From Publishers Weekly "The master is back," the promo goes, "with his best thriller since The Day of the Jackal." A bold statement: while no Jackal, this strong and memorable novel is his best in decades, and as good as The Odessa File and The Dogs of War. It is the story of vigilante Cal Dexter's pursuit of a Serbian warlord into the jungles of the fictional Republic of San Martin. Dexter, former Vietnam tunnel rat, now small-town attorney and clandestine kidnapper of refugees from justice, is after Zoran Zilic, a gangster who has escaped Serbia with a fortune but not before savagely killing an American aid worker who happens to be the grandson of a billionaire mining magnate. It's the magnate who sets in motion the operation against Zilic, first through a man known as "The Tracker," who locates him, then via the Avenger, whose task is to bring Zilic to American justice. But Zilic is protected in his South American jungle compound not only by the best security money can buy but also by a top FBI man who plans to use the warlord to help take out a dangerous terrorist named Usama bin Laden; much of the narrative takes place within weeks of 9/11, and is laced with irony. Forsyth fans won't be surprised that the action, always exciting, is supported by numerous briefings on matters geopolitical, historical and scientific; with Jackal, Forsyth established the now traditional formula of thrillers that educate as well as entertain. The digressions are frequent early on but no page lacks interest and the novel's second half, which focuses on the Avenger's attempted snatch of Zilic, is pure gold. This will hit bestseller lists high and hard and a sequel seems likely. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. Read more From Booklist *Starred Review* The Day of the Jackal, The Dogs of War, The Odessa File--these Forsyth blockbusters helped define the international conspiracy thriller. Forsyth's newest novel, his fourteenth, could well return him to those lofty heights. Once again, his crisp narration leads readers through labyrinths of criminal and espionage plots and through land mines of warfare, historical, contemporary, and threatening (the book stops on September 10, 2001). One of the amazing features of Forsyth's writing is the way he spotlights seemingly random, unconnected events, usually involving armed conflict, and then gradually weaves them all together into a seamless plot. This time out, World War II, Vietnam, Bosnia, and Cambodia take turns commanding center stage, held together by two protagonists: a middle-aged lawyer and an aging business tycoon, who have both suffered devastating losses. The tycoon's loss, that of his grandson on a relief mission in Bosnia, becomes subsumed in the mission of attorney Calvin Dexter, grieving father and former 'Nam tunnel rat, whose mission in life is to bring justice to those who have gotten away with murder. Perhaps the most fascinating part of the book is the in-depth chronicle (based on real-life stories of surviving veterans) of the excruciating, perilous work of the tunnel rats in ferreting out the Vietcong in their vast underground lairs. Forsyth's extraordinary care with detail, his solid voice, and his exquisite pacing make this a totally engrossing thriller. Connie FletcherCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved Read more See all Editorial Reviews
R**L
The Avenger.
This book has a very good plot and characterization. It is also well written, researched and edited. John Forsyth is a very talented veteran author and this is typical of his work. My main complaint is that it is too wordy. There is way too much boring detail and other filler material. This book can easily shed 75-100 pages. I’ve read other books by this author, and it’s just his style, but it won’t stop me from reading him again. There are also some plot holes. Despite the flaws I did enjoy it, especially the ending. A clever twist and masterfully done. I rate it at three and a half stars because of the negatives, but it’s still worthwhile reading.As a WW2 history buff, I was pleased to see that Mr. Forsyth saw fit to include parts of the amazing true story of RAF fighter pilot ace Douglas Bader. He did this by casting a fictional character in this book with a past as a fighter pilot squadron mate of Bader during the Battle of Britain. The Bader story is he had lost both his legs in an aviation accident before the war. He then learned how to fly with prosthetic limbs and became a fighter pilot during the war. He is credited with 22 air victories along the way. Bader is one of the “so few” owed “so much” by “so many” that P.M. Winston Churchill waxed ecstatic about in 1940.
J**T
Good read with historical detail
This is a rather standard plot involving a mercenary fulfilling a rich guy's quest for justice, and it requires some leaps of faith to buy into everything falling into place as it did which is why I deducted a star. However, the descriptions of the history surrounding the events that shaped the character of the mercenary and the reason for the rich guy's goals were wonderful and contributed greatly to my interest in this book, justifying the 4 star rating.
K**R
Thought Provoking and Mesmerizing
I love Frederick Forsyth novels, love losing myself in the inevitable twists and turns, love the exquisitely elegant descriptive language. All of his books follow a pattern: introduction to the basic plot, in depth description of underlying conflicts and characters, then the twists and turns and even surprises that lead to the conclusion. I find myself unable to put the book down as I near the final third. This book was no exception. The steps to the conclusion were brilliant. The final surprise floored me. No scene spoilers. One criticism: the back ground of the in-fighting between the various govern intelligence branches was too wordy and complicated. It was hard to tell the good guys from the bad (or, in this case, the ethical from the unethical) i’m Also conflicted about the “what if), Tracking down one war criminal at the expense of losing another major one. I somehow think this is a question the author wanted to leave us with. Great, great book that continues my love affair with this author
J**.
Forsyth's usual detailed plot with lots of twists
Forsyth's novels always include extensive background information on the main character and several other important cast members. Sometimes this seems like Why Do I Care, but you always find out later. The author is very exacting on background facts, many of which are a bit surprising when they describe places or people you thought you knew about. Ingenious plot, ingenious methods used by the title character, and a great (if somewhat credibility-stretching) conclusion. But when I read an adventure story like this, I enjoy having my credibility stretched.
O**P
Read to the end
Forsyth is one of the few writers who can pack his work with detail and expert research while remaining highly readable and thoroughly believable, without drowning the reader in narrative. Avenger is no exception, down to the final paragraphs. From the streets of New Jersey, to the tunnels of Vietnam, and to the jungles of South America in pursuit of a vicious war criminal, Avenger is absorbing, exciting reading. The "wow" and a laugh in the final sentences are worth every one of the 460+ pages.
P**N
Another Quality Forsyth Product
Forsyth sets two plots in motion against each other ... and you want both to succeed!The book could have used a good editor, as some of the word choices are clearly wrong. Not so wrong that you can't figure out the intended meaning, however. Oh, and "formate" is used for "form" -- formations of soldiers to not "formate".Also the tech description of hacking suffers from -- well, several things: the lapse of time (making techniques then state-of-the-art look primitive now), the tendency to use ordinary words in new meanings (which, if not mastered, produces explanations of goobledygook), and processes hard to describe to those who do not use them.But, that said, the story itself is top drawer!
R**K
Best One Yet
I’m at a point where I can’t get enough of these Forsyth books. Another superb one. Hard to put down. What I, really getting to appreciate mire and more, is that he can pack so much in such a short amount of pages. Definitely recommended, particularly if you’re in to action, action, action. Buy it. You won’t regret it.
M**R
Well-constructed, credible, fascinating
Forsyth excels at creating locales and populating them with believable characters. He weaves together back-stories and relationships, and moves us towards a satisfying denouement. Where some reviewers find undue length, I find exacting and exciting detail. I finished it in one sitting!
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