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Sean Dillon #7
Мишена — Белият дом
В Министерството на отбраната в Лондон Фъргюсън тъкмо затвори червения секретен телефон и натисна бутона на интеркома.
След миг в кабинета влязоха Дилън и Хана Бърнстейн.
— Говорих с Блейк Джонсън. Ще бъде в хотел „Европа“ вдругиден и ще се регистрира под името Томи Макгуайър. Вие ще заминете при него.
— С какви подкрепления ще разполагаме, сър?
— Вие сте подкрепленията, главен инспектор. Не искам да намесвам ирландската полиция, нито пък военното разузнаване от Лисбърн. Там дори чистачките са националистки. Новините се разнасят светкавично. Вие, Дилън и Блейк Джонсън ще трябва да се справите сами. Необходими са ви само белезници.
— Можете да смятате задачата за изпълнена, господин генерал.
— Гарантираш ли?
— Сигурна работа, както че ковчегът има капак.
Някой избива членовете на група, подвизаваща се под названието „Синовете на Ерин“. Министър-председателят на Великобритания има сериозно основание за безпокойство — престъпленията могат да доведат до падането на правителствата в САЩ и в родината му. Единственият, който може да спре неизвестния убиец, е Шон Дилън — някогашен терорист, който сега работи за премиера.
Но може би е прекалено късно.
Защото в Манхатън една жена вече е започнала да отмъщава.
След миг в кабинета влязоха Дилън и Хана Бърнстейн.
— Говорих с Блейк Джонсън. Ще бъде в хотел „Европа“ вдругиден и ще се регистрира под името Томи Макгуайър. Вие ще заминете при него.
— С какви подкрепления ще разполагаме, сър?
— Вие сте подкрепленията, главен инспектор. Не искам да намесвам ирландската полиция, нито пък военното разузнаване от Лисбърн. Там дори чистачките са националистки. Новините се разнасят светкавично. Вие, Дилън и Блейк Джонсън ще трябва да се справите сами. Необходими са ви само белезници.
— Можете да смятате задачата за изпълнена, господин генерал.
— Гарантираш ли?
— Сигурна работа, както че ковчегът има капак.
Някой избива членовете на група, подвизаваща се под названието „Синовете на Ерин“. Министър-председателят на Великобритания има сериозно основание за безпокойство — престъпленията могат да доведат до падането на правителствата в САЩ и в родината му. Единственият, който може да спре неизвестния убиец, е Шон Дилън — някогашен терорист, който сега работи за премиера.
Но може би е прекалено късно.
Защото в Манхатън една жена вече е започнала да отмъщава.
318 pages, Paperback
First published December 31, 1998
208 people are currently reading
1087 people want to read
About the author
Jack Higgins
484 books1,280 followersThere is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Jack Higgins was best known of the many pseudonyms of Henry Patterson. (See also Martin Fallon, Harry Patterson, Hugh Marlowe and James Graham.)
He was the New York Times bestselling author of more than seventy thrillers, including The Eagle Has Landed and The Wolf at the Door. His books have sold more than 250 million copies worldwide.
Born in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, Patterson grew up in Belfast, Northern Ireland. As a child, Patterson was a voracious reader and later credited his passion for reading with fueling his creative drive to be an author. His upbringing in Belfast also exposed him to the political and religious violence that characterized the city at the time. At seven years old, Patterson was caught in gunfire while riding a tram, and later was in a Belfast movie theater when it was bombed. Though he escaped from both attacks unharmed, the turmoil in Northern Ireland would later become a significant influence in his books, many of which prominently feature the Irish Republican Army. After attending grammar school and college in Leeds, England, Patterson joined the British Army and served two years in the Household Cavalry, from 1947 to 1949, stationed along the East German border. He was considered an expert sharpshooter.
