The master storyteller is back with a vengeance. Two main characters dominate with various sub plots involving Somali pirates and the like but this is in essence traditional Forsyth, a classic cat-and-mouse thriller. There is a jihadist known as the Preacher with a US marine known as the Tracker out to get him. We have a hacker too for this is bang up to date stuff with cyberspace involved. Gripping, compulsive and most importantly of all, a wonderful read.
The Kill List: a top secret catalogue of names held at the highest level of the US government. On it, those men and women who would threaten the world’s security. And at the top of it, The Preacher, a radical Islamic cleric whose sermons inspire his followers to kill high profile Western targets in the name of God. As the bodies begin to pile up in America, Great Britain and across Europe, the message goes out: discover this man’s identity, locate him and take him out.
Tasked with what seems like an impossible job is an ex-US marine who has risen through the ranks to become one of America’s most effective intelligence chiefs. Now known only as The Tracker, he must gather what scant evidence there is, collate it and unmask The Preacher if he is to prevent the next spate of violent deaths. Aided only by a brilliant teenaged hacker, he must throw out the bait and see whether his deadly target can be drawn from his lair…
Frederick Forsyth is the author of ten bestselling novels: The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File, The Dogs of War, The Devil's Alternative, The Fourth Protocol, The Negotiator, The Deceiver, The Fist of God, Icon and Avenger. His other works include The Biafra Story, The Shepherd, two short story collection, No Comebacks and The Veteran, and a sequel to The Phantom of the Opera, The Phantom of Manhattan. He has also collected together an anthology of flying tales, Great Flying Stories, which includes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Roald Dahl, Len Deighton and H.G. Wells. He lives in Hertfordshire, England.
In February 2012 Frederick Forsyth was announced as the winner of the prestigious CWA Diamond Dagger 2012. Chair of the CWA Peter James said, “Frederick Forsyth is a hugely deserving recipient and The Day of the Jackalremains one of the greatest thrillers of our times. He has set a new standard of research-based authenticity with his writing, which has had a major influence both on my work and on many of my contemporaries in the crime and thriller field. We are very thrilled that he has accepted this award.”
The CWA Diamond Dagger is a much-coveted lifetime achievement award and as the name suggests, it was sponsored by Cartier, who have done so since its inception in 1986 through to 2011. The winners’ careers have been marked by sustained excellence, and they have made a significant contribution to crime fiction published in the English language.
