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Sean Dillon #16
A Darker Place
The New York Times– bestselling author and “dean of intrigue novelists” returns with a remarkable novel of espionage and revenge.
A famous Russian writer and ex-paratrooper named Alexander Kurbsky is fed up with the Putin government and decides he wants to “disappear” into the West. He is under no illusions, however, about how the news will be greeted at home, having seen too many of his countrymen die mysteriously at the hands of the thuggish Russian security services, so he makes elaborate plans with Charles Ferguson, Sean Dillon, and the rest of the group known informally as the “Prime Minister’s private army” for his escape and concealment.
It’s a real coup for the West except for one thing: Kurbsky is still working for the Russians. The plan is to infiltrate British and American intelligence at the highest levels, and he has his own motivations for doing the most effective job possible. He does not care what he has to do or where he has to go . . . or who he has to kill.
Filled with suspense, driven by characters of complexity and passion, A Darker Place once again proves that, in the words of the Associated Press, “When it comes to thriller writers, one name stands well above the crowd—Jack Higgins.”
337 pages, Hardcover
First published January 27, 2009
122 people are currently reading
969 people want to read
About the author
Jack Higgins
483 books1,281 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 127 reviews
April 22, 2017
Jack Higgins’ novel, A Darker Place, is a workmanlike effort by a best-selling author that is likely to please his fans and those who have fallen in love with Action-Adventure yarns. If this was a first work by a new author, I would be much more charitable, but there are problems here for the more critical reader.
Things I liked: There is a lot to like. The writing is excellent, by a man who is a pro at his craft. The overall plot is plausible. There is no arcane secret that threatens the final apocalypse; no madman who plots throwing the earth from its orbit to a final Gotterdammerung. It is a story of terrorists, dirty wars, and warriors who are scarred in body and mind. The main protagonist, Alexander Kurbsky, is a believable anti-hero, and most of the other supporting cast seem like real people, with motives that seem credible and consistent, with notable exceptions. The editing is good, as you would expect from a major publisher.
Things I did not like: There were some puzzling slips in the plot line that defied all reason. The beginning comes to mind. It starts off slowly. Very slowly. I almost quit before Chapter Four. But a more serious problem was a major scene on which the entire plot turned. (This may be a bit of a spoiler!) In a flash-back, Kurbsky is serving as a Russian paratrooper in dirty little war in Chechnya, who is assigned to assassinate General Chelek, the leader of the Chechen guerillas. He is led into a trap and his paratroopers come face-to-face with Chechen troops with machine guns. The action then freezes and Chelek walks boldly out and demands the surrender of Kurbsky and his men. Despite the certainty that their capture would result in their slow death by torture, Kurbsky meekly surrenders. His men tamely acquiesce, also. This exact scene, or something like it, is common in films. But it could not possibly happen in real life. There is no way that Chelek could have imagined that Kurbsky and his men would do anything other than fight for their lives, even if the odds were hopeless. Better death in battle than the alternative! The action would never have frozen. If Kurbsky or any of his men had seen Chelek, their target of the operation, they would have tried to kill him, and Chelek would have known that very well. This entire scene is impossible, and yet it is the major turning point in the novel. It is the “darker place.” I must add that the subsequent plot by Luzhkov, the Russian agent, to blow up four world leaders is almost as incredible, but I suppose an author must be given some artistic license.
I am puzzled at the poorly-written Chelek-Kurbsky scene, since it would have been easy to create something similar that would have been very credible and reflect the nature of men at war in desperate situations where capture is not an option. As it is, the book fails the most basic test of all--does it allow the reader to suspend his disbelief? I think Higgins has become a bit sloppy.
For fans who are willing to accept that this novel has serious flaws, it does provide some escapist entertainment. I can’t recommend it otherwise, and suggest that Jack Higgins’ early works would be preferable.
Things I liked: There is a lot to like. The writing is excellent, by a man who is a pro at his craft. The overall plot is plausible. There is no arcane secret that threatens the final apocalypse; no madman who plots throwing the earth from its orbit to a final Gotterdammerung. It is a story of terrorists, dirty wars, and warriors who are scarred in body and mind. The main protagonist, Alexander Kurbsky, is a believable anti-hero, and most of the other supporting cast seem like real people, with motives that seem credible and consistent, with notable exceptions. The editing is good, as you would expect from a major publisher.