Following his military service, Patterson earned a degree in sociology from the London School of Economics, which led to teaching jobs at two English colleges. In 1959, while teaching at James Graham College, Patterson began writing novels, including some under the alias James Graham. As his popularity grew, Patterson left teaching to write full time. With the 1975 publication of the international blockbuster The Eagle Has Landed, which was later made into a movie of the same name starring Michael Caine, Patterson became a regular fixture on bestseller lists. His books draw heavily from history and include prominent figures—such as John Dillinger—and often center around significant events from such conflicts as World War II, the Korean War, and the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Patterson lived in Jersey, in the Channel Islands.
Jack Higgins was best known of the many pseudonyms of Henry Patterson. (See also Martin Fallon, Harry Patterson, Hugh Marlowe and James Graham.)
He was the New York Times bestselling author of more than seventy thrillers, including The Eagle Has Landed and The Wolf at the Door. His books have sold more than 250 million copies worldwide.
Born in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, Patterson grew up in Belfast, Northern Ireland. As a child, Patterson was a voracious reader and later credited his passion for reading with fueling his creative drive to be an author. His upbringing in Belfast also exposed him to the political and religious violence that characterized the city at the time. At seven years old, Patterson was caught in gunfire while riding a tram, and later was in a Belfast movie theater when it was bombed. Though he escaped from both attacks unharmed, the turmoil in Northern Ireland would later become a significant influence in his books, many of which prominently feature the Irish Republican Army. After attending grammar school and college in Leeds, England, Patterson joined the British Army and served two years in the Household Cavalry, from 1947 to 1949, stationed along the East German border. He was considered an expert sharpshooter.
Following his military service, Patterson earned a degree in sociology from the London School of Economics, which led to teaching jobs at two English colleges. In 1959, while teaching at James Graham College, Patterson began writing novels, including some under the alias James Graham. As his popularity grew, Patterson left teaching to write full time. With the 1975 publication of the international blockbuster The Eagle Has Landed, which was later made into a movie of the same name starring Michael Caine, Patterson became a regular fixture on bestseller lists. His books draw heavily from history and include prominent figures—such as John Dillinger—and often center around significant events from such conflicts as World War II, the Korean War, and the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Patterson lived in Jersey, in the Channel Islands.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews
January 26, 2018
Unfortunately, this story has little to do with Sean Dillon directly compared to other stories. 4 of 10 stars
April 3, 2022
I'm not sure why I cannot just LOVE Jack Higgins.
I mean, the story engaged me, it was an exciting read forcing me to turn the page and find out what's next, and bla bla bla. It had all that!
But the granny assassin was just ... I don't know.
Nowhere near the worst story I've read but miles from the best.
I just don't know.
I mean, the story engaged me, it was an exciting read forcing me to turn the page and find out what's next, and bla bla bla. It had all that!
But the granny assassin was just ... I don't know.
Nowhere near the worst story I've read but miles from the best.
I just don't know.
August 25, 2022
Excellent start and gripping finish but I got a bit lost in the middle but it was still worth a read
September 1, 2009
Simple story, simple plot, just enough murder and mayhem to make it a satisfying read.
January 7, 2025
Liked the book vintage Higgins in his earlier writing days. Lots of action, and adventure written in the story.
August 5, 2016
Should we be held accountable for the faults, mistakes, sins, and aggressions of our fathers?
Baron Max von Berger, aid to Adolph Hitler during the final months of the Third Reich, is given a task, a heavy burden, and a golden opportunity when he is ordered to flee Berlin hours before its collapse, fly to the west and the American forces and surrender. He has with him the only copy of Hitler’s diary and he is to keep it hidden until such time it can be used against the powers that implemented Germany’s destruction. He is also given Swiss bank account numbers, providing him with almost unlimited funds to rebuild an empire. That is exactly what he did…..
Sean Dillon is a jack of all trades when it comes to intelligence, counterintelligence terrorism, assignations, and liquidations, and has played on many different teams in his career. The one time Northern Irish activist to a valued member of British Intelligence, Jack has seen and done it all. He is ordered to recover the diary and ensure that its contents remain secret as they may, even today fifty-five years after they were written, cause global upheaval.
