Windsor Books

I enjoy reading thrillers, and my tastes tend towards military/action thrillers, techno-thrillers and international thrillers. At the moment Geoffrey Archer is my favorite author, and of the four Geoffrey Archer books I've read so far I consider "Eagle Trap" to be the best, and worth five stars. (I gave four stars to "Skydancer", "Shadow Hunter" and "Java Spider".)

There are two common problems that plague thrillers.

The first common problem is that in an attempt to make the story very exciting the author crafts a plot that is not believable. Things happen that are too unlikely, or people act in unrealistic ways, or there is a complicated sequence of many interdependent events that is too improbable when considered as a whole. Another possible cause of lack of believability is that the author talks about technological gadgets that he/she didn't really understand and makes mistakes that I, having some knowledge of technology, can see through.

The other common problem that plagues thrillers is poor characterization of the people in the story. The heroes are very brave and tough and the bad guys are extremely nasty and heartless, and they just don't come across as real people. They are two-dimensional clichés, nothing more.

"Eagle Trap" fortunately avoids both of these common problems. The story is very exciting and scary, and yet believable. And the characters are also believable and act like real people, especially the "good guys".

The story takes place in the early 1990's at the time of the breakdown of the Soviet Union. Two nuclear warheads being moved from Armenia to Russia are stolen and end up in the hands of an Arab gang leader in Lebanon. This Arab gang leader has a burning desire to revenge the death of his brother by inflicting a terrible blow on the British. Specifically, he intends to detonate a nuclear warhead next to the HMS Eagle, the British aircraft carrier that was involved in the bombing attack that killed his brother.

Geoffrey Archer's background as a journalist can be seen in his realistic (I assume) descriptions of various conflict areas around the Mediterranean. The hostilities between Russia, Armenia, Iraq, Turkey, the Kurds, Lebanon and Libya all play a certain role. Even the hostilities between Spain and Britain over Gibraltar come into play in the book, increasing the overall excitement.

Adding to the realism and excitement of the story is the fact that the hero, Capt. Peter Brodrick of the British Marines, is very human. He makes mistakes, misses observing things, is often very frightened, and lets his emotions get away with him occasionally. His girlfriend is also refreshingly appealing, with a disarming sense of humor and a simple-minded tenacity when the going gets tough.

There are many military action sequences for fans of this kind of material. Naval aviation operations on both the HMS Eagle and on the American aircraft carrier The USS Carl Jackson are described in detail. Operations by the British Marines on land and at sea also play a part in the story as does a Russian submarine that plays havoc with the plans of the British and the Americans.

On top of everything else there are even several surprising twists in the plot, and times when the best laid plans simply fall apart, just like in real life. There is a slow but sure increase in the suspense as we move towards the surprising climax.

To repeat what I said at the start of this review, "Eagle Trap" is the best of the four Geoffrey Archer books that I've read so far. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of his books.

Rennie Petersen

Jane Hieb has done an excellent job researching this fair Midwestern town. I'll recommend this to anyone interested in this particular town's history, or anyone who might enjoy learning more about the hard work and sacrifices that everyday Americans face when trying to build a functioning community. Also, if you can get a hold of it, a must read is Jane Hieb's "Country Roads and Other Trecherous Paths." You may have to directly write the author to get a hold of it, but this hillarious collection of real life stories is well worth it. Some of the most enjoyable and heart warming non-fiction comes not from celebrities or politicians or New York Times bestselling authors but from hard working Americans who happen to have a great gift for writing. Get both of these books and you well surely treasure them.

This book was my first online purchase from Amazon. Since then, I have purchased two other booklets. I have been pleased with all three. The Ruscha book was new. It arrived well packed and not dented.