No Comebacks [Mass Market Paperback]

Frederick Forsyth (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1983

Here are ten suspenseful, serpentine stories  of betrayal, blackmail, murder, and revenge...all  culminating in shocking twists of fate.  Within these pages live a wealth of  characters you will not soon forget...people  whose lives become irrevocably trapped in a world of  no comebacks, beyond the point of no return--from  the manipulators and the manipulated to the  ultra-rich capable of buying and selling human lives, to  the everyday man maneuvered by circumstances into  performing deadly acts of violence.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Masterful."--Kirkus Reviews.  

"Spellbinding. . .ten Forsyths for the price  of one, who could ask for anything  more?"--Forth Worth  Star-Telegram.

"Chillingly effective."--Publishers  Weekly

"Tense,  explosive and vivid, No Comeback  proves that Frederick Forsyth is truly the  world's reigning master of suspense. A warming bedside  companion."--Los Angeles Times

From the Publisher

"Spellbinding. . .ten Forsyths for the price of one, who could ask for anything more?"--Forth Worth Star-Telegram.

Here are ten suspenseful, serpentine stories of betrayal, blackmail, murder, and revenge...all culminating in shocking twists of fate.

"Masterful."--Kirkus Reviews.

Within these pages live a wealth of characters you will not soon forget...people whose lives become irrevocably trapped in a world of no comebacks, beyond the point of no return--from the manipulators and the manipulated to the ultra-rich capable of buying and selling human lives, to the everyday man maneuvered by circumstances into performing deadly acts of violence.

"Chillingly effective."--Publishers Weekly

"Tense, explosive and vivid, No Comeback proves that Frederick Forsyth is truly the world's reigning master of suspense. A warming bedside companion."--Los Angeles Times

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Bantam (March 1, 1983)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553276735
• ISBN-13: 978-0553276732
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 0.8 x 6.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #351,421 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Frederick Forsyth is the author of fifteen novels and short-story collections. He lives in England.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ten Entertainments, August 17, 2004

By 

A. Ross (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: No Comebacks (Mass Market Paperback)

Forsyth is best known for his taut thrillers, especially The Day of Jackal, but this collection of short stories reveals him a very competent crafter of clever short stories. Originally written in the early to late '70s (and three of which appeared in Playboy), each of the ten tales is a mini-morality tale, with a lighthearted tone and a twist of some sort. Their unifying theme is revenge/comeuppanceóeach story is about someone getting their just desserts one way or another. The exception to this is "Duty", which is not light at all and quite different in theme and perspective, and for those reasons, feels wholly out of place.

Two of the stories feature wealthy protagonists, including the title story, which tells of a handsome, successful English businessman who can have anything he wants from life and yet is still bored. It's the old "money can't buy you happiness" story, until one day he falls for a married woman. She admits the mutual attraction but won't leave her husband, and so the tycoon decides to send a hitman to solve the problem. The mechanics of the hitman's assignment are very compelling, and it all leads to an obvious twist that reaffirms the moral. "A Careful Man" is another rich man tale, but in this case, the wealthy coin dealer is dying of cancer and has no one he wants to leave his fortune toóleast of all his detestable sister and her family. His solution is fairly clever and the fun is in watching the odious family catch up with what the reader already knows.

Another set of stories feature unassuming hard-working middle-aged men who have yet to reap many fruits from their labors, and are generally married to unpleasant frigid nags. In "The Emperor", a bank manager vacations with his wife on a tropical island for the first (and probably last) time. It's basically the best experience of his life, and on the last day he quite daringly sneaks out for some sport fishing. This is transformative in a fairly predictable way, but satisfying nonetheless. In "Money With Menaces", an unassuming man comes across a "swingers" magazine on the train, and is intrigued by the idea of meeting a woman for sex. He falls right into an obvious blackmail scheme, but for once Forsyth hides the twist until the end, providing perhaps the best resolution of all the stories. "Privilege" starts with a small businessman who has been libeled in the newspaper and seeks redress. His lawyer dissuades him from suing, pointing out that winners of such suits usually incur huge financial costs that aren't worth the satisfaction of winning. Studying the libel statutes for a few days, he spots a possible form of redress. This story seems a little strange, as Britain has some of the harshest libel penalties in the Western world. "Used in Evidence" is about an old man who may or may not have killed his wife thirty years previously.

Three of the stories are set in Ireland, a place Forsyth had a great personal interest in. "There Are No Snakes In Ireland" is a straight-out revenge tale, pitting a hard-working Indian student against his persecutor, a racist UVF thug. "There Are Some DaysÖ" is a comedy of errors about the heist of a truck of French brandy which goes completely pear-shaped. As in other stories, the reader knows more than the characters, and the pleasure comes in watching it all unfold. "Sharp Practice" takes place on a train, where a judge, priest, and humble worker pass the time with a friendly game of poker. Anyone who's knows a bit about con artistry will see the setup and likely result a mile away, but it's still good fun.

All in all this is a very solid, if not spectacular set of stories. No doubt due to his journalistic background, Forsyth is great with the details of the stories, especially how people go about their work. His characters tend to be types rather than individuals, but for the kind of stories he tells, that's all you really need. As morality tales they are all set up and executed quite cleverly. And yet for all that, there's a kind of disposable element to them; none will make you sit up and say "wow".

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars classic Forsyth enjoyable short fiction, October 12, 2003

By 

mackattack9988 "mackattack9988" (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: No Comebacks (Mass Market Paperback)

Frederick Forsyth is an excellent author, and No Comebacks will serve as a fine introduction for readers new to his work. If you're already familiar with Forsyth, this is a collection of short stories similar to The Veteran. The stories in No Comebacks are shorter, usually about 20-30 pages each, ten in all. They are a little more lighthearted than the tone of Forsyth's novels, which are predominantly serious, and most involve an unexpected twist or turn along the way (sometimes saved for the very end). There's a story in here for everyone: a playboy in pursuit of a married woman, a victim of prejudice out for revenge, an answer to a mid-life crisis, a way to handle extortion, a response to a soiled reputation, and a unique way to settle an estate, to name a few. Timeless little episodes that are well-written and delightful to read.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You are in a Fix & There is No Comebacks, July 17, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: No Comebacks (Mass Market Paperback)

I've read this book many years back and recently I read it again. "No Comebacks" is a real great book. Every story has its' own impression. Amazingly every story gives one common impression of a real fix, i.e. No Comebacks. There Are Some Days, There are No Snakes.. and of course No Comeback are really very good stories. The beauty of the book is that there are soft crimes & no violence. This is probably one of the best work of Forsyth !