This is the first Jack Higgins book I’ve read published in the Twenty-first Century. The form remains the same, as does the reading appeal, but I do have a problem…. What do you do when you like ALL of the characters? I found myself rooting for both sides, in total consternation as to who were the good guys and who were the bad. Halfway through the book, I picked a side and rode the story out to its end. I really enjoyed this book and feel sure many other readers will agree.
Baron Max von Berger, aid to Adolph Hitler during the final months of the Third Reich, is given a task, a heavy burden, and a golden opportunity when he is ordered to flee Berlin hours before its collapse, fly to the west and the American forces and surrender. He has with him the only copy of Hitler’s diary and he is to keep it hidden until such time it can be used against the powers that implemented Germany’s destruction. He is also given Swiss bank account numbers, providing him with almost unlimited funds to rebuild an empire. That is exactly what he did…..
Sean Dillon is a jack of all trades when it comes to intelligence, counterintelligence terrorism, assignations, and liquidations, and has played on many different teams in his career. The one time Northern Irish activist to a valued member of British Intelligence, Jack has seen and done it all. He is ordered to recover the diary and ensure that its contents remain secret as they may, even today fifty-five years after they were written, cause global upheaval.
This is the first Jack Higgins book I’ve read published in the Twenty-first Century. The form remains the same, as does the reading appeal, but I do have a problem…. What do you do when you like ALL of the characters? I found myself rooting for both sides, in total consternation as to who were the good guys and who were the bad. Halfway through the book, I picked a side and rode the story out to its end. I really enjoyed this book and feel sure many other readers will agree.
March 20, 2025
March 2025. A fast read, engaging. Up to 5 stars!!!!!
September 2023. What I wrote 5 years ago seems spot on today!!!
May 2018 This may be Sean Dillion #7 but this is Jack Higgins #1 for me. I Googled "authors like Stuart Woods" and got a list of 6 or so names. Some I had read. Some were not in the Woods style and, so far, Jack Higgins will, I'm confident, fill my Woods void. Both are quick reads and entertaining. Both have definite "good guys" and "bad guys". I'm currently listening to a Sean Dillon on tape in the car and he is, apparently, a linguistic savant. I have mini9mal jealousy and/or envy in y life but the trait of a linguistic savant is something that I can't be and I'd love to have that ability. I do like characters on "both sides of the pond", each with their own head of state "armies". I look forward to many years of Jack Higgins 33 books. Lady Helen was surprisingly likable.
September 2023. What I wrote 5 years ago seems spot on today!!!
May 2018 This may be Sean Dillion #7 but this is Jack Higgins #1 for me. I Googled "authors like Stuart Woods" and got a list of 6 or so names. Some I had read. Some were not in the Woods style and, so far, Jack Higgins will, I'm confident, fill my Woods void. Both are quick reads and entertaining. Both have definite "good guys" and "bad guys". I'm currently listening to a Sean Dillon on tape in the car and he is, apparently, a linguistic savant. I have mini9mal jealousy and/or envy in y life but the trait of a linguistic savant is something that I can't be and I'd love to have that ability. I do like characters on "both sides of the pond", each with their own head of state "armies". I look forward to many years of Jack Higgins 33 books. Lady Helen was surprisingly likable.
August 9, 2010
It was a quick and enjoyable read. I believe I will have to search out more of the Jack Higgins books, because from what I gleened from this tale there are more tales with the same characters, how joyful! Love Sean Dillon, and Blake is great too.
January 9, 2011
This was the second Jack Higgins novel I read. This one included another character, Blake Johnson who works for the US President whereas Sean Dillon is an operative for the PM. I enjoy the books, lots of intrique and espionge. The language is tame (only a little and in character) and no sex.
April 24, 2012
The Irish peace process is at risk in this straight-forward thriller. The American President and the English Prime Minister have to stop someone who's been gunning down the Sons of Erin, a terrorist group famous for gunning down others. Yet again, Sean Dillon, that nine-lived devil, does his thing.
July 22, 2010
Another fun book from Jack Higgins. Dillon is taking care of business as usual with his quick wit and fast guns. London black ops working with US black ops in the great Higgins style.
