The Lion [Hardcover]

It may have been all the hype, the long period waiting for Nelson to write and then publish his book "The Lion" or it may simply be that Nelson has run his course. Up to now, I have enjoyed each and every one of his books as has everyone with whom I have shared them with.

One previous reviewer reckons that Nelson chickened out on some of his plot lines thus creating confusion within the story. No doubt that contributed to it. All I can say is that I am disappointed with The Lion as I believe it has fallen short of the usual high standard of storylines, featured in Nelson's other books, together with the dynamic interplay of characters that keep you entralled and stop you putting down the book because you have this need to finish it.

DeMille isn't daft - he knows what he is doing, even if the hero of The Lion, John Corey, a maverick retired NYPD officer now part of an Anti-terrorist Task Force who does things his own way - the hard way, of course - does comes across as bit of a macho jerk. Constantly quipping in the face of danger, making sarcastic remarks at every opportunity, usually directed against women and Muslims (or basically anyone who isn't as all-American and as heroic as John Corey), DeMille knows that this is what a large proportion of his readership want. Nothing too complex, no "questions of moral equivalencies" - there are simply good guys and bad guys. The good guys are our own, the bad guys those evil foreign types who can't be trusted since they don't embrace the American way.

Just in case you still aren't sure where he stands, since Corey plays hard and fast with the rule book ("...skip the trial, pass jail, and go directly to the morgue") - he'll tell you in no uncertain terms. He's stoked up with "a patriotic buzz going, especially after 9/11" and the "Abduls" from "Sandland" are going to get what they deserve. It's not too difficult either to get where Corey's arch-nemesis Asad Khalil, also known as The Lion, is coming from. A Libyan Muslim terrorist, sponsored by Al Quaeda, Khalil has returned to American soil on unfinished business - a jihad to kill anyone involved in the US bombing of Tripoli that killed his entire family. Having failed in their last encounter, he's got Corey in his sights, after he settles a few other scores, and he's pretty ruthless in the grim manner in which he exacts his vengeance.

DeMille clearly isn't daft, and the plotting isn't stupid either. It's a classic battle of wits between good and evil, a revenge grudge match between super-hero and master-villain, in the most thrilling and dramatic encounters (the first attack on Corey takes place in the middle of a sky-diving exercise). It's often ridiculous, but you know that, and the author doesn't insult your intelligence by trying to make it too realistic, but he also doesn't make everything too easy or let overly-convenient twists introduce plot-holes. The Lion is consistent and thrilling within its own universe, within the world that the reader wants to believe, one where the security forces and counter-terrorism units are on top of things.

To be fair, DeMille does make some token attempt to try to reveal the mindset of the Islamic terrorist, switching in alternate sections between Corey's and Khalil's viewpoints, but one suspects that this is only really to demonise the terrorist further and heighten the sense of tension that is building towards a final confrontation between the two rivals. Regardless of whether you like what he does, since the novel clearly sets out to appeal to a patriotic militant right-wing mindset, and whether you consequently find Corey agreeable or not, that's smart writing.

While all the elements are in place however, DeMille rather disappoints in the execution. The pacing is curious, starting off all-action before settling down to a more measured cat-and-mouse chase. Even there, the alternate section structure falters, leaving rather too much time for Corey to sit around cracking bad jokes and being all macho as he sets himself up as live bait for the Lion. After all the build-up, the inevitable showdown also proves to be disappointing - it's unconvincingly and predictably staged and over much too quickly. The Lion does what it does reasonably well, but the offensive tone - deliberate and tongue-in-cheek though it may be - may well put many readers off, particularly as the pay-off this time just isn't good enough.

I haven't read any of Nelson's work before so I wasn't sure what I was letting myself in for. As a fan of Jack Reacher and other top thriller characters I instantly stuck up a "friendship" with John Corey who I liked his no nonsense attitude and the fact that he fitted well into the world of Nelson's creation.

I also like the darker side of the coin, The Lion, as you were never sure what you were going to get. This title is well written, the characters balance each other out and the pace is literally that of a Rollercoaster as you hang on for dear life wondering what will happen next. Add to this cracking prose and a tale that doesn't let up from the moment it starts which leaves you grasping for a suitable break area so you can get some sleep. Finally add to this one incredibly late night (or early morning in my case) and I was more than willing to take another stroll with Nelson in the future. Definitely a Thriller I'm recommending and one that I'm passing on to the fussiest of Thriller readers, my grandfather.