Customer Reviews

Wild Justice

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

 

 

Readers should be aware that this book was published in the United States with the name "The Delta Decision" in 1979. "Wild Justice" was the name used for the British edition. As other readers have pointed out, it is not a new work by Wilbur Smith. I mention this only to prevent earlier readers of "The Delta Decision" from ordering a book they've read already.
That said, this is one of Smith's best works. It followed an equally good thriller - "Hungry As The Sea" - that captured many new Smith fans.
I have read every novel Wilbur Smith has published over the past 40 years and can say not one of them was anything less than captivating. Whether you are new to this great author or have read his works in the past, you will enjoy thoroughly "Wild Justice," while marvelling at his ability to envision, more than a quarter century ago, the world we find ourselves in today.

having devoured practically smith's entire output, and many of his finest works several times over, i can assure you this is one of his best. it's not literature, sports fans. but it's a sizzling read. blistering. and remarkably well written. as a 13-year old kid, i picked up "wild justice" quite by chance one day (at doncaster library, shoppingtown -- melbourne) thus beginning an incredible 5-year love affair, wherein i read nothing but smith's books over and over again. though my heart belongs to "the eye of the tiger" and the second half of "the sunbird" (not to mention the sagas), "wild justice" is my first love. don't hesitate to pick it up. thank you, mr.smith!

Wilbur Smith can just plain write. WILD JUSTICE starts out on a hijacked airliner and ends up in a desperate fight to stop a master terrorist known as Caliph.

General Peter Stride is the Commander of Thor: A multi-national anti-terrorist squad that has some similarities to Clancy's Rainbow Six. (But before you start picking at Smith, note that WILD JUSTICE was originally published in 1979 when Iran was an American ally and no one had heard of Tom Clancy).

Even though the book deals with countries and places that have changed, the story has a timeless appeal characteristic of Smith's work.

It is great to see books like this come back into print.

Wilbur Smith's drama "Wild Justice" commences with a hijacking of a passenger jet from the Seychelles islands in the Indian Ocean. A four person team comandeered the plane and forced it to land in South Africa. The terrorists demands included the release of political prisoners, 170 million dollars and a media covered denouncement of the racist South African government.

While the demands did not seem outlandish, a crack anti-terrorist team under the secretive organization called Atlas command was summoned to deal with the hijacking. The boss of Atlas, Dr. Kingston Parker was the Chairman of the Intelligence Oversight Board and a close personal friend and confidant of the President of the U.S.. Parker summoned British Major General Peter Stride head of Thor Communication, one of three offensive arms of Atlas. Stride and his team were to work on hostage negotiations. General Stride was forbidden by Parker to take any offensive action as the South African government was deciding to meet the terrorists demands.

When the terrorists killed 4 innocent passengers as a time deadline wasn't met, Stride decided to act. He successfully lead a raid which freed the passengers and killed all the terrorists. Stride was able to bask in the glory of this courageous endeavor until he had to answer to Dr. Parker. This lead to Stride's forced resignation from Atlas. It was learned that this whole plot was orchestrated by a shadowy terrorist leader known as Caliph.

Stride was cooling his heels at the baronial family estate of his fabulously wealthy, older, identical twin brother Steven. While there, he was wooed by many offers for executive positions in important companies. One such offer was proposed by a guest at the Stride estate, the young, competent and alluring Baroness Magda Altmann head of a huge industrial conglomerate which included Narmco Industries, an armaments manufacturer. Altmann's husband Aaron had recently been kidnapped, held for 25 million dollars ransom and subsequently tortured and killed. This heinous act was also attributed to Caliph.

Stride and Altmann in short order have a romance but Stride learns that she has secrets. Her background is sketchy with a five year period unaccounted for.

The plot thickens when Stride's beloved teenaged daughter Melissa-Jane is kidnapped in a plot also orchestrated by Caliph.

Stride gets pushed over the edge and is driven to rescue his daughter and destroy Caliph.

Smith's novel is decent but somewhat predictable, particularly in the revelation of the secret identity of Caliph. Having a story surrounding twins always leads to a standard and predictable plot twist. "Wild Justice" unfortunately was no exception. I'm certainly more fond of Smith's historically based novels.

Wilbur Smith is an incredible writer. He writes eloquently while providing the reader with an action-packed story. I bought Wild Justice off the new paperback shelf and was disappointed to get home and see that it was actually written in 1979. I thought because it is a thriller that deals with terrorism, intrigue and military special operations that it would be dated, but I was impressed at how prescient Smith was when writing this book. The plot could be set in 2003 with only minor changes. The organizational conflicts and terrorist strategies are accurate and insightful. The date of the writing does not lessen the book's impact and effect at all.

As far as the story, it has everything a thriller needs and more. Secretive terrorists, special forces, good and evil and gray areas. It has a very well-written romance. It has crises of conscience and morals.

This sounds cliche but I could not put it down over the four days it took me to read it. I felt good about the ending, too. I have not yet been disappointed by Smith's book, which is great because he has written about 30.

There were only fifteen passengers for the British Airways flight at Victoria Airport on the island of Mahe in the oceanic republic of the Seychelles. But one alone made the others seem insignificant by the sheer splendour of her physical presence. Once aboard she becomes a brutal and fanatical terrorist, spearhead of an international organisation intent on holding the world's powers to ransom. As the search for the power brain controlling the terrorists heightens, the explosive passions aroused by the beautiful hijacker reach an unforgettable climax in the sun scorched deserts of Galilee. Top suspense and action with a very well designed plot.

I am a Wilbur Smith fan since reading THE SEVENTH SCROLL which was wonderful. This book I had a hard time on the first two chapters and then it takes off and really provided excitement. One of my favorite scenes is when the main character's daughter is kidnapped and he must find her with few clues. I really liked

this book and it stays with you. Also the tension when he suspects his love interest of being a terrorist was acute.

Besides the 7th SCROLL Hungry as the Sea was a huge hit with me

as well as most of his other books. Smith is able to write action scenes that really stick with one's imagination.

I am eagerly awaiting his next novel.

I'm a big "Willllburrr" fan, but this book was disappointing. This book was was not as engaging as his historical novels (which I ADORE), & parts of it were ludicrously implausible.

This has long been one of my favorite books. The kindle version is filled with so many printing errors it is difficult to read. Stick with the printed version unless they reprint without the errors

Not up to his usual. A number of inconsistancies. I pinned the bad guy and his flunky about half way through. He should stick to earlier times.