June 15, 2013
It was good. But expected more out of it.
June 29, 2013
not the greatest book I have read of jack Higgins....got better towards the end.... story not as good as usual... disappointed for once by the legend jack Higgins and Sean dillon
May 16, 2019
A masterful imagination rewriting history
In Eye of the Storm, British thriller writer Jack Higgins reimagines the story behind the mortar attack on 10 Downing Street that took place in 1991 shortly after John Major succeeded Margaret Thatcher as Prime Minister. The attack took place during the early days of the First Gulf War, when Baghdad was under attack from the air and a land invasion was imminently expected. The Provisional IRA engineered the attack, which mirrored its tactics in Northern Ireland. Instead, Higgins puts the blame on a former Provisional IRA hit man named Sean Dillon working as a mercenary for the KGB and its client, Saddam Hussein.
Saddam Hussein gets the blame
Eye of the Storm reflects the historical record in many respects, including the details of the attack. The fanciful hinge on which the story turns is the role of Saddam Hussein, who appears as a minor character in the novel. The hardened mercenary Sean Dillon takes the honors at the center of the plot. Two other favorite characters from Higgins’ stable round out the cast: Martin Brosnan and even the now aging Liam Devlin, both of them reformed ex-IRA terrorists now reincarnated as university professors. The three-way relationship among Dillon, Brosnan, and Devlin is at the heart of the story. All three, and even the many lesser characters in the novel, are brilliantly drawn; their personalities leap off the page. Higgins tells the tale with supreme command of pacing and momentum, building suspense steadily to a crescendo. He makes terrorism credible.
A masterful imagination rewriting history.
British novelist Harry Patterson has written most of his 84 novels under the pseudonym Jack Higgins. Though he began writing in 1959, his breakthrough came only in 1975, with the publication of The Eagle Has Landed, which sold fifty million copies. The book introduced the Irish terrorist Liam Devlin and was followed years later by three additional novels about him. Clearly, Higgins was enamored of Irish terrorists. Following his first appearance in 1979 in The Judas Gate, the younger IRA gunman Sean Dillon was the central character in twenty-one subsequent novels. Eye of the Storm, published in 1992, was the first of those.
In Eye of the Storm, British thriller writer Jack Higgins reimagines the story behind the mortar attack on 10 Downing Street that took place in 1991 shortly after John Major succeeded Margaret Thatcher as Prime Minister. The attack took place during the early days of the First Gulf War, when Baghdad was under attack from the air and a land invasion was imminently expected. The Provisional IRA engineered the attack, which mirrored its tactics in Northern Ireland. Instead, Higgins puts the blame on a former Provisional IRA hit man named Sean Dillon working as a mercenary for the KGB and its client, Saddam Hussein.
Saddam Hussein gets the blame
Eye of the Storm reflects the historical record in many respects, including the details of the attack. The fanciful hinge on which the story turns is the role of Saddam Hussein, who appears as a minor character in the novel. The hardened mercenary Sean Dillon takes the honors at the center of the plot. Two other favorite characters from Higgins’ stable round out the cast: Martin Brosnan and even the now aging Liam Devlin, both of them reformed ex-IRA terrorists now reincarnated as university professors. The three-way relationship among Dillon, Brosnan, and Devlin is at the heart of the story. All three, and even the many lesser characters in the novel, are brilliantly drawn; their personalities leap off the page. Higgins tells the tale with supreme command of pacing and momentum, building suspense steadily to a crescendo. He makes terrorism credible.
A masterful imagination rewriting history.
British novelist Harry Patterson has written most of his 84 novels under the pseudonym Jack Higgins. Though he began writing in 1959, his breakthrough came only in 1975, with the publication of The Eagle Has Landed, which sold fifty million copies. The book introduced the Irish terrorist Liam Devlin and was followed years later by three additional novels about him. Clearly, Higgins was enamored of Irish terrorists. Following his first appearance in 1979 in The Judas Gate, the younger IRA gunman Sean Dillon was the central character in twenty-one subsequent novels. Eye of the Storm, published in 1992, was the first of those.
