Customer Reviews

The Double Eagle

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Mr. Twinings Double Eagle flies high. Cinematic in style this book would translate easily from the page to the silver screen. (Can you say Matthew McConaughey and Sandra Bullock). As thieves go, our hero, Tom Kirk is definitely more Bernie Rohdenbarr than Thomas Crown.......sort of a "thief next door" you can empathize with.

This is an exciting funhouse ride of a book that keeps you wondering what lies beyond the next turn.

If your looking for a fun "beach read" or a great little tome to take along on a relaxing weekend get-away, this is the one. Try it you'll like it!

Its not often that I buy a book purely based on the plot description and without at least scanning a few pages standing in a book store, but the blurb on Double Eagle suggested an old-fashioned caper mixed with all the staples of the modern thriller; government conspiracies, meglomaniacs bent on some form of domination, intrigue and a secondary romantic subplot. In other words all the things that make a book like this worth shelling out for.

I was not disappointed. James Twinning has crafted an excellent addition to the thriller genre. The setting, a world of art thefts, cat burglary and minor conspiracies, is well developed & intriguing. The lead characters, Tom Kirk and Jennifer Browne, are likeable, are given enough depth so as not be caricatures and the growth of their relationship is given enough time to breathe without obstructing the plot. The locations within which the story is set, the USA, London, Paris, Amsterdam and Istanbul are at the same time familiar and suitably exotic and are described in enough detail to lend an air of realism. Overall the groundwork the author lays down is solid enough to support the plot as it unfolds.

And what of the plot? Well again, Twinning has done well. He has been careful not to stretch either it or the reader's suspension of disbelief. The central conspiracy, revolving around the theft of several gold US dollar coins, the Double Eagles of the title, is small enough in scope to be manageable without feeling inconsequential. Rather than go for a world threat that would be either out dated within a year due to real events or simply appear unrealistic he has crafted a story that is timeless and is driven by universal human desires such as greed and avarice. The supporting characters, for the most part, seem human rather than being caricatures and the events unfold in a way that is entirely logical and maintain a sense of pace and excitement.

Of course no book is without its weaknesses and Double Eagle has a few. One is the supporting character of Archie, Kirk's long time fence, who comes across as too much of a British wide-boy caricature and sits uncomfortably within the story. Another is the fact that, as the story progresses, Agent Browne, a highly trained and capable FBI agent, feels somewhat relegated to the role of observer as Kirk takes charge and makes many of the key discoveries on route to solving the mystery. Whilst this follows the traditional 'hero & heroine' model it does feel a little old-fashioned and unsatifying. By far the biggest flaw however, is simply a matter of weak plotting. Whilst most of the story holds together well, one major twist is so obvious that when my suspicions about it were confirmed in the third act I almost groaned. That it was 'revealed' shortly after one of the protagonists behaves totally out of character by temporarily sparing Kirk's life when he has no reason to did take some of the shine off the story's denoument.

Twinning does manage to make up for these two glaring weaknesses however, with a final twist that was totally unexpected, restoring my faith somewhat, but tightening up these aspects of the plot would have strengthened the book. Overall however, Double Eagle is a great read that manages to avoid (mostly) cliche and doesn't fall into the trap of trying to follow trends such as the one started by the Da Vinci Code. If James Twinning's second book is anything like Double Eagle then it will definitely find a place on my book shelves.

What really makes this book stand out from all the others is its unique achievements of narrating a gripping tale, peppering it with fascinating nuggets of information, and illuminating it with well-turned prose. There are many page-turners on the market, but none with the same richness of detail and refinement of language. The author has evidently researched his subject thoroughly, and takes pleasure in sharing historical and cultural insights that makes you feel you are learning something at the same time as enjoying the read. And while Twining could simply have used the same turns of phrase that typically propel this type of story along, he constantly comes up with novel and arresting images that mark him out as a serious novelist in the making. Twining has raised the bar for all thriller writers, and it remains to be seen if he is the only one to meet the new standard when he releases his next book.

I picked this up for a quick read and it served its purpose. I could really see the Ludlum influence in the breakneck pace and the less than flowery style, not bad for sitting in an airport terminal etc... The writer comes from an investment banking background so maybe next time he will work international banking into his plots, that could be more interesting.

A good solid tale. After reading Mr. Twining second book, The Black Sun, I decided to give his debut novel a go. I am glad I did as I found it a slightly better read. The Double Eagle is an interesting story that combines the talents of recently retired famous art thief and former CIA agent Tom Kirk, and current FBI Special Agent Jennifer Browne as they hunt for 5 Double Eagle coins stolen from Fort Knox. The twists and turns of this who-done-it takes one on a dizzying ride through Europe in search of the elusive coins. Along the way friends become foes, and foes friends as Tom and Jennifer unravel the mystery of the missing coins. Excellent plot and good solid ending for a debut suspense novel. Character development was a little light but acceptable. Numerous characters but Mr. Twining does a good job keeping the reader informed and not overburdening the story. All in all an excellent debut novel.
Highly recommended for that day on the beach or lazy afternoon on the deck. No gratuitous violence or sex. Very little coarse language. I am looking forward to Mr. Twining's next book and more about Tom Kirk.

