Rating: Summary: it drew me in Review: i must say that i really enjoyed this book. soo much that i have since gone back in time and read every higgins book that features dillon from the beginning. what a great group of characters. if you enjoy stories about master disguise artists, this is for you
Rating: Summary: Good writer, poor writing. Review: I ordinarily like Jack Higgins' books, but the dialogue in this one was juvenile. The plotting was okay, but the character, Sean's, over-used, back slapping, "I don't care if I die" dialogue is just silly after a while. Ferguson is an over-stuffed Englishman. When Higgins writes dialogue for his Americian characters, their dialogue sounds English, not American. This book needed an editor familiar with American idiom. Higgins can do better.
Rating: Summary: Sean Dillon is back - and we're glad Review: I really like Sean Dillon and I am glad that he is back. I enjoyed this book and the characters.
Rating: Summary: Higgins does it again! Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this one! It's Sean Dillon to the rescue again. Dillon is like the Energizer Bunny - he just keeps going and going, but he never seems to tire of killing bad guys. I have enjoyed every Higgins book I have ever read - including this one. It kept me guessing who the White House Connection was right up to the end.A great read! If you're a Higgins fan, this is one not to miss!
Rating: Summary: Worth every penny Review: I was very engrossed in this story. If I didn't have so many business conflicts, I would have listened to the entire selection in one sitting. I've liked every Jack Higgins book that I've ever read. I usually read murder mysteries, so I am continually amazed at how good his books are. My only regret is that the bookstores have so few in stock.
Rating: Summary: A thoroughly entertaining book by a master of suspense... Review: I've read few Jack Higgins books, and this was my first. That said, I didn't know any of the recurring characters or their stories, yet it didn't make a difference. The story makes perfect sense without foreknowledge of the characters, and this was still a great book. In the opening pages, an assassin waits patiently for a Senator to arrive at his residence. Against the backdrop of a light rain, two men pull a woman into an alley with the intent to rape her. The assassin comes to her aid, and we find that the assassin is an old woman, a kindly old grandmother! From this moment on, my interest was peaked. I had to find out who this woman was, how she entered her profession, etc. I was not disappointed. "The White House Connection" is a spy thriller true to its purpose, perfect for a rainy day or an extended plane ride. If you like Jack Higgins, you'll definitely love this novel. And if you've never read his work, this is a great starting point. For a quick reality escape, read this book! Britt Gillette ...
Rating: Summary: A thoroughly entertaining book by a master of suspense... Review: I've read few Jack Higgins books, and this was my first. That said, I didn't know any of the recurring characters or their stories, yet it didn't make a difference. The story makes perfect sense without foreknowledge of the characters, and this was still a great book. In the opening pages, an assassin waits patiently for a Senator to arrive at his residence. Against the backdrop of a light rain, two men pull a woman into an alley with the intent to rape her. The assassin comes to her aid, and we find that the assassin is an old woman, a kindly old grandmother! From this moment on, my interest was peaked. I had to find out who this woman was, how she entered her profession, etc. I was not disappointed. "The White House Connection" is a spy thriller true to its purpose, perfect for a rainy day or an extended plane ride. If you like Jack Higgins, you'll definitely love this novel. And if you've never read his work, this is a great starting point. For a quick reality escape, read this book! Britt Gillette ...
Rating: Summary: A vengeful mom "smokes" the bad guys. Review: If this group of characters had been half as tough as they appeared, at least some of them could have given up smoking. This was not up to Higgin's prior works. He went out of his way to explain why they all lit up and failed to develop either the plot or characters. Perhaps he felt that he had done this in his previous books. Same characters - same plot.
Rating: Summary: Great work from a master Review: In 1996, American expatriate Lady Helen Lang and her beloved spouse Roger learn that the IRA killed their son Peter in a car bombing. One year later, a broken Roger also dies. Three years later, a dying Tony Emsworth mysteriously asks Helen to see him. Helen learns the truth behind the death of her son. An IRA splinter group (The Sons of Erin) and the Connection (an unknown person with ties to the White House) insured that Jack Barry and associates had insider information to torture and murder Peter. The elderly Helen knows she too is dying. She decides to enact vengeance on the five members of The Sons of Erin, Barry, and the Connection. She begins her methodical killing of the seven individuals who destroyed her family. Though she gains much empathy from the American and British governments, they fear she may wreck the Irish peace process. Even though the espionage groups admire the assassin, they know they must stop the killer before the peace process becomes a victim too. Jack Higgins is a name synonymous with the best action-packed stories. His latest tale, THE WHITE HOUSE CONNECTION, is a superb sequel to his wonderful novel, THE PRESIDENT'S DAUGHTER. The story line, woven around the Irish quest for peace, is cleverly designed and keeps readers' attention from first page to the exciting climax. The return cast from the first book remains interesting and hopefully will co-star in another tale. However, this novel clearly belongs to Helen of Boston, whose actions leave two governments teetering and the espionage crowd wondering if that's the face that burned the Sons of Erin? Harriet Klausner
Rating: Summary: Quick Read but Higgins Has Done Better Review: In The White House Connection, Jack Higgins, the prolific thriller writer has again reprised former IRA terrorist Sean Dillon, Brigadier Charles Ferguson,Hannah Bernstein and Blake Johnson in a fast paced story where the combined talents of British and American intelligence are used to thwart Irish terrorism. In this continuation of the Sean Dillon saga, Higgins introduces an unlikely opponent for the combined US/UK intell team as they try to determine who is killing off the Sons of Erin and why. That killer, a woman, is as unlikely as any protagonist Higgins has ever used. Without revealing the person's identity (although the author does so early on), suffice it to say that the concept is improbable and unlikely. It seemed as if Higgins was really reaching for something with this book and the reader needs to suspend disbelief more than is usual for novels of this type. In the process of leading the reader through the story, Higgins does his usual good job of providing history lessons right where they are needed to give readers the needed background to explain or amplify why he has written a character or scene a certain way. His intertwining of certain historical facts, especially those on Irish rebel history immediately explain why a Protestant Irish American would be a member of the IRA when everyone knows that the enmity between Catholics and Protestants in Ulster is legendary. When Higgins does this, he is at his best. Another noticeable and at times very annoying feature of this book is that the dialogue Higgins gives the American characters is more British than American. In some cases it is more Irish than American. It almost seems as if Higgins has no knowledge whatever of American idiom and doesn't know how to write using our speech patterns. If you are a fan and doubt this style problem, go back and look closely for it. EVERYONE sounds British. Sean Dillon, the former IRA killer is also inconsistent in his speech patterns as well. Higgins' use of Irish idiom is overdone and also becomes annoying, mostly because it's so unnecessary. Despite my minor annoyances and critiques here, overall, this is a very enjoyable read. The usual Higgins mastery of scene, atmosphere, characterization, tension and pacing all here. If the reader is familiar with the British cast of characters, this book reads quickly and well because we are all glad to be reunited with Sean Dillon and his boss, Brigadier Charles Ferguson. Higgins also provides some really despicable opposition to the intelligence folks. One, named Jack Barry is so hoorible that most readers will probably be praying for his death. This is the kind of book one can easily read over a weekend or on the beach. Despite some minor and easily forgivable irritants, THE WHITE HOUSE CONNECTION is another successful and fast ride through the creative mind of Jack Higgins. If he had avoided overuse of British speech patterns and a more than usually unbelievable main character, I would have awarded this book 5 stars; so with these things in mind, I gave it 4 stars. Fans of Higgins shouldn't miss this one and I recommend to all serious readers of espionage and police procedural novels.
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