Avenger Hardcover – September 30, 2003

This book has a very good plot and characterization. It is also well written, researched and edited. John Forsyth is a very talented veteran author and this is typical of his work. My main complaint is that it is too wordy. There is way too much boring detail and other filler material. This book can easily shed 75-100 pages. I’ve read other books by this author, and it’s just his style, but it won’t stop me from reading him again. There are also some plot holes. Despite the flaws I did enjoy it, especially the ending. A clever twist and masterfully done. I rate it at three and a half stars because of the negatives, but it’s still worthwhile reading.As a WW2 history buff, I was pleased to see that Mr. Forsyth saw fit to include parts of the amazing true story of RAF fighter pilot ace Douglas Bader. He did this by casting a fictional character in this book with a past as a fighter pilot squadron mate of Bader during the Battle of Britain. The Bader story is he had lost both his legs in an aviation accident before the war. He then learned how to fly with prosthetic limbs and became a fighter pilot during the war. He is credited with 22 air victories along the way. Bader is one of the “so few” owed “so much” by “so many” that P.M. Winston Churchill waxed ecstatic about in 1940.

This is a rather standard plot involving a mercenary fulfilling a rich guy's quest for justice, and it requires some leaps of faith to buy into everything falling into place as it did which is why I deducted a star. However, the descriptions of the history surrounding the events that shaped the character of the mercenary and the reason for the rich guy's goals were wonderful and contributed greatly to my interest in this book, justifying the 4 star rating.

I love Frederick Forsyth novels, love losing myself in the inevitable twists and turns, love the exquisitely elegant descriptive language. All of his books follow a pattern: introduction to the basic plot, in depth description of underlying conflicts and characters, then the twists and turns and even surprises that lead to the conclusion. I find myself unable to put the book down as I near the final third. This book was no exception. The steps to the conclusion were brilliant. The final surprise floored me. No scene spoilers. One criticism: the back ground of the in-fighting between the various govern intelligence branches was too wordy and complicated. It was hard to tell the good guys from the bad (or, in this case, the ethical from the unethical) i’m Also conflicted about the “what if), Tracking down one war criminal at the expense of losing another major one. I somehow think this is a question the author wanted to leave us with. Great, great book that continues my love affair with this author

Forsyth's novels always include extensive background information on the main character and several other important cast members. Sometimes this seems like Why Do I Care, but you always find out later. The author is very exacting on background facts, many of which are a bit surprising when they describe places or people you thought you knew about. Ingenious plot, ingenious methods used by the title character, and a great (if somewhat credibility-stretching) conclusion. But when I read an adventure story like this, I enjoy having my credibility stretched.

Forsyth is one of the few writers who can pack his work with detail and expert research while remaining highly readable and thoroughly believable, without drowning the reader in narrative. Avenger is no exception, down to the final paragraphs. From the streets of New Jersey, to the tunnels of Vietnam, and to the jungles of South America in pursuit of a vicious war criminal, Avenger is absorbing, exciting reading. The "wow" and a laugh in the final sentences are worth every one of the 460+ pages.

Forsyth sets two plots in motion against each other ... and you want both to succeed!The book could have used a good editor, as some of the word choices are clearly wrong. Not so wrong that you can't figure out the intended meaning, however. Oh, and "formate" is used for "form" -- formations of soldiers to not "formate".Also the tech description of hacking suffers from -- well, several things: the lapse of time (making techniques then state-of-the-art look primitive now), the tendency to use ordinary words in new meanings (which, if not mastered, produces explanations of goobledygook), and processes hard to describe to those who do not use them.But, that said, the story itself is top drawer!

I’m at a point where I can’t get enough of these Forsyth books. Another superb one. Hard to put down. What I, really getting to appreciate mire and more, is that he can pack so much in such a short amount of pages. Definitely recommended, particularly if you’re in to action, action, action. Buy it. You won’t regret it.

Forsyth excels at creating locales and populating them with believable characters. He weaves together back-stories and relationships, and moves us towards a satisfying denouement. Where some reviewers find undue length, I find exacting and exciting detail. I finished it in one sitting!