Things I did not like: There were some puzzling slips in the plot line that defied all reason. The beginning comes to mind. It starts off slowly. Very slowly. I almost quit before Chapter Four. But a more serious problem was a major scene on which the entire plot turned. (This may be a bit of a spoiler!) In a flash-back, Kurbsky is serving as a Russian paratrooper in dirty little war in Chechnya, who is assigned to assassinate General Chelek, the leader of the Chechen guerillas. He is led into a trap and his paratroopers come face-to-face with Chechen troops with machine guns. The action then freezes and Chelek walks boldly out and demands the surrender of Kurbsky and his men. Despite the certainty that their capture would result in their slow death by torture, Kurbsky meekly surrenders. His men tamely acquiesce, also. This exact scene, or something like it, is common in films. But it could not possibly happen in real life. There is no way that Chelek could have imagined that Kurbsky and his men would do anything other than fight for their lives, even if the odds were hopeless. Better death in battle than the alternative! The action would never have frozen. If Kurbsky or any of his men had seen Chelek, their target of the operation, they would have tried to kill him, and Chelek would have known that very well. This entire scene is impossible, and yet it is the major turning point in the novel. It is the “darker place.” I must add that the subsequent plot by Luzhkov, the Russian agent, to blow up four world leaders is almost as incredible, but I suppose an author must be given some artistic license.
I am puzzled at the poorly-written Chelek-Kurbsky scene, since it would have been easy to create something similar that would have been very credible and reflect the nature of men at war in desperate situations where capture is not an option. As it is, the book fails the most basic test of all--does it allow the reader to suspend his disbelief? I think Higgins has become a bit sloppy.
For fans who are willing to accept that this novel has serious flaws, it does provide some escapist entertainment. I can’t recommend it otherwise, and suggest that Jack Higgins’ early works would be preferable.
June 8, 2022
Six-word Review: Russian hero defects or does he?
This book could easily have been a comic book: cardboard characters, silly plot, lots of bloodshed. I'd forgotten how simple Jack Higgins' books were. Reading this story was like eating an empty-calorie meal. Unbelievable exploits, unremittingly evil people, and unremittingly good people populate the pages that fly by leaving the reader with that empty feeling caused by spending time with a book that a literate teenager could have written.
No more Higgins for me.
This book could easily have been a comic book: cardboard characters, silly plot, lots of bloodshed. I'd forgotten how simple Jack Higgins' books were. Reading this story was like eating an empty-calorie meal. Unbelievable exploits, unremittingly evil people, and unremittingly good people populate the pages that fly by leaving the reader with that empty feeling caused by spending time with a book that a literate teenager could have written.
No more Higgins for me.
April 17, 2009
Once again Higgins uses characters Sean Dillon and gang, but introduces us to Alexander Kurbsky, a noted and award winning Russian author. But he is no longer interested in living in Russia and wants a way out. Dillon and gang discover this and come up with a plan to accomplish his "escape." The only problem is that this is all a ruse. Kurbusky is actually working for the Russians and intent on destroying Dillon and gang.
The book moves along at a pretty good rate. There are a few unexpected plot twists. But the ending left me unfulfilled and leaves it apparent that a character will join Dillon and gang. There is the typical killing and such that Higgins is known for in his books, but it seemed like this book is not half as bad as those in the past.
The book moves along at a pretty good rate. There are a few unexpected plot twists. But the ending left me unfulfilled and leaves it apparent that a character will join Dillon and gang. There is the typical killing and such that Higgins is known for in his books, but it seemed like this book is not half as bad as those in the past.
January 22, 2023
A Darker Place is considered to be a Sean Dillon novel, although he’s barely in the novel and does very little. Taking center stage in the novel is Alexander Kurbsky, a famed Russian novelist who was a former paratrooper in the Soviet and Russian armies. He defects from Russia with the help of Dillon’s team, except it’s all a setup by Vladimir Putin to crack the Prime Minister’s private army.
