Duncan Williamson: Book Review Dark Justice hig.html

This is my first Jack Higgins but I don't think it will be my last.

As I was reading this book I was asked what I thought about it: I'd got about a third of the way through it and said that it wasn't very good. It wasn't. However, I persevered and around half way through its 281 pages I began to want to read on until the end without a break.

The basis of the story is that a Russian billionaire is in cahoots with some very dodgy people as he seeks to assassinate the President of the USA. The assassination plot reads like something I might have done, ineptly that is; and it fails badly.

The story then moves to London, takes in Iraq, back to the UK and just about ends in Ireland.

The plot unfolds a lot like those SAS type books you will see that I have reviewed and it is none the worse for that. The major character is Sean Dillon, a former IRA warrior turned British agent.

Higgins has created some good characters for this book at least and I can see the enduring qualities of Sean Dillon although he almost comes a cropper at one stage. There is definitely the feeling that many Argentine soldiers felt during the Falklands war when they heard that the Gurkhas were coming ... they surrendered! When faced with Sean Dillon I know what I'd do!

Higgins is Irish so he's allowed the luxury of making most of the Irish people in this book into being tick outs as they say over there; and they are. Complete dolts most of them as they fail to follow even the simplest of instructions and foolishly believe that Dillon is there for the taking. Tick outs isn't strong enough!

A whiff of romance fills a few of the pages as Dillon has clearly fallen for both of the women in the story: he admires the Russian lady because she saved his life and because he feels she's a true professional and would make a great ally. The lady detective seems to have won his heart although we never hear the words and have to infer it from the concern he shows when she suffers at the hands of the Russians.

The Russians are backed by the billionaire's money but they are a bit of a rag bag army and in the end Dillon does what he has to do and all's well with the world.

As I said, part of the story is set in Baghdad and, you have to believe this bit, Saddam Hussain takes a bow. They meet him, he is given a personality and then we are treated to a car chase and murder scene as Saddam roars his way through Baghdad in a Range Rover. Surreal part of the story and I wonder what Higgins and his editors were thinking by putting it and leaving it in.

A good thriller that sorts itself out in the end to become a highly readable story: I am, however, volunteering to be Jack Higgins' editor from now on. Are you listening Jack?