Rating: 
Summary: Hornet Flight
Review: Nobody writes more compelling, harder to put down spy novels than Follett. While this is not up to the level of his finest books (Eye of the Needle and Man from St. Petersburg) it is very good. The characters are interesting and well thought out. Anytime he chooses to combine spys, murder, sex and Nazis, it is a sure winner in my book.
Rating:
Summary: A good read by Follett
Review: I haven' read a Follett novel since Eye of the Needle which I thought was one of the best spy/suspense novels written during the 20th century. When I picked up Hornet Flight I knew I was going to be told a story that I would not forget. Well, Hornet Flight is good, I mean good....but it is not up to Eye of the Needle.
The story revolves around Harald Olufsen an eighteen year old Dane and information he holds regarding a secret German installation that allows the Nazis to shoot down at will the British long-range bombers before they can reach their objectives. The story is fast paced and full of very believable characters. One of the things I like about Follett's stories is that if you're a villain, then you are completely nasty. No grays here.
You'll enjoy the book even though it is contrived and predictable in places. You can forgive this because there are twists and turns that keep you from becoming too bored. If you've liked other Follett novels you're probably going to enjoy this one.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Up to Standards
Review: Follett has written a number of wonderful books including Jackdaws. Hornet Flight like Jackdaws deals with penetration into occupied Europe, but unlike his past efforts the characters were not believable. Harald the hero and his girl friend Kathy are totally dependent on unreal coincidences to move the plot along. There were opportunities of character development especially with Kathy's and Harald's parents but instead they were made comic book, as a prior reviewer said, figures. In short I would rather invest my time in reading some wonderful prior Follett's than this effort.
Rating:
Summary: Not a bad novel
Review: I enjoyed reading this book. It reads well and the story is interesting.
There are a few parts that are far fetched or not very well explained (the author skips some parts - a guy shakes off a covert police tail and the next minute he is the most wanted person and his poster is on every wall of the city...., but the police doesn't know that he guy has done anything wrong just yet?!)
I also noticed a typo (a word missing) if anyone cares...
I think it would make a good movie! My first Ken Follett novel, I think I'll be reading more of his work.
Rating: 
Summary: Paint-By-Numbers WWII Thriller
Review: In the past I've enjoyed Follet's earlier thrillers, such as Eye of the Needle and The Key to Rebecca, and I certainly like WWII spy tales, but this newest one is pretty paint-by-the-numbers. Set in occupied Denmark in June 1941, at the height of Nazi power, the story is about a spy ring desperately trying to figure out the German's new secret weapon-radar. At the center of the story is Harald, a whiz-kid teenager with a mechanical bent who stumbles into the resistance and his Jewish ballerina girlfriend helper. Also entangled in the story are the Harald's brother (in Danish Air Force), his brother's fiancee (who runs the Danish Desk at MI6), the boy's stern preacher father, various schoolmates, the girl's wealthy parents, and a Danish policeman who has a vendetta against Harald's family, and his female partner. Apparently partly based on real event (it would have been nice to have an afterword which explained this in detail), the book is loaded with coincidences which strain credulity. The characters' relationships all dovetail far too neatly. The action moves swiftly and everything is well-paced, but it's rather like an old fashioned "Boy's Own" adventure, or perhaps a Hardy Boys or something, with some really terrible dialogue and scenes where the teen heroes get to meet Winston Churchill and the Danish King. I suppose it'll serve the purpose if you're desperate for a WWII thriller for airplane or beach, but Follett's written much better books, and if you're looking for the real deal in WWII espionage fiction, try anything by Alan Furst. And if you're looking for good histories about the Danish resistance to Nazi occupation, check out Darkness Over Denmark, and In Denmark It Could Not Happen.
