Customer Reviews

Pay the Devil

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I thought this was a new book until reading other reviews stating that it was actually written back in 1963. For all that, however, it is still classic Higgens. Actually, I thought the plot line was kind of refreshing as he does tend to get stuck around WWII and Brigadier Ferguson scenarios. Still, all in all, if you like Higgens, you should like this one.

I could not believe Jack Higgins actually wrote this insipid book. I kept looking at the cover to verify the author. I am glad to find out this was first written in 1963 therefore should not be an indication of author's current abilities. The plot was shallow. Boy meets girl..everything works out rosy. Seemed more like a cheesy romance novel. I have read numerous Jack Higgins works and loved them all.......until this one. Take my advice and skip it.

Clay Fitzgerald, a survivor of the US Civil War returns to Ireland to find peace. Instead, he gets embroiled in the feud between the stereotypical English lord and the noble Irish peasentry. Clay is not only a CSA cavalry combat veteran but a trained surgeon. He's the type of hero who can't be kept down by mere beatings or gunshot wounds. He takes a licking and keeps on ticking. It also doesn't help that all the book's action is compressed into a few days. All Clay seems to do is fly about the countryside on the back of his faithful steed from one confrontation to another.

One of the other reviews mentioned that this story was originally written in 1963. In fact, after getting halfway through the book I checked the copyright date because the story gave me the impression of being written by a rather green author. However, the copyright on my book only shows 1999. Perhaps it's one of Higgen's earlier stories that sat in a drawer for 30 years.

In any event, I don't think the book measures up to some of the author's other works. Unless all you want is a time filler I'd suggest a pass on this book.

I agree with several of the reviewers that said that you could easily predict this plot. The only thing that saved this book is the underlying theme of the mistreatment of the Irish by the British during the 1860's.

The character of Joanna is a mystery as to why she helps Clay even before she knows him. Why she hates what her uncle does but still supports him is another mystery. How she shows up in the neck of time at the beginning of the book to save Clay a couple of times and then becomes a hinderance to him the rest of the book is grating. The romance between them is very awkwardly written.

Clay is very reckless am seems to have Indiana Jones's luck for getting out of tight spots. He becomes the legendary Captain Swing and it takes quite awhile for anyone to figure out that Captain Swing is him (really?). Even though he has the best horse around, nobody can figure out it is him from his horse. That is like accepting that no one can see that Clark Kent is Superman.

Clay has a servant named Joshua. We are not sure if Joshua was a slave or what and why he stays with Clay. Some of the dialog exchanges are very stereotypical and annoying.

It seems like the author saw The Scarecrow of Rumney Marsh, Batman, Zorro, Indiana Jones, and the Green Hornet and then tried to combine all the plots and make a book.

This is my introduction to Higgins and I understand that some of his other titles are more superior. I do not know what he was thinking when he wrote this one though.

I was very disappointed in this book, as the story seemed stolen from a Disney movie ("Zorro" or "Scarecrow"). It was rushed at best and made no attempt to explore the history of the English occupation of Ireland. Nor did it deal at all with the Finnians in North America (their attempt to invade and capture Canada, and negotiate with England for its exchange for Ireland). I only noted one interesting fact, and that was that an acre of land planted with potatoes can feed many more people than if planted with wheat. If a potential reader is a fan of Sean Dillon, he/she may better spend their time elsewhere.

Take another stereotypical Confederate gentleman soldier, honorable to the point of ridiculousness, his black valet who is treated with respect and affection and you have just one more bit of unbelievable historical adventure. Higgins takes this hoary old convention and moves it to Ireland where our hero finds himself taking the side of the Irish versus their English oppressors. From the predictable culture clashes to the even more hilarious "masked rider" bit, (Zorro, anyone, or perhaps Dr. Syn, The Scarecrow) this book moves briskly from one cliché to another. Higgins has written some fine thrillers, but this is almost their exact opposite.

I was very disappointed in this book -- unlike most of the Higgins' novels, it read like a cheesy romance paperback. The hero arrives in rural Ireland, where everyone knows everyone else's business, and becomes a Zorro-like secret hero. Really, now, how gullible do you think we are? No one puts two and two together, when Clay's (famous blood line) horse is part of the action?