January 7, 2024
Bir kız, Amerika'da bir sokakta tecavüze uğrayacakken yaşlı bir kadın iki serseriyi öldürerek hayatını kurtarır. Bu kadın Helen Lang'dır ve oraya aslında Senatör Cohan'ı öldürmeye gitmiştir. Yardımcısı Hedley Jackson ile olay yerinden uzaklaşır. Erinin oğulları adlı örgütün elemanlarını öldürecekti. Bunların arasında Frank Barry'nin yeğeni olan Jack Barrynde vardır. Oğlu Peter Lang, IRA içine sızarken Jack'in eline düşmüş ve türlü işkenceler sonrası çimento makinasında öldürülmüştür. Bunu 3 sene sonra öğrenen Helen, kalbinden rahatsız olmasına rağmen bu işe girişir. Gangsterlerden biri ile görüşmeye giden Sean Dillon ölecekken bu kadın onu öldürür. Bir anlığına görür ama kim olduğunu bilemez. Beyaz Saray'da Jack'in bir bağlantısı vardır. Henry Thornton ve Blake Johnson başkan Jake Cazalet'e bilgi verip bunu araştırmaya başlar. Ferguson ve Hannah da senatör Cohan'a Londra'ya geldiğinde dikkatli olmasını söyler ama onu dinlemez. Aslında Jack onu öldürmeye gelmiştir ama Dillon ile çatışıncs kaçar. Helen de Cohan'ı odasına girer ve çıkan tartışmada balkondan düşüp ölür. Bu esrarengiz kadını bulamazlar. Thornton bulur ve Jack'e bilgi verir. Beyaz saray bağlantısı Thornton'dur çünkü yıllar önce sevdiği kadın İngiliz askerleri tarafından öldürülmüştür. Helen Amerika'ya uçar ve başkanla görüşür. Bu arada Blake Synıd adlı dinleme sistemi ile bağlantını kim olduğunu bulur. Sean da oradadır. Çıkan Çatışmada Helen, Thornton'u öldürür ve Hedley sayesinde oradan kaçarak İngiltere'ye yola çıkar. Bu arada Jack ile konuşup onu evine davet etmiştir. Jack de adamlarını toplar ve yola çıkar. Sean ve Blake de dönüş yolundadır. Paraşütle inip ona yardım edeceklerdir. Çıkan çatışmada Jack hariç tüm ekibi ölür ve Jack de kaçar. Ama Sean peşimi bırakmayacaktır. Hannahnile bir uçağa binip yola çıkar. Acaba bundan sonra neler olacaktır? Sean Jack'in bulabilecek midir? Helen'in intikamını almasına yardım edebilecek midir? Keyifle soluksuz okunan bir roman.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 12, 2020
Ever wake up in the morning, go to the fridge and decide you're going to fry some eggs, because why not ? You like eggs at breakfast and you've had them many times before. But then you forget to add salt or peppers to you're fried eggs, and you end up with totally tasteless breakfast - but you have paid money for it, you have invested time in it and you still kind of want to finish you're breakfast so you just stomach it. There's the yolk that's just fine as is, but overall you just want it to be over but you don't want to cave in. You finish your breakfast, those tasteless and boring eggs, while wondering about your workday and how you are already fantasizing about the next meal that will finally remove that aftertaste from your moth ?
Well, to put it bluntly this book was exactly that. I mean the synopsis and teaser on cover is quit great. It got me exited about action packed thrilled and some mystery thrown in it. What I got was all the mystery ruined in the first 20 pages, completely bland and repetitive dialogue and totally anti-climatic everything. Boring characters without any development whatsoever. Constantly jumping from place to place and from character to character. At times a key event happens in two lines while some boring babble is happening between two faceless characters over 3 pages.
Not to be completely harsh - I did enjoy the concept of the story, but many of it's aspects just horribly misclicked for me. And no, it wasn't because I "couldnt follow the action". But it completely took me out of it emotionally. No connection or remorse for events or characters.