Even though Dillon is largely irrelevant in the novel, there was a lot to like. Among them are the flow of the narration and ease of the writing style. It was a nice, clean read. Alexander Kurbsky is a compelling character. The plot was strong as the novel took on many twists and turns. Kurbsky is ostensibly the villain but he had enough valor and honor that there was always doubt when reading it that he would stay the villain, and ultimately the real villains were the Russians pulling the strings behind the scenes. I didn’t care much for the crazed Afghan that appears at the end of the novel and becomes a pivotal character even though he is introduced so late. By and large this novel worked for me and I would recommend it.
Carl Alves – author of Battle of the Soul
Even though Dillon is largely irrelevant in the novel, there was a lot to like. Among them are the flow of the narration and ease of the writing style. It was a nice, clean read. Alexander Kurbsky is a compelling character. The plot was strong as the novel took on many twists and turns. Kurbsky is ostensibly the villain but he had enough valor and honor that there was always doubt when reading it that he would stay the villain, and ultimately the real villains were the Russians pulling the strings behind the scenes. I didn’t care much for the crazed Afghan that appears at the end of the novel and becomes a pivotal character even though he is introduced so late. By and large this novel worked for me and I would recommend it.
Carl Alves – author of Battle of the Soul
July 19, 2019
One of Higgins' better works. Rich characterization. I liked that we finally get a look at characters other than Sean Dillon. I especially enjoyed the back story on Gerald Roper, the wheelchair-bound tech guy who gained acclaim by defusing bombs for the British. Plus, the characterization of Vladimir Putin and his underlings meshed with the depictions of evil surrounding his administration I've read so much about in non-fiction.
Another big plus: the ambiguity of the Kurbsky character's alliances and intentions led to good suspense (his characterization represents one of the more interesting and relatable of Higgins' many characters over the years). Although I suspected part of the plot twist at the end, Higgins added some enjoyable detail and twists-within-the-twist that made logical, if tragic, sense based on the characterizations he had skillfully constructed.
I've recently eschewed Higgins books set before, say, 1970, and found this one (set basically in the present day) to not disappoint in its ability to combine current ge0-political events and alliances with compelling and believable characterization.
Another big plus: the ambiguity of the Kurbsky character's alliances and intentions led to good suspense (his characterization represents one of the more interesting and relatable of Higgins' many characters over the years). Although I suspected part of the plot twist at the end, Higgins added some enjoyable detail and twists-within-the-twist that made logical, if tragic, sense based on the characterizations he had skillfully constructed.
I've recently eschewed Higgins books set before, say, 1970, and found this one (set basically in the present day) to not disappoint in its ability to combine current ge0-political events and alliances with compelling and believable characterization.
October 21, 2015
Probably doesn't matter at least that this is #16 in the series as Sean Dillon is a minor character and I don't think you really need to know much about the group except what is given. However, just like most authors that have 16 or more books in a series, there isn't much really here that isn't obvious early on in the story which is kind of sad for a spy thriller series. They're banking on people invested in the old characters enjoying some glimpses of their favorite folks and so they get kind of lazy in their writing, not caring much about the people that just randomly listen to playaways so they don't want to commit hara-kiri while cleaning. It is what it is.
June 26, 2025
A stunner case of double crossing and revenge.
This started out as a Russian writer, in America at an awards ceremony, meeting Lady Starling, which had been set up by the Russian state.
In a twist of fate, the Russian writer, was then due to be awarded the Legion d'Honneur in Paris, at a gala in the Elysee Palace where he worked with Sean Dillon and co to defect
This started out as a Russian writer, in America at an awards ceremony, meeting Lady Starling, which had been set up by the Russian state.
In a twist of fate, the Russian writer, was then due to be awarded the Legion d'Honneur in Paris, at a gala in the Elysee Palace where he worked with Sean Dillon and co to defect
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 24, 2024
This book wasn’t really for me, but still I can see some of its problems. The plot felt weak, and the main character was way too perfect. The story used a lot of silly stereotypes. It’s hard to enjoy a book where the main character is the best at everything — the best killer, the best writer, the best lover, and super duper good-looking mаn. I regret picking it.