Rating:
Summary: Superboy meets Batgirl in Denmark
Review: I've forgotten more about 'Eye of the Needle' than I remember, but that thriller built around Die Nedel and Lucy Rose the lonely wife on Storm Island towers above Follett's current tale that centers on an island radar station in occupied Denmark. 'Hornet Flight' features eighteen-year-old Harald Olufsen, his Jewish friend Tick, Tick's adventurous twin sister Karen and Harald's brother Arnie a grounded Danish pilot engaged to Hermia Mount. Hermia is a British MI 6 analyst working with Digby Hoare, Churchill's assistant whose brother was shot down by the Luftwaffe. Whatever of whoever Frea is, it's the key to the Germans' uncanny anticipation of RAF assaults. Every member of the cast will have a role in unraveling the mystery with Peter Flemming, a detestable duty-conscious Danish policeman obsessed with pleasing the Nazi authorities, single minded in his determination to expose them all as spies. Parts of the story are based on fact, and I do believe in the tremendous courage that very ordinary people must have shown when faced with Nazi occupation and sycophantic sympathizers. In his effort to depict that, however, Follett creates a story that feels like an old movie serial leaving the audience hanging as the heroes face insurmountable obstacles at the end of every segment. The escape scene in the Hornet Moth is laugh out loud ludicrous. Then whiz kid Harald instantly figures out what the best British scientific and military minds never considered. Enough! When one part World War II adventure story and one part tale of unsung heroes get wrapped together in a series of comic book action scenes, even Follett's mastery with words can't save the day.
Rating: 
Summary: Exciting WWII tale
Review: Ken Follett can usually be depended upon to deliver a story full of action, adventure and suspense, and his latest is no exception. Once again we are back in the dark days of WWII when the Nazis are at the height of their conquest of Western Europe. In this tale, the location is Denmark, a place not usually the subject of wartime espionage tales. We are given the story of how the Allies were able to overcome the German advantage in early radar, and it is told with all of the old skill of this famous author. We have the intrepid hero, the conflicted Nazi-leaning policeman, the spunky female love interest, and the regular host of supporting characters that we have all come to know and love from Mr. Follett's books. It's formula writing, but it's formula writing at its best, and the reader keeps turning the poages from beginning to end. That's all one can require from a book of this type, and the author delivers. It's great escapist entertainment, and I recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Jackdaws clone
Review: See book description above. Written in the same vein as "Jackdaws", This World War 2 novel is also about some unlikely heroes.
Ken Follett can certainly tell a good story though his last couple novels are not his best. They have good depth and characters but the story is not as thrilling and involving as his older works. As everyone else seems to think, his earlier novels are much better. 'Pillars of the Earth' is one of my all time favorites. I'm not yet giving up on reading Follett but I certainly hope his next novel will be like his old novels. Still Recommended for the Follett fan.
Rating:
Summary: Digging into the Old Pockets
Review: Have you ever dug into the pockets of an old coat and found a wadded five dollar bill? Imagine the secret delight, the sense of discovery, the feeling of regaining something you'd totally forgotten about. "Hornet Flight" is that sort of delight. I was an early Follett fan, devouring "The Eye of the Needle," "The Key to Rebecca," and "The Man from St. Petersburg." His strengths--his characters, his detailed research, his pacing--kept me coming back for more. Then, as Follett branched into other areas of fiction, my interest wavered. The WWII theme of this latest book brought me back, and I discovered that forgotten "five dollar bill." The story revolves around young Harald Olafsun, a Danish man faced with the occupation of the Nazis and the bland apathy of many of his countrymen. When he realizes that the Nazis have a new technology that gives them the edge in air-battles, when he finds himself entangled in a budding resistance movement, he uncovers his own courage and the surprising resilence of his fellow people...and the treachery of some of her trusted authorities. Soon, Harald and an attractive Danish upperclass girl come to the realization that they alone have the ability to get invaluable info to the British by way of a dangerous flight in a dilapidated Hornet Moth. "Hornet Flight" is not the most valuable thriller I've ever found, not the slickest or most modern, but it's a nice surprise all the same. Follett's old skills are evident--characters we can believe, well-balanced pacing, and the details to make wartime Denmark seem touchable. I'm sure glad I dug into these old pockets. You just never know what you might find.
Rating:
Summary: Electrifying espionage action.
Review: Ken Follett's "Hornet Flight" is a fast paced page burner set at the start of WWII. With locales in Denmark and Great Britain, it blends fact and fiction. Mr. Follett is at his best when the setting is WWII. The plot shows how the heroic action of a few individuals behind the lines can alter the outcome of war. The Nazis are still the ultimate bad guys in fact and fiction and it is always fun to see them outwitted. The characters are quite strong, believable and they really come alive. There are enough twists and turns to make you wonder if the protagonists will triumph---as these Nazis are not portrayed as buffoons---they are worthy adversaries. While there are some predicable resolutions, overall it is a fascinating, irresistible read filled with plenty of tension.
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