"His gun spoke twice from the hip".

I have mentioned before how much I love Ian Fleming's use of language to describe settings and characters in a novel. But this last chapter I read in From Russia With Love really helped me to see the skill he had in building tension. The chapter started with James Bond being invited to dinner with a gypsy tribe. The scene intensified when it was announced that two gypsy girls were to fight it out to the death over a man. As if the declaration of their fight wasn't terrifying enough, the author was able to provide us with a description of the two fighters that seemed almost like they were being introduced into a boxing ring. The actual fight was violent and harsh, no gory detail was spared. The fight was building to a climax when an explosion rang out. The gypsy tribe was being attacked by a rival gang of Bulgars. During the skirmish Bond is almost killed. Then the fight ends with the Bulgars retreating from the gypsy camp. Things slow down and Bond is left to reflect on what has just happened. Exposition, rising action, climax, and denouement all tightly packed in one chapter.