January 25, 2015
#16 in the Sean Dillon series. Once again Brigadier Ferguson's force is augmented when a very capable member of the opposition finds that his leader is deceiving him.
Sean Dillon and the Prime Ministers secret force are joined by Alexander Kurbsky, a Russian author and former commando officer with experience in Afghanistan and Chechnya. The problem is that he has been assigned to the political asylum role by Putin to rescue his Gulag imprisoned sister. When Roper discovers his sister died in 2000 his loyalties change.
Sean Dillon and the Prime Ministers secret force are joined by Alexander Kurbsky, a Russian author and former commando officer with experience in Afghanistan and Chechnya. The problem is that he has been assigned to the political asylum role by Putin to rescue his Gulag imprisoned sister. When Roper discovers his sister died in 2000 his loyalties change.
July 21, 2020
Every time I return to Jack Higgins I enjoy a great read, never quite sure why I haven't read more of his books. Possibly the always there promise of a great read on my return has me exploring other writers.
While the pace quickens as the story progresses it is certainly gripping from the start. I thought for a Sean Dillon story that he had little involvement with Alexander taking centre stage. A return of Alexander in future stories would be welcome? Regardless, I recommend whole heartedly. Another great book from Jack Higgins.
While the pace quickens as the story progresses it is certainly gripping from the start. I thought for a Sean Dillon story that he had little involvement with Alexander taking centre stage. A return of Alexander in future stories would be welcome? Regardless, I recommend whole heartedly. Another great book from Jack Higgins.
March 18, 2011
Excellent book...rivetting!
July 7, 2025
Actually, 2½ stars; not terrible, but still not good enough for three. Not this author's best work by a good long way, but even his sub-par writing is nevertheless better than most of his competitors can manage. He essentially "phoned in" the first half of the book, but pulled his head out of his ass for the second, very nearly redeeming it entirely.
If there is one type of book which inevitably depresses me to read, it is books like this one- i.e. books written by authors I respect, and whose work I have greatly enjoyed over the years, but whose skills are noticeably deteriorating due to age and all that goes along with it. I have been reading, and usually enjoying, the novels of the late Harry Patterson (a.k.a. Jack Higgins, James Graham, etc.) since I was a small boy in the late 1970s; virtually all my life. I own (or have owned) copies of more than thirty-five of his books (several more than once) and have read many of them multiple times. Obviously, I am not the only one- he has long been acknowledged as one of the masters of the spy/thriller genre.
Literary fiction has never been much to my taste; I am always far more interested in well-written "genre fiction" than in anything with literary pretensions. I did read books that could be described as "literature" (including quite a few of the "classics") as a young man, but have always much preferred non-fiction. In addition, I have always found it much more impressive when an author's skill allows him or her to rise above the usual standards (or indeed limits) of the genre in which they are working. It is very much like happening upon an antique wrench laying in the dirty gutter covered with rust, then cleaning it and discovering it to be perfectly serviceable; much more satisfying than simply buying a newly-manufactured wrench from the hardware store. Mystery & spy novels were the first works of fiction that drew my attention as a child, and as I have gotten older, virtually all the fiction I read falls within those two categories. I have found Mr. Patterson's work, particularly the books he wrote under the nom-de-plume of Jack Higgins, to be consistently good and occasionally excellent over many years. That being said, this is not one of the better ones...
If there is one type of book which inevitably depresses me to read, it is books like this one- i.e. books written by authors I respect, and whose work I have greatly enjoyed over the years, but whose skills are noticeably deteriorating due to age and all that goes along with it. I have been reading, and usually enjoying, the novels of the late Harry Patterson (a.k.a. Jack Higgins, James Graham, etc.) since I was a small boy in the late 1970s; virtually all my life. I own (or have owned) copies of more than thirty-five of his books (several more than once) and have read many of them multiple times. Obviously, I am not the only one- he has long been acknowledged as one of the masters of the spy/thriller genre.
