Rating: 
Summary: A great novel, fresh and full of twists
Review: The thickness of the book is worthwhile the effort going through it. In the Negotiator, Quinn is tasked with negotiating with kidnappers of the son of the US President. But behind the kidnap is a diabolical plot to destabilise the President who is keen on de-armaments, much to the dismay of some of his own countrymen.Fast and furious through much of the story, the author knew how to slow things down to reflect the tension mounting while waiting for the kidnappers to call, and waiting for them to call again. The novel is not a handbook on handling a kidnap crisis but it does highlight certain issues worth bearing in mind, mainly, survival of the victim should be the most important. The author added twists in unexpected places, unlike many writers nowadays who made everything so plain with clear subtexts. Quinn as a character, was driven first to secure the safety of the kidnap victim, and later find himself tracking down the kidnappers, his only clue being the flimsiests of flimsiests. What was not satisfying was the parallel plots introduced early in the book on two militant groups, one Russian, one American, to launch take-over in oil-producing countries of the Middle East to secure the fuel supply for the colossal demand of their respective countries. As the novel progresses, one plot became inexplicably dormant, while the other produced a subplot which was also left hanging in the air. Both plots were too casually concluded at the end of the novel. Also unlike other thrillers, readers are not told that the villains are all-so-powerful that penetrated the highest government and have spies everywhere; it just makes them boring. The novel did provide a few good portrayals of the characters, not too shallow, but enough to make it interesting to watch them act according to their motivations. The author showed that villains did not do bad things because they were evil, they were evil because they did things following their own motivations which had unhealthy impact on others, except for psychopaths, of course. In such light, even characters who are traditionally the villains can be put in a good light, something which the author has accomplished. This book gives pure pleasure while reading because readers would not be able to know the ending, just that it would be ... unexpected.
Rating: 
Summary: A superb, well-researched thriller
Review: This book is an absolute must-read for every mystery-thriller fan. Frederick Forsyth here develops an interesting and ultimately shocking plot that involves the top government officials of the cold war era superpowers and how they try to come to grips with a heinous act of terrorism with the aid of a master hostage negotiator. Forsyth develops his characters admirably providing a detailed background and motivation for each without dragging the plot down in any way. The story maintains its realism and suspense from the very first page right upto the last one. I have found this to be Forsyth's best work since his masterpiece "The Day of the Jackal."
Rating: 
Summary: mediocre for Forsyth, which means it's worth a look
Review: This is not one of Forsyth's better books in my opinion, but it's still an enjoyable read overall. While Quinn, "the negotiator," is an interesting and entertaining character to follow, I don't think he lives up to the claim of "Forsyth's best yet." The plots and subplots here are really nothing very unique, but the book is good because of the way Forsyth tells it and puts it together. There are some nice surprises, especially in the last third of the book, and the conclusion, while perhaps quick, is quite satisfactory. The inclusion of Margaret Thatcher and Mikhail Gorbachev in their respective real-life political roles is handled well but is by no means a primary focus of the book. The Negotiator is good, but if you're pressed for time and can only choose one Forsyth novel, you'd be better served to choose one of the others.
Rating:
Summary: mediocre for Forsyth, which means it's worth a look
Review: This is not one of Forsyth's better books in my opinion, but it's still an enjoyable read overall. While Quinn, "the negotiator," is an interesting and entertaining character to follow, I don't think he lives up to the claim of "Forsyth's best yet." The plots and subplots here are really nothing very unique, but the book is good because of the way Forsyth tells it and puts it together. There are some nice surprises, especially in the last third of the book, and the conclusion, while perhaps quick, is quite satisfactory. The inclusion of Margaret Thatcher and Mikhail Gorbachev in their respective real-life political roles is handled well but is by no means a primary focus of the book. The Negotiator is good, but if you're pressed for time and can only choose one Forsyth novel, you'd be better served to choose one of the others.
Rating:
Summary: mediocre for Forsyth, which means it's worth a look
Review: This is not one of Forsyth's better books in my opinion, but it's still an enjoyable read overall. While Quinn, "the negotiator," is an interesting and entertaining character to follow, I don't think he lives up to the claim of "Forsyth's best yet." The plots and subplots here are really nothing very unique, but the book is good because of the way Forsyth tells it and puts it together. There are some nice surprises, especially in the last third of the book, and the conclusion, while perhaps quick, is quite satisfactory. The inclusion of Margaret Thatcher and Mikhail Gorbachev in their respective real-life political roles is handled well but is by no means a primary focus of the book. The Negotiator is good, but if you're pressed for time and can only choose one Forsyth novel, you'd be better served to choose one of the others.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome Plot, Dripping with Suspense
Review: This was my personal "Best Fiction" book that I read in 2000. It is not only a fascinating look at hostage negotiation principles (that can be applied in all negotiations) but it is an amazingly creative plot that keeps you guessing and interesting to the end. If you are looking for a well-written, well-researched, multi-locale book that keeps you guessing and marveling at twists, read this book!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: This was the very first book [in English] that I read from cover to cover. The story, the characters and the writing style was so well done and powerful that I ended up asking for more. After reading this book I haven't stopped reading. The story is so convincing that the exitement, desperation, anger, happiness and heroism are not enough...It's just a great plot.
Rating:
Summary: Fast and furious!
Review: Though the actual mechanics of the nefarious plot can get confusing and far-fetched at times, it does not distract the reader from the main narrative, which flies along at a crackling pace. Forsyth expertly notches up the suspense with no letup, even when the story makes a huge turn close to the halfway mark. I was expecting a slowdown at that point, but the story races ahead so smoothly that I couldn't help but continue reading (and this was at 4am!). The plot has aged, having been overtaken by world events since its publication, and the characters are not fully realised, but the taut, focused writing makes up for all the shortcomings. A very satisfying read that beats, hands down, most thrillers of more recent vintage. Not many books are like that nowadays. What a pity.
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