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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
International intrigue, lots of action in post-Gulf War Iraq,
By
This review is from: Honor Among Thieves (Paperback)
This was our first exposure to Jeff Archer, who's skill with complex international plot development reminds one a little of Tom Clancy without the high tech stuff. The main theme is that shortly after Clinton replaces Bush, Saddam Hussein pays $100M to a mob-related group to steal the American Declaration of Independence. A Yale professor (and our hero) Scott Bradley, gets his desire for a field assignment with the CIA to get it back. Thereafter, most of the action is in Iraq, and before it's over Bradley teams up with an Israeli female spook (and falls in love while he's at it!), as well as some other American diehards from the CIA, who build a complex plan to steal back the precious parchment and avoid Hussein's planned humiliation of a Fourth of July burning on national TV. Does he succeed in time?We suspect Archer stayed up nights scheming his double and triple crosses -- we totally lost track of the real document long before the whole story unfolded. Much of the horror of Suddam's regime is spelled out in gory detail, and not all the good guys escape horrid fates. Meanwhile, some decent Iraqi people risk their lives to help the American's cause. Modest suspense, a few characters we wanted to win, good against evil, and even some humor along the way kept us entertained throughout. Archer's writing may not captivate everyone, but we were impressed enough to try another of his stories some day. This one trips the meter at "good but not great"!
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Flawed, but immense entertainment nevertheless.,
By A Customer
This review is from: Honour Among Thieves (Audio Cassette)
This being Archer's first 'action thriller', I was skeptical when I picked up this book as I am used to reading his 'sagas'. However, I must say that all the doubts I had about the book were banished once I had read the first chapter. The book's villain is the inevitable Saddam Hussein, who, hiring an professional, plans to steal the American Declaration of Independence and burn it on international television, thus humilating the American people. The book's hero is the unlikely teacher at college, who teams up with a former agent of some sort who is bent on killing Saddam. Though not his most memorable or realistic novels, it still is a very entertaining ride. Perhaps if the plots had been made more plausible (eg.getting into the National Archives during a film shot), the book would make a more lasting impression on the minds of readers. However, despite the flawed storytelling, the book is one juicy slab of entertainment!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Lots of Killing, little content,
By A Customer
This review is from: Honor Among Thieves (Paperback)
This book is the worst Archer book I've ever read. Unlike his other novels, with relatively unpredictable endings, this one was obvious from the start. Archer tried to make an action book and failed. The author should stick with plots involving rivalries (see First Among Equals, The Fourth Estate) with fewer characters. With so many characters, none could be developed fully, and Archer only attempts to make two of them more than one-dimensional. Yes, there was action, and lots of death, but little substance. While this book won't prevent me from reading more Archer, it won't be a book I'll ever read again.
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