Rating: 
Summary: WOW!!!!!
Review: All of you Maxim readers are going to need afew more spaces on your "favorite characters" list. The new players Mr. Maxim has brought to us in Whistler's Angel are every bit as memorable as our old favorites from earlier Maxim books. Adam and his clever guardian angel Claudia, Whistler's father, the Twins, all marvelous new characters. And how delightful to run into some of our old Bannerman friends. Thank you Mr. Maxim for bringing us up to date with some of Bannerman's people. Was happy to hear that Paul and Susan now have a family. What do you Bannerman fans think Lesko had to say about that?? and can't you just picture the twins slipping behind the bar to give Billy a hand? Glad to see the Maxim "family" of characters enlarged. They will all get along just fine. Can't wait to see them in future books. If you have never read a Maxim try Whistler's Angel with acouple of warnings. Don't start it if you have other things you need to be doing because you will not be able to put it down and then be prepared to make several trips to your nearest book store because one Maxim is never enough! You will want to read them all. My only complaint with Mr. Maxim is that he could never write fast enough for me.
Rating: 
Summary: Not quite Bannerman
Review: Fun, fast moving story. Not as involved as Maxim's other Bannerman books and a little bit sillier. The story has the typical Maxim confluence of coincidences upon coincidences that make it all rather unbelievable, but still an entertaining read.
Rating:
Summary: Typical Maxim, this "Bannerman redux" is a guilty pleasure
Review: I find it interesting to read all these gushing reviews of Maxim and the Bannerman series. Truth be told, Maxim is not at all in the same league as the 'big boys' whose books routinely outsell his, and for good reason. This is not Clancy, or even Ludlum or even, heaven help us, Custler (and yes, I've read everything by every one of them, as well as all of Maxim's other stuff.) The Bannerman series has silly plotting, unbelievable situations, premises and characters, and wooden dialogue. In addition, some of the books are lifted almost verbatim from others in the series. That said, if you happen to be one of those who likes this kind of thing (and if you're reading this, you probably are :-), you'll most likely finish off "Angel" in one or two sittings.In the same way that Custler, Ludlum and Clancy have recently tried to spin off new series by semi-duplicating their core characters (albeit with other authors doing the actual writing in some cases), this book is the first in a Bannerman spin-off series that Maxim is writing himself. The characters of Adam and Harry Whistler, and their assorted friends and associates, are smudged carbons of the Bannerman gang (who themselves put in an appearance in the final third of the book). So, although one can't honestly praise much about this book, the bottom line is that it's like eating salted almonds: you know there's no nutritional value, you don't really like the taste, you're not quite sure why you're eating the darned stuff in the first place...but that said, you will almost certainly finish the can [grin]. Same here.
Rating:
Summary: Not quite Bannerman
Review: I found Whistler's Angel enjoyable rather than outstanding. I loved some of John Maxim's other books, but would rate this one as OK in paperback, but I'm glad I didn't buy it in hardback. If it was a movie, I'd call it a rental rather than a movie to see in the theatre...Still, it's not a bad way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon and I'd read it again.
Rating:
Summary: A Disappointing Book By A Good Author
Review: I normally like Maxim's books BUT - far too much of this book is taken up by some idiot who keeps saying, "Boss, can I kill him now, boss?" etc, etc. An improbable plot where almost everyone in the book is a killer or supervises killers. You are supposed to believe that the "good killers" are better than the "bad killers." The author never even suspects that killing (in and of itself) is evil. No, it is just that the good guys kill better than the baddies. In Maxim's world, as we find it in this book, maiming and killing are okay because the evil doers have asked for it. I'll normally go along with the author and try to "believe" but this story was way too much of a stretch. Try one of Maxim's other books.