James Twining's debut novel, "The Double Eagle," is an action-packed thriller that moves from Washington, D. C., Kentucky, and Virginia to London, Paris, Istanbul, and Amsterdam. The heroine is FBI Special Agent Jennifer Browne, who is desperate to vindicate herself after her involvement in an accidental shooting while on duty three years earlier. She is thrilled when her boss assigns her to a difficult case involving the theft of valuable coins, known as Double Eagles, that were supposedly melted down in 1937. It turns out that some of the coins escaped destruction when they were stolen from the mint. They are worth millions and there are a handful of ruthless people who are willing to kill for them.

The protagonist is Tom Kirk, who has had a lively and varied career. After working undercover for five years as an expert in industrial espionage for the CIA, his handlers betrayed him. Bitter and disillusioned, Tom turned to a new occupation as a professional jewel thief. Clever, agile, and with an uncanny knowledge of how to plan and execute a successful heist, Kirk has successfully eluded the authorities for years. However, after the death of his father, he wants to go straight and run a legitimate art and antiques business. Unfortunately, when Tom is dragged against his will into the Double Eagle affair, he finds himself in grave danger of losing his freedom and perhaps even his life.

"The Double Eagle" is fast-moving and escapist fun, with hissable villains, engrossing details about numismatics and security systems, a romantic interlude, and enough twists and turns to keep the most savvy reader off balance. Admittedly, the plot isn't entirely plausible, and Twining's writing occasionally suffers from awkward descriptive passages and a reliance on cliches. Still, this is an involving and entertaining crime caper, with a cliffhanger ending that will whet the reader's appetite for the next novel in the series.

I really wanted to love this book, the premise sounded great, and I had seen such great reviews. I have really mixed feelings. Ths story was good, interesting, but I just felt like I was reading a script with not a lot of detail or heart. I will try this author again, although I have to admit I may wait for paper next time. My apologies to the author, but it just didn't grab me.

I picked Twining's book up up at the airport where it was sandwiched between Ludlum and Cussler. I was looking for a fast paced new read, and have to say was surprised by the Double Eagle; swift moving plot(hefty book but full of action), great locations (from Istambul to Paris to Fort Knox), interesting characters (Reinaud the Frenchman an inspired creation), and some great twists and turns (but won't spoil the plot as one of the reviewers here has tried to do...). Unusual to find a debut novel that's so good a read. Understand another is in the pipeline so will be on the lookout. Hope Twining can develop into a new Forsythe - I await the next "Jackal".....

HarperCollins contacted me and asked if I'd like an advance reader's copy of a new novel by a new name... The Double Eagle by James Twining. Of course, I rarely turn down the chance for a good mystery read, and in this case I have a new author to follow. Twining has an excellent future as a writer...

Tom Kirk is an experienced theft who can break into nearly any location and make off with luxury items like jewelry and Faberge eggs. But after a long career of successful heists, he decides he wants to go straight and take over his father's export business. On the other side of the story, we have Jennifer Brown, an FBI agent who is trying to make up for a career incident that has derailed her progress in the Bureau. When it's discovered that five extremely rare Double Eagle gold coins have been stolen from Fort Knox, she's put on the case to figure out when the theft occurred and who did it. The consensus is that Kirk is the only person who could pull off something of that magnitude, and she's sent over to Europe to offer him a deal. But he truly doesn't know anything about it, and his only way to wipe the slate clean of his past transgressions is to assist Brown in solving the case using his "unusual contacts". Both Brown and Kirk have no reason to trust each other (or who they represent), but neither can succeed on their own. Complicating the issue is a request from Kirk's fence to do one last job (that Kirk turned down) in order to keep them from getting killed by a murky underground figure. And more and more, the job looks to be tied into the missing coins...

It wasn't until after I was done with the book that I realized this is Twining's debut novel. As such, I'm really impressed. Most first novels have some rough edges that you figure a budding author will smooth out over time. I really didn't see that here. Both Kirk and Brown have enough character development to allow you to care about them, yet not enough that you have nowhere to go for future installments. The last fifty or so pages completely twist the story in a number of ways, and you're compelled to keep reading to see exactly who is and isn't who they let on to be. And if you're at all into coin collecting, the historical aspects of the Double Eagle minting and destruction will appeal to you.

Bottom line... Extremely good debut effort, and well worth picking up early so you can follow his career. I'm definitely looking forward to it.

Some thriller writers are masters of character, but struggle with plotting. Others create great pacing, while never developing the characters. "The Double Eagle" tries to do both, with mixed results.

From the start, I could see that Twining would go against the grain of his English roots, choosing to focus on a fast-paced, Hollywood worthy plot. In most ways, he succeeds. He gives us short chapters, suspenseful scenes, and lots of twists and questions, ala Dan Brown. Along the way, the characters show signs of depth, but not much--also like Mr. Brown. For an Englishman, Twining captures American dialogue decently, with a few glaring exceptions that a U.S. editor should've caught.

The plot makes up for some of this, but does so by using just about every cliche in the suspense genre. As the book reached the last 100 pages, I was groaning. It seemed to take on a movie/comic book feel. Too many coincidences, near misses, and bungling criminals. For me, what started out with promise turned into another dashed hope.