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Summary: Typical Higgins Today
Review: I am of the belief that a writer has trouble coming up with new ideas after several books, its a miracle to do thirty three. No doubt there are similaritys. Bushmills, Shepards pie, "Bless all here" are in abundance. The odd part is I still get a kick out of his 007 Dillion. Reminds me of a little Irishman I knew. I'll bet he can write many more in the future and I will look forward to them.
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Summary: Skip It
Review: I enjoy fast reading action thrillers, but this is the first Jack Higgins book I have read, actually I listened to the CD. Throughout, I could not decide what was worse the writing or Patrick Macnee's audio. Reading the earlier books in the series may give me sympathy for the characters, but do not start with this one. I intend to avoid Higgins and Macnee in the future.
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Summary: An Avenger as reader? No thanks!
Review: I like the novels of Jack Higgins. And I admire the acting skills of Patrick MacNee, particularly in the TV series "The Avengers". But the decision to have MacNee read The Midnight Runner is at best tragically comic. Beyond giving each of the American characters decidedly British or Irish accents, MacNee manages to convey the auditory image of the late Robert Newton, in his role as Long John Silver, as each of these characters speak. I kept waiting for an "arrr, matey!" to confirm my suspicions. Even Daniel Quinn, as a Special Forces sergeant in his twenties, is made to sound like a seventy year old Irish sheepherder well into his pints at the local pub. Army and political leaders are made to sound like stage buffoons in a Victorian farce. MacNee's narration will undoubtedly appeal to some: a group of small children comes to mind - there would be many rounds of hysterical giggling. I could only tolerate the first disc, and was thankful I had borrowed the audio book from the local library, instead of purchasing it.
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Summary: Entertaining for an afternoon's reading , not Higgins' best.
Review: I think I read just about every book that Higgins comes out with and I find myself becoming disenchanted with them. I liked that early one, "The Eagle Has Landed" because the attempt to kill Churchill plot was very well done. Too many of Higgins books since then have either built on that first one or followed a similar pattern, Midnight Runner is one of them. I find it entertaining for an afternoon's relaxation but the story is somewhat farfetched (an IRA hitman working for British Intelligence and the crazed half Arab woman out for revenge )and formulaic. Read it for fun, not as great literature.
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Summary: Too Much Typecasting Spoils the Broth
Review: In looking through Jack Higgins extensive list of publications, I discovered that I had read another of his novels years ago - 'The Eagle Has Landed.' I literally remember nothing about it, but given the elapsed time involved, that is not surprising. On the other hand, this is not a particularly memorable novel either, and I suspect I will forget it in far fewer years.'Midnight Runner,' the sequel to 'Edge of Danger,' sets out to be a classic spy thriller. Kate Rashid, half-wealthy Arab and half-English nobility, is the villain of the piece, along with her cousin Rupert Dauncy. She is determined to have revenge for the killing of her brothers when their evil plans were snuffed out in the previous volume. Dauncy just likes to do nasty things. The list of people Kate Rashid wants to get even with is quite large, including the President of the United States and several of his staff, Senator Daniel Quinn, most of British Intelligence, and, especially, Sean Dillon, the British agent who has been her nemesis. Kate, the only remaining Rashid, is not 'just' wealthy, she controls the lion's share of world oil production, heads up a large clan of Bedouin tribesmen, and is funding almost every terrorist organization in the world. Indeed, her idea of revenge is to kill of a few people personally and then bring down the world around them. It does not help matters that not only is she wealthy and determined, she is also possessed of a brilliant mind. Small wonder that Dan Quinn and Sean Dillon are determined to see the end of her. The story has all the right ingredients - menacing villains, roguish heroes, a fast moving complex plot, and the required threat to the free world - but for some reason it fails to sell itself. I found myself unhappy with the sketchy, archetypal characters that Higgins uses to people this story. Everyone is exactly the way you would expect him or her to be, from the President right on down to the Arab servant. No one displays a lot of originality, and as soon as anyone gives into weakness, he or she is ushered from the center stage. Almost everyone has an Irish last name, with the exception of Hannah Bernstein (who should get a bigger part) and the Rashid's minions. Characters such as these can make the plot seem inevitable and predictable. As a reader of suspense stories, I like to be surprised a bit more, and to have the ending be in doubt. I also enjoy exotic locales or intriguing technical details and these too are only sketched in. Higgin's writing style is smooth, but minimalistic. I wouldn't call this a 'bad' book, but a mediocre one. If you are looking for a bare boned spy story to fill an hour or so on a rainy afternoon this may be just your cup of tea. Do not, however, expect anything memorable. Marc Ruby for the Mystery Reader
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Summary: an action thriller with no frills
Review: Jack Higgins is a very well established thriller writer who started writing decades ago in the same vein as Alastair MacLean and Ian Fleming. They wrote with a spare direct language creating scenes of action with minimal words or characterizations. This is quite different than today's character driven novels. Nonetheless, over the decades, his popularity hasn't waned. His latest work, MIDNIGHT RUNNER, continues the story from last year's EDGE OF MIDNIGHT. Sean Dillan, an ex IRA warrior, in his tenth outing is, once again, pitted against the Rashid family specifically Kate Rashid, the sole heir to the family's fortune. Countess Kate wants to disrupt the stability of the United States economy by disrupting the flow of oil even if it is her oil distribution that is directly affected. The purpose is to discredit President Cazalet's reputation and legacy. With the help of her cousin, Rupert Dauncey, she also wants to enact her revenge on Sean Dillon who is responsible for several deaths in her family. This leads, of course, to an explosive climax as the forces of good and evil clash. Once again, Jack Higgins remains true to form in creating an action thriller with no frills. Adversaries share dinner and drinks prior to heading to the battlefield. Deaths are, again, dealt with quickly and in a matter-of--fact style. Characters are shallow and lack true depth of feeling. Depiction of locale is a bit flimsy but effective enough for the rapidly paced adrenaline charged plot. The purpose of the Higgins books are simply to entertain and on that level they succeed admirably.
