Among the guests is a character called Ian Fleming, writing a spy novel, but lacking a name for his protagonist. He then is invited by Miss Marple to attend a lecture on birds given by one James Bond. This is clearly a reference to the real-life Ian Fleming, who was inspired to write the Bond novels in the Carribean, and who named the spy after an ornithologist and popular writer on birds in the Carribean.
However, the actual ornithologist, James Bond, was American and both was born and died in Philadelphia. The ornithologist Bond in this episode has a strong British accent, being played by Charlie Higson, who both wrote the screenplay for this episode and a number of children's books about a James Bond, Jr.
Furthermore, in this dramatization the ornithologist introduces himself as "Bond, James Bond", after which Fleming is seen scribbling something on a notepad. While this phrase is ubiquitous in the James Bond movies, the secret agent never introduces himself this way in any of Ian Fleming's novels.
Furthermore, in this dramatization the ornithologist introduces himself as "Bond, James Bond", after which Fleming is seen scribbling something on a notepad. While this phrase is ubiquitous in the James Bond movies, the secret agent never introduces himself this way in any of Ian Fleming's novels.
The novel "A Caribbean Mystery" was published in 1964, and introduces the character of wealthy businessman Jason Rafiel. His story is continued in "Nemesis" (1971), where Jason dies but posthumously assigns a mission to Jane Marple.
The episode uses a fictionalized version of noted ornithologist James Bond (1900-1989), an expert on the birds of the Caribbean. Ian Fleming named his fictional spy after the ornithologist.
According to Agatha Christie, the novel was inspired by her happy memories of visiting the West Indies.
The source novel was dedicated to John Cruikshank Rose, an architectural draftsman that Agatha Christie and her husband Max Mallowan had befriended in 1928.