Well, to put it bluntly this book was exactly that. I mean the synopsis and teaser on cover is quit great. It got me exited about action packed thrilled and some mystery thrown in it. What I got was all the mystery ruined in the first 20 pages, completely bland and repetitive dialogue and totally anti-climatic everything. Boring characters without any development whatsoever. Constantly jumping from place to place and from character to character. At times a key event happens in two lines while some boring babble is happening between two faceless characters over 3 pages.
Not to be completely harsh - I did enjoy the concept of the story, but many of it's aspects just horribly misclicked for me. And no, it wasn't because I "couldnt follow the action". But it completely took me out of it emotionally. No connection or remorse for events or characters.
May 6, 2024
Jack Higgins' literary advertisement for Bushmills Irish whiskey and champagne in general. Perhaps it wasn't intentional, perhaps it was so called product placement.
Just a note.
I read a Ken Follett novel quite recently and it was very much like this even though the story was completely different. Both were a bit old-fashioned tales about brave men serving their countries no matter what. Sometimes on the right side of the law sometimes not. But always for a good cause and with a certain chivalry. The genre of Alistair MacLean, Desmond Bagley and others.
The novel was well written and pretty entertaining although in some points it went a bit over the line and appeared slightly childish. But as said this is pure entertainment and one should not think about it too carefully.
Tough good guys drank Bushmills and bad ones Paddy which is not as sophisticated I presume. There should be some difference between classes.
And champagne was drunk by the good ones even when having a quick lunch. Not even James Bond does that as far as I remember.
Almost hilarious detail was that one of the villains had a hideout which was so secret that he hadn't told about it to a single soul. And yet it was revealed by a person who wasn't even his trusted friend or comrade. But how else could it have been found?!
Easy and fluent reading as I said.
I don't think this was written solely for teenagers but I wouldn't directly recommend this for adults unless they can't switch off most criticism when starting to read.
Just let it fly and enjoy the journey.
Valkoinen tappaja
Gummerus 2000
Just a note.
I read a Ken Follett novel quite recently and it was very much like this even though the story was completely different. Both were a bit old-fashioned tales about brave men serving their countries no matter what. Sometimes on the right side of the law sometimes not. But always for a good cause and with a certain chivalry. The genre of Alistair MacLean, Desmond Bagley and others.
The novel was well written and pretty entertaining although in some points it went a bit over the line and appeared slightly childish. But as said this is pure entertainment and one should not think about it too carefully.
Tough good guys drank Bushmills and bad ones Paddy which is not as sophisticated I presume. There should be some difference between classes.
And champagne was drunk by the good ones even when having a quick lunch. Not even James Bond does that as far as I remember.
Almost hilarious detail was that one of the villains had a hideout which was so secret that he hadn't told about it to a single soul. And yet it was revealed by a person who wasn't even his trusted friend or comrade. But how else could it have been found?!
Easy and fluent reading as I said.
I don't think this was written solely for teenagers but I wouldn't directly recommend this for adults unless they can't switch off most criticism when starting to read.
Just let it fly and enjoy the journey.
Valkoinen tappaja
Gummerus 2000
July 13, 2021
As much as anybody, I often react to critics (and sports pundits) by saying, 'If you know so much, why not do it yourself?' Thus, I feel a bit reluctant to be negative about a book, and I am absolutely certain that I could not write a thriller better than this. However, I have to say that I did find this book a bit superficial. It was a bit like a short, low-budget action film. There was lots of action, lots of shooting and the Good Guys were always better shots than the Baddies. There were twists in the plot, but they were generally resolved in a 'With one bound our hero was free' style.
Two of the characters are an aristocratic lady and her chauffeur. In my mind I couldn't really help picturing Lady Penelope and Parker (look them up, young people), even though I was aware that in the book the chauffeur was a large African-American.
The book did make me think a bit about the nature of revenge. I don't want any spoilers, but let's say someone is very upset because a member of their family was tortured and killed. They might want to kill the people responsible. But is it enough just to kill them? Surely you would want to confront them first, to give them even the shortest time to regret their previous actions just before they die? Just killing them is not much of a deterrent. I suppose – and it does happen in this book – that the others responsible do live for some time in fear, pretty sure that their turn will come.
