The White House Connection [Paperback]

Jack Higgins (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 27, 2000

Someone is killing off the members of a splinter group known as the Sons of Erin. Normally not a cause for much concern but this could lead to the fall of two governments and the derailing of the entire Irish peace process, so the assassin must be stopped.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The Irish peace process is at risk because of the actions of a heartbroken mother in Higgins's 29th thriller. American-born and married to a British lord, 60-ish Lady Helen Lang, the "nicest person you'll ever meet," has taken it upon herself to avenge the brutal death of her son, Peter, at the hands of the Sons of Erin, a fringe Irish-nationalist group led by a psychotic Vietnam vet and with operatives in Dublin, London and the U.S. Other members include gangster Tim Pat Ryan, IRA terrorist Jack Barry, U.S. Senator Michael Cohan and a mysterious member known only as the Connection, who is revealed to be a mole in the White House. With nothing more than an old government file, a modified computer and a .25 revolver, Lady Helen makes short work of most of these villains, managing at one point to knock off three of them in four paragraphs. Naturally, this wholesale violence attracts the attention of Higgins regulars Brigadier Charles Ferguson and Sean Dillon, who try to protect Senator Cohan during his upcoming visit to London. It's not giving away any surprises to reveal that eventually the bad guys get theirs, but there are precious few surprises here, and a bloodless, cartoonish quality to everything from the dialogue to the killings. Higgins's attempt at characterizations are unpersuasive at bestAto prove that she's really a decent sort, Lady Helen passes up a chance to kill Senator Cohan in favor of shooting a couple of muggersAand as usual, Sean Dillon's prowess as a gunman includes the ability to outshoot men who have already drawn a gun on him. As for the style, everything is fast, flat and featureless, like driving a car on cruise control in Kansas. Higgins's fans may be pleased, but other readers will probably want a more exciting ride. BOMC main selection.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Jack Higgins is the best-known pseudonym of Harry Patterson, who has written over 60 novelsAa dozen of them best sellersAthat have been translated into numerous languages. Several of his thrillers, most recently The President's Daughter (LJ 5/1/97), have involved the characters who appear here. Sean Dillon, a former IRA gunman, now works for the British prime minister; Blake Johnson heads a secret office for the U.S. president. Both have their various talents severely tested while trying to stop a vengeful 66-year-old woman who is assassinating members of the Sons of Erin, including a senator, thereby threatening both governments. A mole in the White House frustrates Dillon's and Blake's efforts, but readers may be more frustrated by the shallow characterization and lifeless dialog. Nevertheless, the legions of Higgins fans will surely devour this as they have so many others, and libraries should be prepared.
-ARoland C. Person, Southern Illinois Univ. Lib., Carbondale
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd; 1 edition (January 27, 2000)
• ISBN-10: 0140292144
• ISBN-13: 978-0140292145
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (55 customer reviews)

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

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Decent light reading, December 29, 2001

By 

W. Fish (Midwest United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The White House Connection (Sean Dillon) (Paperback)

Lady Helen, a geriatric British aristocrat, gains revenge on people involved in the killing of her son. While not very believable, and not one of Higgin's better works, it's a quick and mostly enjoyable read with familiar characters. The two major annoyances throughout the book were:

1. EVERY character talks about the joys of smoking. It appeared to be a paid advertisement for Marlboros and the emphasis he placed on the dialogue related to smoking detracts from the story.
2. EVERY American character uses British phrases and discusses their love of things British from meat pies to Harrods.

If a friend gives you the book and there isn't anything better to read, it will pass the time.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, July 20, 2000

By 

Peter Sherrill - See all my reviews

This review is from: The White House Connection (Sean Dillon) (Paperback)

This was a pretty good book, but i think Higgins could have done better. Oh yes, for the most part the story was exciting and kept you turning the pages, but some parts just went to quickly..Higgins should have built up to it a bit more, or put some more action into it..Also, he took too long to pull everything together...it was way to quick in the beginning, and then it slowed down considerably for about 100 pages, and then at the end picked back up again...The story is about an old lady who's paramilitary-type son was killed by IRA branch terrorists years ago, and she finally learns the terrible truth behind his grizzly murder. Driven by rage, and the realization that her life was near its end, she goes on a mad killing spree against the people that killed her son..Our favorite Irishman, Sean Dillon is involved, along with his good friend Blake Johnson, as they try to figure out who the mystery person is that is killing off left-wing terrorists left and right... An exciting tale to say the least, but it could have been put together better..other than that i have no complaints and i do reccomend this book if you especially like Higgins, but if you are a "new kid" then i suggest you start with some of his earlier books..

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fast read., December 19, 2000

By 

nobizinfla "nobizinfla" (Windermere, Florida USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The White House Connection (Hardcover)

Jack Higgins is a terrific storyteller. This was my first Higgins novel and the pages flew by. Reading this book was like eating peanuts...I could not stop and finished in two sessions.

An absolute complete suspension of disbelief is the best way to approach this one as it stretches credulity to beyond the max...but it is great fun. And, what is fiction all about, if not for suspension of disbelief? Some of the situations the protagonists get out of would make James Bond proud.

In the setup, the first quarter of the book is pretty credible and then the fun begins. The action switches between Washington, New York, London and Ireland...lots of Concorde flights, tony parties and champaign between the gun shots. The good guys are interesting characters and the bad guys seem a match for them due to their mole inside the White House. The reader is clued into the mole's identity early on, so we know whodunit...so we have to watch the clock to see if the good guys can figure it out in time.

It was an enjoyable read all in all. The protagonists are continuing characters and it appears their ranks increased by one in "The White House Connections." That's good news for Higgins' fans as he is a prolific writer.

That said, it was "too Brit" and "too IRA" for me to become addicted to the series. It was a fun one-time interlude for someone who prefers the good old American hardboiled mystery. For those who like the British touch, this series is a keeper.