Games of the Hangman [Paperback]

Victor O'Reilly (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1992

In a masterful tour de force of shattering intrigue, O'Reilly joins the ranks of Robert Ludlum and Ken Follett with a story of fatal games and hidden players. When photographer Hugo Fitzduane finds a hanged body, it's ruled a suicide. But when the body of a terrorist is found with the same strange tattoo, Fitzduane is plunged into a firestorm of violence as he tries to expose the link.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

O'Reilly's masterful debut thriller leads through a maelstrom of murder in Switzerland and Ireland to a showdown with terrorists at a medieval castle.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Soldier and war photographer Hugo Fitzduane is beginning to think about settling down on his lovely, remote Irish island when he discovers a student from a nearby private school hanging from a tree near his castle. Unable to resist investigating why the son of a wealthy Swiss family committed suicide, Fitzduane uses contacts with police and security forces in Ireland and Switzerland to slowly peel away the multiple identities of a brilliant but sadistic corrupter and murderer--"the Hangman." The war between the forces of good and evil provides the framework for this overly long, high-body-count story. While the first-time author shows promise, the frequent scenes of graphic and gratuitous violence do not supply needed suspense or substitute for taut plotting. This is a thriller in name only.
- V. Louise Saylor, Eastern Washington Univ. Lib., Cheney
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 497 pages
• Publisher: Berkley (September 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425134563
• ISBN-13: 978-0425134566
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,756,454 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very lethal game!, May 24, 2000

By 

Rodney Powell "fairmont66" (Macon,Georgia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Games of the Hangman (Paperback)

This unforgettable thriller pits a war photographer/veteran against a ruthless leader of a world-wide terrorist organization.This brutal cat and mouse thriller starts in Ireland and through other parts Europe and ends in a bloody battle between our hero and hangman's fanatic terrorist army.O'reilly does his research well in depicting frightening world of international terrorism and the brave men and women who combat it.The hangman is one of the most terrifying villians ever written who directs his acts of terrorism not for idealogy but for profit.This novel was a bloody action-packed ride!

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Did not work well for me, January 25, 2000

By 

Sabrina - See all my reviews

This review is from: Games of the Hangman (Paperback)

This book came with high praise and I was expecting something that would keep me glued to my reading chair for hours. Somehow that did not happen.

Yes, there is a lot of action, but apart from the final showdown (I won't say what it is, but what a great idea !) I wasn't really gripped. The villain gets lucky to many times for my taste and the book drags on for too long in the middle. I mean, if the good guys are preparing to catch the bad guy and you're only halfway through the book, it's quite obvious that things will not go as planned.

The last hundred pages are brilliant, but it took me awfully long to get there and I was ready to give up a couple of times in between.

I should probably mention that I don't like reading Tom Clancy either, so maybe it's just not my kind of genre.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome book that has movie written all over it!, August 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Games of the Hangman (Paperback)

Move over Tom Clancy - O'reilly blows you away! For you folks whom like Clancy and all the authors like him - just stop and read any of this authors work and you will see superior writing than all the rest! Hollywood wake the hell up and make this into a movie! This makes Die Hard look sleepy.