Rating: 
Summary: My first Maxim won't be my last
Review: I picked up a copy Whistler's Angel in an airport bookstore when faced with an unexpected flight delay. I had not read any of Maxim's other works and did not know exactly what to expect. This first exposure will have me going back for more. Maxin spins an intriguing story, effectively bouncing back between the present and the past while building to an exciting climax. The book follows Adam Whistler, an ex-special forces soldier and government assassin who is fighting the realities of his past and the corruption of his superiors, and Claudia (who believes she has been tasked with being Adam's guardian angel following her own brush with death) as they come to grips with events that have brought them together. Whistler's Angel is packed with action, suspense, plot twists and good character development. I suspect, however, that the book would have been better is I was more familiar with some of the characters that clearly had been part of Maxim's previous works. I suppose it is time to go back to the early Maxim, starting with the Bannerman series.
Rating:
Summary: Eccentric Characters Abound in Thoroughly Enjoyable Tale
Review: If you don't have a wry sense of humor, you may not get this latest effort from John Maxim. However, for those of us that enjoy characters with some "character", then this is a must read. Unlike most reviewers, I have not read any of the Bannerman series (although I certainly will now). The villains in this book were absolutely hilarious. Maxim blended the character's outright stupidity with an occasional cunning thought. Maxim nailed their personalities perfectly. The thriller genre is so saturated with stories of evil government types trying to bring down the hero, that the only way an author scores in my mind is by making the characters memorable. Most of the time, it's the hero that provides the memories. Not so here. While Whistler and Claudia have their moments, Lockwood, Crow, and especially Kaplan, steal the show.
Rating:
Summary: The Bannerman Legacy Expands
Review: John R. Maxim is hard to write a review for. He is undoubtly one of my favorite authors, possibly my favorite living author (and may he continue to win that contest for a long time). So it's hard not to gush and expell verbs and adjectives of praise. But... let me force myself. Of course for us harcore Bannerman fans there simply was not enough Bennerman presence, but then he never said it was a Bannerman book. Whistler and Claudia made an intriguing couple, the dialouge was a little 40's dramaish (is that a word?)but the banter was good. I found myself enjoying the bad guys in this book. They were good comic relief, but were believable bad guys for their own reasons. I'm hesitent to visit Hilton Head Island now, it seems a little dangerous these days between the goings on in Haven and this book. But I'll probably go anyway, just to see what happens. John Maxim is the most under rated writer in mystery today. While we all enjoy the adventures of Dirk Pitt and Richard Marcinko's Rogue Warriors, it truly is John Maxim that brings us adventures that we as average ordinary people could possibly find ourselves in. Is it just me or would anyone else like to see the Bannerman books made into film? If they do just promise me they will try and get Brian Dennehy to play Lesko!
Rating:
Summary: It's a good Maxim book - even if not enough Bannerman
Review: Mr. Maxim is one of my favorite authors, so any new volume is a treat. His style of writing is compelling, no matter what the subject matter. When you combine that with his ability to develope living, emotional, well-rounded characters, and high-intense action his books become legends you pass on to other readers. "Whistler ..." is no exception. He's continued Bannerman's story a step further, showing how even the "bad guys" can be human. If someone is looking for stories about what ex-spies do afterwards, or what happened after the cold war ended, or how theycan lead a normal life, then the Bannerman Series is the place to go.
"Whistler" continues the series by showing life from a different view. Strong characters and an intrigueing plot make it a good read!
Congratulations, Sir, you've done it again!
Rating:
Summary: Normal Maxim Book!
Review: This book was close to being another Paul Bannerman book. In this book Adam Whistler plays the role of a young professional
killer.Whistler has stolen a ledger from Felix Aubrey.This ledger
has documentation of misdeeds by Aubrey.Whistler is wanted dead or alive by Aubrey's hired guns.Whistler also has a lover named Claudia. She is near fatally shot and returns as Whistler's guardian angel.All of these characters combine to make an interesting book. You also have the reemergence of Bannerman's group as protectors of Adam Whistler. This all makes for gun battles on several continents.The action is nonstop.You will
enjoy this book.
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