Literary fiction has never been much to my taste; I am always far more interested in well-written "genre fiction" than in anything with literary pretensions. I did read books that could be described as "literature" (including quite a few of the "classics") as a young man, but have always much preferred non-fiction. In addition, I have always found it much more impressive when an author's skill allows him or her to rise above the usual standards (or indeed limits) of the genre in which they are working. It is very much like happening upon an antique wrench laying in the dirty gutter covered with rust, then cleaning it and discovering it to be perfectly serviceable; much more satisfying than simply buying a newly-manufactured wrench from the hardware store. Mystery & spy novels were the first works of fiction that drew my attention as a child, and as I have gotten older, virtually all the fiction I read falls within those two categories. I have found Mr. Patterson's work, particularly the books he wrote under the nom-de-plume of Jack Higgins, to be consistently good and occasionally excellent over many years. That being said, this is not one of the better ones...
March 31, 2024
Alexander Kurbsky, Afganistan ve Çeçenistan'da savaşmış, sonrasında yazar olarak da çok meşhur olmuş bir askerdir. Kız kardeşi Tanya'yı zamanında öldü zanneder ama Putin ona bir DVD izleterek Sibirya'ya yaşamakta olduğunu söyler. Gizli görevli olarak İngiltere'ye iltica edecek gibi görünecektir. Yardımcısı Yuri Bounine de elinden geleni yapacaktır. Amiri ise Luzhkov olacaktır. Dillon Monica ile gezmeye devam eder. Kurbsky, Paris'e Legion De Honor nişanı almaya gidince, yanındaki GRU ajanlarını kandırıp kaçar. Dillon ve ekibi onu alır ve trene binerler. Ivanov ve diğer 2 GRU ajanı da kaçtığını fark edip trene binmiştir. Kurbsky onların işini halleder. İngiltere'ye gelen Alex, burada teyzesi Svetlana ile oturur. Yardımcısı Katya Zorin ona makyaj ve çeşitli hilelerle kemoterapi alan bir bahçıvan kılığına sokar. Roper da diğer ayarlamaları yapar. Televizyonda gördüğü ve eskiden askerlerini öldüren Çeçen General Basayev'in Londra'da olduğunu öğrenince gizlice gider ve onunla şoförünü öldürür. Putin bunu duyunca çok mutlu olur. Ayrıca Luzhkov emri ile Blake Johnson kaçırılır ama Alex bunu da engeller. Roper, Tanya'nın Sibirya'da tifodan 2000 yılında öldüğünü öğrenir. Alex de bunu öğrenince yıkılır. Her şeyi boşuna yapmıştır. ABD, İngiltere, İsrail ve Filistin başkanları Londra'da bir teknede buluşacaktır. Luzhkov, Ali Selim adında bir adamı tekneyi uçurması için tutar. Ama Selim delinin tekidir. Bounine ve Alex'i esir alıp Luzhkov'u öldürür. Amacına u ulaşabilecek midir? Alex bunu engelleyebilecek midir? Ferguson bu son durumla ilgili ne yapacaktır? Bounine de bu işten sıyrılacak mıdır? Keyifle soluksuz okunan bir roman.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 2, 2023
Another Dillon-lite entry in the series. And certainly the least action-driven. The plot is basically the planning and execution of a revenge operation by the antagonists foiled in the previous instalment, the object being to install a double agent within spymaster Charles Ferguson’s inner circle. This isn’t a spoiler, btw: Higgins tells the reader what’s happening straight off. What follows is more along the lines of a Deighton or le Carré outing, with the emphasis firmly on tradecraft. This makes for a different, and for the most part satisfying, take on the series so far, not least because Higgins spends time charting the tortured recesses of his supposed villain’s ambivalent loyalties. The dearth of Dillon and his trademark badassery is a disappointment and the finale is both rushed and generic, but the novel’s hits are more palpable than its misses.
August 5, 2023
For the longest time Jack Higgins was my favourite author. I have at some point read everything he has ever written. I even found the ones he wrote under different names. I will always be faithful to this man as he got me into the espionage genre.
