Customer Reviews

The Killing Ground (Thorndike Paperback Bestsellers)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(22)

 

 

I have read just about all of Jack Higgins books and this could be the worst of them all!! Good plot but it appears that this was a hurry up and get it done book. Buy it used !

Higgins has been one of my favourite thriller writters, but this is certainly not worth the effort reading it! Boring, predictable and shallow!
The plot is ill developed, the characters are just a repetition from previous novels, the novelty is just not there! Spend your time on something more interesting!

I couldn't believe Mr. Higgins could write yet another book with the same characters...Dillon, Roper, Ferguson and the Salters fighting the same tired old foes...the IRA and now al-qaeda. Yet here it is, with all the predictable character "invulnerabilities" that his other books have. Dillon never misses a shot (they're always between the eyes), the Salters always get the bad guys and then have a drink, and Roper's computers always find the other guy's flaws first. Why not have some reality to this type of work? Perhaps Mr. Higgins could come up with some plot where these ageless characters take their leave, and stay that way. Otherwise, they are just as stale as an open bottle of Mr. Dillon's Krug champagne. This is my opinion only.

Some writers no matter what they are writing about are a delight to read simply because their writing style is so enjoyable. The delight is intensified if the main character is a passionate and heroic and unusual man that we would like to meet and, if not meet, enjoy watching and listening to, and if the villain is bad, but not bad like everyone else, and interesting. Jack Higgins is such a writer, Sean Dillon such a character, and Casper Rashid such a villain. If the plot includes a need for righteous revenge against pure evil, then the main ingredients are properly spiced. Higgins tells the tale of Rashid's father kidnapping Rashid's thirteen year old daughter and taking her to Iraq to marry her to a man known as the "Hammer of God." Rashid the villain begs Dillon for help and Dillon accepts because he sees an opportunity for revenge.

My first Higgins book was Thunder Point. I immediately identified with Sean Dillon and Ferguson and the entire story. My ex-wife bought Killing Ground for me for a Christmas present. I appreciate the thought. I didn't recognize any of the characters other than by name. Dillon was just there in the background, a "ghost" of his normal self. The characters that got lots of play were the terrorists. That's not new for Higgins. In all of his books, you get a clear understanding of all of the characters' motivations. If this had been my First Higgins novel, it would have been my last. You never get the connection to the major players on the brit side that you gotten with other Dillon books. Higgins has gotten so used to these characters that he has forgotten that not everybody that reads the novel will be familiar with the characters to understand them. I read this and had no connection to Dillon and didn't care about what happened to him. Same with Ferguson. The content just wasn't there. When Hannah Bernstein was killed, I cared, I was struck by the act because I had that emotional content with the character from the book. The ending was anticlimactic at best. Thumbs down, Mr. Higgins.

If you are considering a Higgins book for the first time, get Thunder Point or Sheba.

I read the other Amazon reviews and because of them I did not plan on buying this book. However, I found it in a used book shop and had some time on my hands. I too have read nearly everything that Jack Higgins has written. I too agree that some of his plots have become predictable. But, to my surprise, I found this book very enjoyable. It was filled with familiar Jack Higgins trademarks, but the plot was different enough, in my opinion, to be thoroughly enjoyable. I recommend it for longtime Higgins fans.

I thought this book showed very little imagination in the story line. Also, you could tell it was written in a very British style. Very hard to figure out what some of the British terms were because they weren't explained very well. The ending was horrible - very predictable. I'm glad I only spent the money for the Kindle version. I would have been upset if I would have actually bought the book! I would avoid this book.

A friend sent me this book so felt compelled to read it. It has been very hard to get interested in. It is very shallow. Too many stories and none developed very well. Probably will be the last Higgins that I will read for a long time.

I am as a big a Jack Higgins fan as you will find (especiially the Dillon books), but this book just plain stunk. Is it possible Higgins is using a ghostwriter? If he is not, he is clearly not putting in the quality time he did with his earlier novels. Very disappointing.

As in past novels Jack Higgins takes Sean Dillion on adventures that can be handled only by a man of his talents. There are a few surprise additions to the 'Prime Minister's Private Army' which add to the adventure. Like always it is an exciting read, one that I will read over and over.The Killing Ground