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rbecker29's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
ian_k's review against another edition
5.0
The best espionage thriller I’ve read. Ken Follett has earned my reading loyalty immediately once I picked this up.
missyjohnson's review against another edition
3.0
did not see that this won and Edgar until I had finished. That committee seems to do a good job on picking winners IMO
sandiet's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoy espionage novels and I should add a few more to my TBR list. So much research has to go into these types of books (situations, characters, locations). I liked this quite a bit and there's also things I didn't like. I'll update with a full review after we discuss at our bookclub meeting.
Updated: Feb 22, 2021
Our bookclub meeting was last week so now I can elaborate on my views. I liked the characters in this book, even the German spy Henry Faber, die Nadel/The Needle. The intrigue, the calculating minds, Henry's coldness and his compassion (he didn't like killing it was just part of a job he HAD to do to complete his mission), everything about this book made it a page turner and that is why I was extremely disappointed with the epilogue. It felt rushed, as if the author was told "okay you have too many pages already let's just wrap it up." I was ready to give this 5 stars for making me feel compassion for the antagonist but the ending blew it in my opinion. The other ladies were okay with how it ended but I don't like rushed tidy endings at all. The editors missed the mark on this one in my opinion. A good read though and I'll be on the lookout for more of his spy novels.
Updated: Feb 22, 2021
Our bookclub meeting was last week so now I can elaborate on my views. I liked the characters in this book, even the German spy Henry Faber, die Nadel/The Needle. The intrigue, the calculating minds, Henry's coldness and his compassion (he didn't like killing it was just part of a job he HAD to do to complete his mission), everything about this book made it a page turner and that is why I was extremely disappointed with the epilogue. It felt rushed, as if the author was told "okay you have too many pages already let's just wrap it up." I was ready to give this 5 stars for making me feel compassion for the antagonist but the ending blew it in my opinion. The other ladies were okay with how it ended but I don't like rushed tidy endings at all. The editors missed the mark on this one in my opinion. A good read though and I'll be on the lookout for more of his spy novels.
geen_22's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
lackema's review against another edition
5.0
War novel meets a spy novel meets a romance kinda. Very entertaining
kalupy's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.25
riverdeboz's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0