Sadly though as he ages his books seem to get simpler and simpler. The plots not as deep and involved. The Dillon character when he started was fantastic. There was meat on the bones so to speak. He evolved from book to book. This book made me feel like he was hardly there. In fact this entire group of characters seems to be winding down.
I know Higgins cant go on forever, but i am allowed to wish he could.
The story itself is fine. The new to me characters did ok.
Like I said, I will continue to read his books as an homage to the debt I owe him. Thank you Mr. Higgins.
Sadly though as he ages his books seem to get simpler and simpler. The plots not as deep and involved. The Dillon character when he started was fantastic. There was meat on the bones so to speak. He evolved from book to book. This book made me feel like he was hardly there. In fact this entire group of characters seems to be winding down.
I know Higgins cant go on forever, but i am allowed to wish he could.
The story itself is fine. The new to me characters did ok.
Like I said, I will continue to read his books as an homage to the debt I owe him. Thank you Mr. Higgins.
May 1, 2020
Like with many series, once you get into them they read quickly. Add to that the 'stay at home' situation and you move from one to another.
Since I bought many of this series cheaply from a dealer who came thru city hall with overstocks, have a few more to add on and will probably finish the series soon. Hope the library opens in June so can check for more recent books by Higgins and other authors I like.
Since I bought many of this series cheaply from a dealer who came thru city hall with overstocks, have a few more to add on and will probably finish the series soon. Hope the library opens in June so can check for more recent books by Higgins and other authors I like.
August 12, 2024
I read the Eagle Has Landed when I was a teen perhaps, and this is the first Higgins novel since then so I had no prior knowledge of the characters. It wasn't gripping or a page turner, but it was solid enough that it held my interest and I was wondering how all the overlapping duplicity was going to work out. I did think the final terrorist event was convincing. I'd read another Higgins novel and not wait forty plus years!
May 25, 2017
This is an entertaining book, especially for those who like spy and espionage tales. It features a Russian writer with an extensive military background who claims he wants to defect to the West. The "Prime Minister's Private Army" is all set to help him, but what are his true motives? Not a book to be taken too seriously, but another glimpse, perhaps, in how Putin and other Russians operate.
February 18, 2019
I found the book started out slow, then it began to get interesting but ended quickly...I understand you have to build a story but it seemed that it took a big part and then when it got intriguing it ended.
January 7, 2021
Typically Higgins
Working at least two continents, and always England, the intrigue and suspense keep you "swiping" the pages, and checking back to keep track of character names and "associations.
Working at least two continents, and always England, the intrigue and suspense keep you "swiping" the pages, and checking back to keep track of character names and "associations.
April 26, 2021
This one was certainly different. New characters, not very much Sean Dillon. I found the savvy intelligence characters easy and open manner with a Soviet defector unbelievable. But it was a fun read
September 9, 2024
Where in the world is Sean Dillion??
Interesting book, but Sean Dillion napped on a train, spent time with his girlfriend, inspected a boat, and attended a party. It's like a John Wick movie with no fight scenes!!
Interesting book, but Sean Dillion napped on a train, spent time with his girlfriend, inspected a boat, and attended a party. It's like a John Wick movie with no fight scenes!!
August 11, 2017
I found this a bit cumbersome and it just couldn't peak my interest. Hate to admit it......I did not finish this book. Got to page 294 and just had enough.
November 8, 2017
Classic Jack Higgins. Full on, high speed adventure that has you ripping through the pages in no time at all.
December 5, 2017
Meh. Weak character development.
March 11, 2018
Another typical Higgin's Dillion thriller. Great Airport book. My second time around, a great read.
March 18, 2018
Easy Read
don't expect too many twists and turns or super heroism.
normal page turner with normal writing.
we do expect lot more from dillon & higgins.
don't expect too many twists and turns or super heroism.
normal page turner with normal writing.
we do expect lot more from dillon & higgins.
April 20, 2018
Good, but an eagle has landed was his best work.
September 14, 2018
Sean Dillon, Russians, murder, British intelligence another great story.
Read
July 23, 2019Not bad.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 127 reviews