Without Mercy (Sean Dillon) [Bargain Price] [Paperback]

Jack Higgins (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 5, 2006 | Series: Sean Dillon

As Detective Superintendent Hannah Bernstein of Special Branch lies recuperating in the hospital, an enigmatic shadow from the past, burning with hatred, steals into her room and finishes the job. Consumed by grief and rage, Sean Dillon, Blake Johnson, and all who loved Hannah swear vengeance, no matter where it takes them.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Higgins picks up where his last novel (Dark Justice) featuring top-level British intelligence officer Gen. Charles Ferguson and his right-hand agent, former IRA enforcer Sean Dillon, left off, three weeks after a shootout killed Russian billionaire Josef Belov and his agents Yuri Ashimov and Maj. Greta Novikova. But hold on, not all of the above are really dead, and those left alive have sworn to destroy the general and his band of spies, who are also grieving for their colleague Supt. Hannah Bernstein, another casualty of the confrontation. President Vladimir Putin makes several appearances to give orders to various minions and Russian super-agent, Igor Levin. Their mission is to secure the now-deceased Belov's vast oil interests for the Russian government. With few double-crosses, deceptions or surprises of any sort, Higgins's plotting is not very inventive, and the final shootout, when it limps onstage, takes two short pages. The whole mise-en-scène feels dated, with little in the way of modern-day tradecraft or technology. Ferguson's admiration for his Russian enemies and bonhomie for Levin in particular seems plain silly: "Damn his eyes, I like the bastard. Who knows what the future holds?" Not much for Higgins's fans, if we're to judge from his latest example. (Aug.)Correction:In the June 27 review of Paul Anderson's Hunger's Brides, the agent information was misstated. The book was acquired from Random House Canada.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Picking up where Higgins' Dark Justice (2004) left off, Sean Dillon--former IRA enforcer now working for British intelligence--seeks revenge on the Russian agents responsible for murdering his colleague Hanna Bernstein. The Russians themselves, however, are not too happy with Dillon for killing their man, billionaire and former KGB official Josef Belov, who was been responsible for "terrorism of all kinds." With the death of dealmaker Belov, Russia's prospects for a steady flow of oil out of Iraq ("since the vote for democracy") are threatened; the Kremlin must now resort to Plan B: using impersonator Max Zubin to stand in for Belov to maintain some stability in the Russia-Iraq connection until a new, improved Plan A emerges. This is pretty standard Jack Higgins: wooden characters and far-flung if barely credible locales, but enough plot and action to keep his many fans by his side. Alan Moores
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Berkley (September 5, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 042521253X
• ASIN: B001PIHV9O
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 4.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,428,961 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

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars not his best, March 15, 2006

By 

Albert (MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Without Mercy (Hardcover)

I managed to finish reading this book in the hope that it would get better. It never did. I've enjoyed many of his previous works, but this is the worst of his that I have read. I probably should have given it one star instead of two. Save your money.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars It's getting a little monotonous, March 1, 2006

By 

Tim Joyce "Tim Joyce" (Alamo, CA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Without Mercy (Hardcover)

I have read all of Jack Higgins' books, inclusing those written under his known psuedonyms. Typically, I have enjoyed his writing immensely, as it mixes places, action, mystery, and excitement. Unfortunately, that seems to be missing with each new effort. I am growing tired of the same cliches that Sean Dillon uses, the purported tie to the US and President Cazalet and Blake Johnson, the Salters, etc. It seems tired and forced, and dated. The characters all speak in a fashion that indicates that they are from the fifties, sixties, and seventies. The plotlines are predictable.

Don't get me wrong; I have loved Jack Higgins' writing for many years, and will continue to read all of his new efforts. I just hope that there is something new in his future writings.

I give this book a "3".

13 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't Buy It !!!!, August 31, 2005

By 

Cliff Bailey "Voracious Reader" (Houston Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Without Mercy (Hardcover)

I have been a fan of Jack Higgins for over 30 years. Almost all of his books have been great, fast paced excitement, plausible stories rooted in history or great espionage thrillers designed to provide dashing heroes and "Daring Do" plots to show how good the good guys can be and how bad the bad guys can be. However, after the last three books dealing with the Rashid dynasty I had made the decision NOT to buy this lasted excuse for a "Jack Higgins" novel. However it was my birthday and my kids bought it for me. So I had to read it. (I wish they had bought me an UGLY tie instead.) This book follows the trend of the last two books. The characters are the same old tired bunch. The book jumps back and forth so much it loses continuity and all sense of rhythm. However on a bright note by now Mr. Higgins assumes we all know Sean Dillion's complete life history so he doesn't explain it to us each time the great "Sean Dillion's" name is mentioned. The plot is as weak as a two week old tea bag and about as exciting. There is NO action in the book what so ever! Most of the book is written in the third person as a narrative. There is very little dialog between the characters. If any more people are shot and fall off the balcony of the Gangster's penthouse on the Wapping Pier, then the British govt. can designate it the official execution chamber of the "Wandsworth's Prison". Also if the Salter's are such rich and powerful "Govners" in the British underworld, why do they have such a crappy security system if they have one at all? Also the friendly banter between people who have just tried to kill each other for the second, third and in some cases fourth time is ludicrous. Also if they are that bad at killing each other, how did these people become the pre-eminent spies/agents of their respective governments? By the next book I expect to see poor old Hannah Bernstein back in action because all the bad guys get resurrected why shouldn't Mr. Higgins inflict it on one of the good guys too? Not only does Mr., Higgins keep replaying the falling dead guy off the balcony but this is the third time that Dillon has been shot down flying a sea plane and just like in the book "Thunder Point" he goes down in the same water depth and of course just off shore with in easy swimming distance. Otherwise he wouldn't be able to heroically drag his companions to the beach and save them. Another point I am sure that Al Bowlly was a Great Jazz Pianist but didn't these guys ever listen to anyone else. Also since when does every Bad guy in the book have to be a Jazz pianist himself? Come on Mr.' Higgins, the books are getting repetitive and boring. The best thing that could have happened in this book is that the bad guys would have succeeded and Dillon and company KILLED, DEAD. Then Higgins would have to come up with some new characters for his books. I am sorry this rant was so long but I hate what Higgins is doing to his books. He is too gifted an author to write such garbage. And if his editor won't tell him so then we, his audience should.