Pay the Devil [Paperback]

Jack Higgins (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1999

Sick to death of war, Confederate Colonel Clay Fitzgerald escapes to Ireland to find that country also torn asunder by civil war--the Fenian Rebellion--into which he throws himself, after first taking the identity of a legendary outlaw. Reprint.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Searching for the peace and quiet that eluded him for four long years as a Confederate colonel in the Civil War, surgeon Clay Fitzgerald sets out for Ireland to lay claim to the estate and fortune he's recently inherited. Once there, he finds himself caught in the midst of yet another civil disturbanceAthe Fenian Rising. Clay finds he can not stand idly by, having witnessed the awful living and medical conditions of the poor. With the help of neighbors, his new love, Joanna Hamilton, and a dutiful servant, Clay comes to embrace the plight of the passionate Irish rebels. Assuming the identity of a legendary romantic outlaw hero, "Captain Swing," he puts his own life at risk to further the peasants' cause. Higgins (Drink with the Devil) adds fuel to his intense plot with well-defined characters and atmospheric historical details. (Nov.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

'Higgins is the master.' TOM CLANCY 'A compulsively readable storyteller.' Sunday Express 'Higgins makes the pages fly.' New York Daily News 'Higgins is a master of his craft.' Daily Telegraph --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Berkley (November 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425171892
• ISBN-13: 978-0425171899
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,843,424 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jack Higgins is among the world's most popular authors. Since the publication of The Eagle Has Landed--one of the biggest-selling thrillers of all time--every novel he has written has become an international bestseller, including The White House Connection and Day of Reckoning. He has had simultaneous number-one bestsellers in hardcover and paperback, and has been published in thirty-eight languages worldwide. Many of his books have been made into successful movies, among them The Eagle Has Landed, To Catch A King, and The Valhalla Exchange. He lives with his wife on Jersey in the Channel Islands.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Early Higgins' Book shows author's developing talent, December 8, 1999

By 

Jeff Riley (Seattle) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pay the Devil (Paperback)

Between 1963 and 1964, Harry Patterson, aka Jack Higgins wrote 8 books. This was one of the authors most prolific periods of writing, as well as one of his most interesting. He wrote crime novels, a western (Thunder at Noon), a romance (A Phoenix in the Blood), World War II novels (Seven Pillars to Hell, later published as Sheba) and Pay the Devil, a book which is set in 1865 and follows the exploits of Confederate Colonel Clay Fitzegerald. The Colonel has just ended on the losing side of the Civil War and returns to Ireland for peace and quite. He instead gets caught up in the 'troubles.' Like most of Higgins' early novels, this book is an entertaining, fast-paced story full of one-dimensional characters. If you want a fun and quick read for the holidays, this book is it. Although, if you want better Higgins' try Valhalla Exchange, Touch The Devil, A Prayer for the Dying, Thunderpoint or The Eagle has Landed.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Far from his best work., December 2, 1999

By 

R. Brady (Kansas City, Kansas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pay the Devil (Paperback)

I've read a number of Higgin's works -- On Dangerous Grounds, Drink With the Devil, The Eagle Has Landed and A Season In Hell to name a few. This short novel however, did not share the depth and intrigue that I found in his other efforts. The boy meets girl; boy gets girl plot was shallow and the storyline had an ending that was predictable after the first three chapters. Needless to say, I was disappointed in this most recent effort. It was almost like the author was behind in a deadline to get a book out and this was it. I can say however, that I do have a better understanding of the origins of the Protestant/Catholic conflict in Northern Ireland.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A early Higgins winner!, December 8, 1999

By 

John R. Wells Jr. (Moody, Alabama USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Pay the Devil (Paperback)

This is a Higgins title that was first released in 1963. And as an avid reader of Jack Higgins I truly enjoyed this one. It has a touch of "Gone With The Wind" to it. And characters I would like to see Mr. Higgins use again. The setting of the American Civil War and the early Irish uprising were a break from Higgins recent run of Sean Dillon works.