Having said all that, I picked this book up at a bookswap because I wanted some entertainment, and I was duly entertained.
Two of the characters are an aristocratic lady and her chauffeur. In my mind I couldn't really help picturing Lady Penelope and Parker (look them up, young people), even though I was aware that in the book the chauffeur was a large African-American.
The book did make me think a bit about the nature of revenge. I don't want any spoilers, but let's say someone is very upset because a member of their family was tortured and killed. They might want to kill the people responsible. But is it enough just to kill them? Surely you would want to confront them first, to give them even the shortest time to regret their previous actions just before they die? Just killing them is not much of a deterrent. I suppose – and it does happen in this book – that the others responsible do live for some time in fear, pretty sure that their turn will come.
Having said all that, I picked this book up at a bookswap because I wanted some entertainment, and I was duly entertained.
January 12, 2020
I always enjoy Jack Higgins and the Sean Dillon series. I was able to purchase this 20 year old book at the library sale. It was a fun read, moves fast, and it is infused with a lot of rain, and a lot of Irish whiskey and a lot of British tea. It is a good versus evil plot, with one character, Lady Helen Lang, seeking revenge against the evil Sons of Erin. Lady Helen is of bad heart, not long to live, and an opportunity to avenge the death of her son sets her killing in motion. She is a good person, at heart, yet it comes to Dillon and Ferguson, and Blake from the White House, to intervene at the end to stop her from one more killing. Of course, her final target is eventually targeted by a Dillon, and al is well that ends well. The story could be crisper, and Dillon and his cohorts could be smarter, but all in all this is am enjoyable read.
November 7, 2022
Cut-and-paste self-recycle merchant he might have been (plentiful shades of the earlier ‘Angel of Death’ on display here), but Higgins’s plots were usually satisfyingly linear. ‘The White House Connection’ goes round the houses a fair old bit in marshalling a generic set-up to its ostensibly straightforward conclusion. The result is a spinning of the wheels for a hundred pages or so while the characters engage in the kind of unnecessary globe-trotting that even 007 would shake his head at, and bumble through repetitive conversations. The denouement - which had all the ingredients of a spectacular set-piece - is curiously rushed. Dillon-by-numbers; here’s hoping the next instalment gets back to basics.
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August 21, 2025The fifty-seventh #jackhiggins #martinfallon #hughmarlowe #harrypatterson #henrypatterson #jamesgraham novel #thewhitehouseconnection published in 1999. The seventh #seandillon novel. A fairly typical opening for Higgins, rain soaked streets, an assassin waiting for their target, an innocent woman being assaulted and the assassin intervening to rescue her. Only this time the assassin is an elderly woman on a revenge quest. This book features The first appearance of former bomb disposal expert, heavily scarred, wheelchair bound, computer wizard Roper who will later become a regular/recurring member of the team. I had remembered this one as a slightly weaker entry in the series, but upon re-reading I was pleasantly surprised that it was just as entertaining as the last few Dillon novels.
January 19, 2022
I had high expectations for this but it was an extremely disappointing read. I still don't understand why I even bothered to finish reading it. The plot is absurdly predictable and full of cliche devices. The characters' dialogue is so stiff and awkward, it feels like the author never heard two people conversate before. I was only able to finish the book because I skimmed large sections of dialogue. Descriptions in the book are often confusing and the author acts like only way to set a scene is with cigarettes and alcohol. I've never been so relieved to be done with a book. If you haven't read this one yet, don't waste your time.
January 27, 2023
There is a reason Jack Higgins has sold more than a quarter million books worldwide. His novels are full of action and excitement and maintain interest and tension throughout. The White House Connection is no exception. I love the idea of the granny assassin. In this page-turner, it is either raining on every other page or someone is drinking scotch, preferably Bushmills.
I took exception at the name of Lady Helen's chauffeur, Hedley. The name sounds like it belongs more to an English manservant than to the black Vietnam vet that he was. I also found it odd that English government officials and nobility all drive German cars rather than those made in Great Britain.
