British Secret Service agent sent to Jamaica to investigate the disappearance of a fellow agent, Strangways, and his secretary. Strangways is ambushed and killed shortly after leaving a card game, and his secretary is murdered at their secure office. Bond arrives in Jamaica, connects with his associate Quarrel, and soon finds himself targeted, encountering poisonous fruit and hostile locals. The narrative follows Bond and Quarrel as they attempt to locate Strangways's base and uncover what happened, leading them to Crab Key, a mysterious island owned by the reclusive Dr. No. They infiltrate the island, facing dangerous obstacles and discovering Dr. No's bizarre underwater headquarters, where they confront the villain and his deadly experiments before ultimately escaping the island and reporting back to authorities.