12-4

This suspenseful military story is set primarily on the island of Jersey during the last months of WWII, book-ended through the lens of a researcher and one of the protagonists meeting in the 1980s. It has some fun twists and plot elements. ( )

Set in the German-occupied Channel Islands when Hugh Kelso, an American with knowledge of the plans for the D-Day landings, is shipwrecked and washed up on Jersey. He must be rescued or silenced. Well-written and filled with action, this will satisfy anyone looking for a WWII adventure. ( )

In this genre, Jack Higgins is hard to beat. His books are fast-paced without giving up character development. They are deep reads, not simple ones. The plot in this novel was fun and had a number of twists that were not easy to see coming. This story involved spies going behind lines in disguise during WWII to rescue or "silence" a shipwrecked officer, one of the few men with knowledge of the upcoming invasion of Normandy. It contained a fun twist on the real Nazi Erwin Rommel. Higgins books are detailed and well-researched. I have never been disappointed reading one. ( )

Night of the Fox - Jack Higgins ****

Higgins is easily my favourite author, he may not be the most talented or refined writer in the world but when he is on form he is easily the best of the action/boys own adventure, with intricate plots and action dripping from every page he really knows his subject matter. But what really sets him apart from many of his fellow authors is his ability to weave fact into fiction, leaving the reader wondering if his story was ever reality. Higgins first successfully used this formula in The Eagle Has Landed and carried on developing it over the next decade or so, for those unfamiliar, it involves a modern reporter/historian digging into missions of the second world war that have been buried for decades, only to find that the truth was much stranger than they ever could have imagined.

What is it about?
It is quite difficult to write about the plot without spoiling any of the twists throughout the novel, but if I had to sum it up it would be this: Britain is on the threshold of the D Day landings, a select group of officers have been briefed on the invasion plans, however when one of these (Colonel Hugh Kelso) is injured over the English Channel and washed up in Jersey all plans could be destroyed if the Nazis manage to get their hands on him. In order to ensure this doesn’t happen the British send in Harry Martineau accompanied with Sarah Drayton to either rescue or silence Kelso. Meanwhile on the other side of the channel the Desert Fox (Rommel) has his own agenda to sway the progression of the war, part of which involves a visit to Jersey. With deception and subterfuge on both sides, will either complete their mission or will the missions be destroyed unknowingly by the others enemy?

What did I like?
What is there not to like? If you are a lover of books set during wartime then this is for you. Who doesn’t like reading about Nazi’s, undercover missions and men that would put a bullet between your eyes before they even give you a second look. I love the way Higgins builds the intrigue and leaves you second guessing what is going to happen next. He is truly one of those writers where I keep promising myself one more chapter and I will turn out the light, only to find the whole book has been eaten up.

What didn’t I like?
As mentioned Higgins tends to get ‘stuck’ on a formula now and again, and even though it has proved to be his success over the years, regular readers may find events repeated. Night of the Fox is no exception, and a number of the characters are rehashed. We have the tough Irish man, the girl who falls in love at the drop of a hat, the military man who having suffered personal tragedy no longer cares if he lives or dies and the ever present bad guy who is tired of the war and could possibly be a good guy underneath it all.

Would I recommend?
As an introduction to Higgins I would have to say look elsewhere first (my own personal favourites are The Eagle has Landed and Prayer for the Dying), having said that this novel is easily in the top 25% of his works and was written probably just as his creativity was starting to decline. Any fans of the author should lap this book up and I am sure than anyone unfamiliar to him will use this as a stepping stone to discover his 70+ other novels. ( )