- Hardcover: 352 pages
- Publisher: HarperCollins; 1st ed 1st printg edition (1 May 1998)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0002253194
- ISBN-13: 978-0002253192
- Product Dimensions: 23.9 x 16 x 3.3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 732,353 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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More About the Author
Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Former MP and prospective Mayor of London Jeffrey Archer's latest offering is an ambitious international thriller of expansive scope, a tale of espionage, intrigue and suspense at the very highest echelons of power. Archer wastes no time diving into his rollercoaster of a plot; we are introduced to our hero, Connor Fitzgerald, "the CIA's most deadly weapon", as he completes his mission--to assassinate a presidential candidate in Colombia. The far-reaching consequences of his act are not immediately apparent as he makes his way back to a loving wife and daughter and his life of "normality"--as far as they are concerned he is an insurance specialist--but in his inimitable style, Archer drives the plot along at speed, never lingering for longer than necessary as we are introduced to a succession of characters of great stature, ranging from the President of the United States to his headstrong CIA director and a new, extremist president in Russia. As the plot develops, Connor becomes ensnared in a political intrigue which will see him have to draw on all his wits and resourcefulness as he struggles for self-preservation and the safety of the free world as we know it.
One might assume that, given Archer's proximity to genuine political power for much of his life, he would be in a position to bring a greater realism to his story of high-stakes political manoeuvring than other authors without his experience. He certainly encourages this belief on his page of acknowledgements, which includes a former director of the CIA and FBI and a U.S. National Security Advisor. However, readers anticipating evidence of any great insight into this world should prepare to be disappointed--this is not where the strength of the book lies, although there are some nice touches, and a certain suspension of disbelief is necessary to get the best out of it. Mind you, one doesn't doubt that Archer's eleventh commandment, "Thou shalt not be caught", is a maxim many politicians and power-brokers, himself included, have lived their lives by. Where he does succeed, though, is in story-telling, with a relentless plot and the creation of a sympathetic, if barely plausible, central character capable of drawing readers in and carrying them, thrill-a-minute, to a dramatic, surprising and ultimately satisfying conclusion. --Alisdair Bowles
Review
‘A storyteller in the class of Alexandre Dumas’
Washington Post
‘Archer has a gift for plot that can only be described as genius’
Daily Telegraph
‘The man’s a genius’
Fay Weldon, Evening Standard
‘Few are more famous than Archer for keeping the pages turning’
Peter Stothard, The Times
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
The first Archer novel I've read and if this isn't the best then I'll be reading more. Maybe it's because I don't read this type of novel often that I enjoyed it even more. A real page turner. The plot is constantly moving. Archer doesn't bore you with lengthy descriptive pararagraphs, but keeps his writing simple and effective.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I started late in the evening and stayed up all night. I could not put it down! Connor Fitzgerald is a great character in a great story. Archer keeps coming back with one great book after another. I can't wait for the next one.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I HAVE NEVER CRIED BEFORE READING A BOOK UNTIL NOW.ARCHER WILLNOT LET YOU PUT THE BOOK DOWN (HE MUST HAVE SHARES WITH SOUTHERN ELECRIC BECAUSE YOU WILL READ THRU THE NIGHT). YOU CANNOT HELP BUT LIKE CONNOR FITZGERALD AND THE STORY GRIPS YOU TILL THE END BUT YOU SHOULD KEEP THE KLEENEX HANDY READ THE BOOK AND YOU WILL KNOW WHY.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
The book started of boring but got better as you read more.
The 11th commandment was boring at the start and didn't inspire me to read any more. I was just about to stop reading when it started to get exciting (half way through the book. Read more
Published on 12 Oct 1999
I strongly advise you never to read this book.
I fear that my fellow reviewer has mistakenly picked up a different book with a similiar cover. I have never read a book so filled with ridiculously lurid prose, clunky... Read more
Published on 19 Nov 1998
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