Exciting, action packed, and fast moving
adventure but doesn’t match Forsyth’s benchmark thriller. (Review by Keith
Millar)
The problem with Frederick Forsyth books is
that he will always be measured against his first offering, which was the
influential, blockbusting, political thriller The Day of the Jackal. With its fast-paced storytelling,
extraordinary sense of realism and apparent insider information, it is the book
that is widely regarded to have defined the modern thriller.
So, does The Kill List meet that standard? Unfortunately, the answer is no.
Having said that, it remains an
entertaining story and a jolly good read. It has all the hallmarks of a Forsyth
novel. Exhaustively researched, action-packed and with a remarkable sense of
realism. The intelligence services and clandestine military units of the
Western world must be seriously transparent for Forsyth to have the unique
insight he appears to have into their modus operandi. It is often hard to
believe that it is fiction - and not fact - that one is reading.
The Kill List is a top secret list which
contains the names of terrorists who are regarded as so dangerous to the security
of the US, and the rest of the world, that they have been condemned to death
without any attempt of capture.
Currently on top of the list is a radical
Islamic cleric known simply as the Preacher. His sermons of hate, broadcast on
Internet, are inciting young Muslims in America and England to convert to
ultra-radical Islam and to murder high- profile targets in both countries.
Tasked with tracking down and eliminating
the Preacher is one of the top terrorist hunters in the US, code-named the
Tracker. He is the quintessential American hero. An ex US Marine who has risen
through the ranks and has seen service in Afghanistan.
To assist him, the Tracker recruits the
obligatory nerdy but brilliant teenage computer hacker with social problems.
Together, they tackle the task gathering the scant evidence that is available,
collating it and attempting to unmask the Preacher before the spate of violent
deaths escalates.
The
Kill List is an exciting, action packed and fast-moving
adventure. It has all the flair and attention to detail one expects from
Frederick Forsyth. It takes you behind the scenes of global terrorism and the
organizations and individuals who hunt them.
While he may not have achieved the standard
of The Day of the Jackal with this
novel, Forsyth remains a master storyteller and one of the world’s best
thriller writers. As such this book should be well-received by his myriads of
fans as well as admirers of action thrillers in general.
The
Kill List is published by Transworld Publishers. ISBN
9780593071977. Recommended retail price R265. – Keith Millar
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