I took exception at the name of Lady Helen's chauffeur, Hedley. The name sounds like it belongs more to an English manservant than to the black Vietnam vet that he was. I also found it odd that English government officials and nobility all drive German cars rather than those made in Great Britain.
October 19, 2018
I borrowed this book so hadn't read others in the series. I kind of had to force myself through it - besides Dillon and another main character, it was hard to keep the other minor characters (American government & Brits) organized in my head. I actually wasn't always sure who were the 'good guys' and who were the 'bad guys'... and not in a suspenseful way, just created confusion. Perhaps if I started at the beginning of the series, I would have had more luck. Didn't excite me too much. I liked Lady Helen, but nothing was a WOW for me.
April 2, 2020
I have been a fan of Jack Higgins for many, many years and especially like the Sean Dillon series.
One by one, members of the secret IRA splinter group known as the Sons of Erin are being murdered. The consequences are that in these actions lies the destruction of two governments --- and the fall of the Irish peace process. Former IRA terrorists Sean Dillon and U.S. presidential aide Blake Johnson have been recruited to stop this unknown assassin whose motive --- and identity --- is unbelievable. But they are already too late.
One by one, members of the secret IRA splinter group known as the Sons of Erin are being murdered. The consequences are that in these actions lies the destruction of two governments --- and the fall of the Irish peace process. Former IRA terrorists Sean Dillon and U.S. presidential aide Blake Johnson have been recruited to stop this unknown assassin whose motive --- and identity --- is unbelievable. But they are already too late.
March 9, 2022
This is the first book I've read of the Sean Dillon series but it probably won't be the last as I really enjoyed this one.
The writing was good, the pace of the story and the scenes too, it didn't bore me but rather kept me entertained, wanting to read more so as a whole it was a really nice book. (Lady Helen was my favorite character :D)
I really like that you can also read the books in the series as standalone even though there is a connection in between.
The writing was good, the pace of the story and the scenes too, it didn't bore me but rather kept me entertained, wanting to read more so as a whole it was a really nice book. (Lady Helen was my favorite character :D)
I really like that you can also read the books in the series as standalone even though there is a connection in between.
February 25, 2021
A simple story, with good action. Dillon, Ferguson and Hannah does not have much role to play here, they were just another set of characters. The book could have been easily written without being a part of the series. While there is not much suspense and thrill in it but still the book keeps you engaged.
April 21, 2022
Τι βιβλίο ήταν αυτο; Τα έχει όλα και συμφέρει. Δεν υπάρχει μια κατηγορία στην οποία μπορείς να το βάλεις αυτό το βιβλίο γιατί είναι λίγο από όλα. Λίγο πολιτικό θρίλερ, λίγο αστυνομικο, λίγο κοινωνικό. Πολυ ωραία γραφή, απλή, κυλάει γρήγορα, με συντομους διαλόγους, εξηγήσεις εκεί που πρέπει, ωραίο σκηνικό, ωραίοι χαρακτήρες. Οι Ιρλανδός έχουν ταλέντο και λένε ωραίες ιστορίες. Χωρίς υπερβολές.
June 1, 2022
Sean Dillon and the team have to find who is killing members of the US based Sons of Erin.
The story will take you back and forward between the USA and the UK. Lady Helen will continue to hunt the members until she has killed them all. There is a problem with someone in the White House passing on valuable information to the Sons of Erin.
The story line is good and easy to read.
The story will take you back and forward between the USA and the UK. Lady Helen will continue to hunt the members until she has killed them all. There is a problem with someone in the White House passing on valuable information to the Sons of Erin.
The story line is good and easy to read.
October 5, 2024
Another Sean Dillon adventure. A mysterious assassin is executing members of the Sons of Erin, an IRA supporting group. Turns out the culprit is a grieving mother, whose ultimate target is the feared Irish bandit Jack Barry. Dillon and friends unwind the mystery, and the novel heads to an ultimate confrontation. You can ponder the outcome.
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