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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not a "Demille Classic", 17 Aug 2005
I have read a number of Nelson Demille books over the years, but for some unknown reason I hadn't gotten round to reading The General's Daughter. Once I had finished it though, I dearly wished I read it before I read a number of the others as then I would see the gradual improvement in Nelson Demille's writing over the years.By any other standards The General's Daughter is a good book, if not a really good book. The problem is I don't compare it to "other" books, I compare it to other Demille's and against them it does look a little patchy. The novel is set against the backdrop of Fort Hadley in Georgia. A small to medium size US army base that is the home of General 'Fighting Joe' Campbell and his daughter, Captain Ann Campbell. Both are US Army treasures with big and bright futures ahead of them, but this situation is torn apart when Ann Campbell is found brutally raped and murdered. Warrant Office Paul Brenner happens to be on site investigation arms fraud, and Warrant Office Cynthia Sunhill also happens to be in the right place at the right time. These are the stories two central characters and are charged with investigating the crime committed against Ann Campbell. This is where I feel the story doesn't hold up so well under the microscope. Demille is skilled in not writing "stories by numbers" much in the style of Dan Brown, but his characters really are starting to drop out of an identikit which doesn't have many variables. Now The General's Daughter is one of the earlier books from Demille so you must understand that I have read it in the context of seeing similar characters (John Corey) in later books, but to me the similarities really are too clear and do detract from my enjoyment of the book. Overall this is a decent read; there are no sensational twists, which make it all the more believable. It's a steady book, but not spectacular. It's a strong recommend to Demille fans, if only to see the similarities with other books. For the reader new to Demille, it is an excellent example of his work, but there really are much better out there.
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by Nelson DeMille
by Nelson DeMille
by Nelson DeMille
by Nelson DeMille
by Nelson DeMille