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Summary: Another great Dillon adventure
Review: jack Higgins is fantastic. his last two books really blew me away, and now he's back! Some readers of the last two books were somewhat disappointed due to 2d characters and underdeveloped plot...i can assure you, this time he lacks in no department! I am sure you'll find this a return to form. I myself didn't mind the last books, i thought they were two of his best. fast paced and exciting. Edge of Danger provided some really really compelling characters. And this book continued that trend. it shows us more of Kate rashid, and brings in the excellent Daniel Quinn, who i would love to see again. The writing is first class. Some writers over-write, too complicated and hard to understand, and some writers underwrite, with oversimplification. But jack higgins gets its absolutely perfect. Sean Dillon is great, and all the other regulars are back with force. The plot here is good, although i didnt feel it was quite as good as his previous two. there is less action, and it's not quite as fast paced. However, the characters are still strong. I was a bit disappointed with the fact that Kate Rashid wasn't really "after" Dillion, as i had been lead to believe. I was looking forward to a book where the tables had been turned on the heroes and they were now the ones being hunted. Really hunted. Another quibble...the number of times Higgins mentiond "unleavened bread" and "saville row" suits, really got on my nerves. Does he have to tell us the type of bread every time? Does he only know of one type of suit? (For almost all of the characters, at one point or another in the book, turnbed up wearing a savilel row suit.) one of the other things i have really loved about this book and the last is the setting. They speed around the globe from the Us to London to the Hazar. the landscape of the hazar really is great, and a perfect setting for a thriller novel. Something else i rather liked with this novel was that it was slightly hypocrtical of itself. Kate rashid is embarking upon her vendetta due to the fact that Sean Dillion killed her brothers. But then, during the course of this book, the daughter of Daniel Quinn is killed, and then he vows vengeance. They are in exactly the same situation. It seems to say "well, if Quinn can have vengeance, what is wrong with Kate Rashid wanting it too?" Another interesting point in the past three books has been the way that the character of Billy Salter has grown up. We first (i think) met him in Day of Reckoning, where he was just a slightly naive young lad looking for a good fight to prove himself in. Now, over the course of these books he has really grown up in his attitudes, and it's been fascinating to watch. This is yet another winner from Jack higgins.
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Summary: Midnight Runner
Review: Jack Higgins returns again with his usual bunch of characters. This time around it's Lady Kate Rashid's turn to seek vengeance on the President of the USA as well as Sean Dillon and others. It seems her three brothers were killed attempting to assassinate the president (Edge of Danger). Kate Rashid is one the richest women in the world and thus, has the power to get what she wants. Needless to say, she has no idea what she's soon to come up against: Sean Dillon, Blake Johnson, Harry and Billy Salter, Roper, Daniel Quinn and others. A fast-paced thriller. The character of Sean Dillon is reminding me more and more of a character by the name of Dirk Pitt. You thriller readers know whom I'm talking about. Somehow you just know that no task is impossible. Of course Dirk still rules. This novel was comparable to the previous Dillon novels.
A suspenseful and quick read. Recommended
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Summary: Uneven Intensity
Review: Jack Higgins' 'Midnight Runner' begins with great intensity and suspense, setting the novel's expectations, but stumbles about until arriving at a satisfying ending. An extremely wealthy Kate Rashid seeks vengeance on Sean Dillon, his colleagues and the world for the deaths of her brothers. Higgins takes the reader on various detours - like the woes of a former Senator and war hero, and the struggles of an aging hero scouring a deadly desert. While these detours fill pages and bring back some of Higgins's past protagonists, their purposes are unclear and they do not add to the plot. Dillon continues to gain more depth as a character with each book. His relationship with Hannah Bernstein, which was heating up with each novel - grows cold in this one. This leaves Dillon with deep thoughts, but no purpose. No doubt - 'Midnight Runner' is a decent read. There are just too many sub-plots and too many pages as empty as the deserts Higgins describes.
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Summary: a thrill a nanosecond
Review: Kate Rashid AKA The Countess of Loch Dhu is young, beautiful, and the wealthiest woman in the world. She is half Arab and half English and uses the money to gain even more power than she has already has because she has declared a jihad against some very powerful individuals including the president of the United States. The American's top spymaster Blake Johnson, and his British counterpart General Charles Ferguson and his most lethal agent Sean, an ex-IRA enforcer are her current targets.
She blames them for the death of her three brothers that she loved deeply. She doesn't care they were trying to kill the President and Blake. She wants her revenge and she will have it or die trying. Assisting her in her diabolical plot is her newly discovered relative, Rubert Dauncey. They have something very special planned for their enemies but they don't realize that those they want dead are one step behind or ahead of them, waiting to catch them off guard.
A Jack Higgins novel is usually a thrill a second but MIDNIGHT RUNNER is a thrill a nanosecond. It starts off at warp speed and never slows down for a moment racing towards a life and death finale that will leave readers breathless but satisfied. Fans familiar with this series will be happily reunited with some old and familiar characters while those reading the author for the first time will immediately want to go out and find his back list so they can read it ASAP. Harriet Klausner
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