The President's Daughter

Rating:
Summary: Quick, Enjoyable Read, but not Tolstoy
Review: Hey fellow readers, this is another of Jack Higgins action-packed thrillers. It is not Tolstoy and it was never intended to be. How do you think Higgins got so many of these things published? He sure doesn't spend a lot of time on them. These books are to action adventure fans what popcorn and Coke are to theater goers.

In this action adventure thriller, Higgins reprises former IRA enforcer Sean Dillion, Brigadier Charles Ferguson and Scotland Yard Chief Inspector Hannah Bernstein. Later on in the book, the author also recalls from retirement that old IRA legend Liam Devlin. His cunning, wit and skill (despite his advanced age) were a welcome intrusion into the story line as it moved toward its conclusion.

The President's Daughter is another one of those Higgins stories that really requires a major suspension of disbelief. The plot's premise is that the US President, as a young Army officer in Vietnam, met a beautiful French woman who was searching for her husband thought lost when ambushed by the NVA. It just so happens that the woman is married to a French Foreign Legion captain who retains a noble title and significant wealth. Thinking her husband dead, she has a one night affair with young Lt. Jake Cazalet. The very next morning, she finds out that her husband, Captain (Count) de Brissac is alive and out of a sense of duty, returns to him. Jake is heartbroken but the two of them agree to part. What neither one knows is that the one night liaison has resulted in the conception of a child. After the child's birth, the Comtesse de Brissac convinces her husband that the child is his and life goes on.

As the years pass, Jake Cazalet returned to Harvard where he completed his doctorate and law school. He enters politics and eventually becomes a Senator. Later, he is elected President. After he becomes President, Jake finds out that the Count de Brissac, a former French general, has passed away. He eventually meets his long-lost love and she tells him a secret, her daughter was not 'the general's daughter,' but his own. Jake's wife, who had died years earlier of leukemia, had never been able to bear children and now the POTUS has one 28 years old, who he cannot acknowledge.

Enter the complication. Someone else finds out Marie de Brissac's identity and they kidnap her. The kidnappers are not the usual PLO, IRA or former Communist thugs Higgins has employed in these roles in the past. They are Israelis who want to force the President to sign an order that will result in the nuclear destruction of Syria, Iran and Iraq. They give him a time limit and with that clock ticking, the tension also starts to build.

In his own way, Higgins chooses to involve Sean Dillon, Brigadier Ferguson and Hannah Bernstein. He also introduces a new character, Blake Johnson, an FBI agent who runs "The Basement" in the White House. He is the President's special action team and as a result of the kidnapping, he and Dillon join forces. Readers will meet him again in THE WHITE HOUSE CONNECTION.

While the entire premise for this book is truly far-fetched, the way in which Dillon and Blake Johnson resolve the crisis is what makes for the most interesting reading. It is in the problem solving stage where Higgins provides most of the action, tension and enjoyment. That is why he has so many fans around the world. This is not great or memorable literature. What it is is an enjoyable, mindless, escapist way to pass some time.

Higgins is spare with his wording and his details. That is also another factor in why his books are so quick and fast paced. If you're looking for a quick way to escape your everyday existence, then Higgins (and this book) is a good place to start. Sean Dillon and the rest of the characters in these books have become like old friends. It's always good to visit with them every once in a while.

Higgins fans will like this installment. It's full of everything they expect from this extremely prolific author. Cast aside the critical eye. Sit back, put your feet up and visit with old friends.

Rating:
Summary: Standard Higgins, but not nearly as good as he used to be
Review: I have been a Higgins fan for a long time, but I am somewhat mystified as to why I still read him at this point. I think it's because I was so enthralled by "The Eagle Has Landed" years ago, and some of his other older books and the quick read that you get. However that being said, Higgins follows the same formula for every book and if you have read at least 3 of his books, then you know what is coming at every stage of the game. "The President's Daughter" is no different from a dozen other Higgins novels I have read. What I do appreciate is it's a quick read that's entertaining and doesn't make you think hard. If you want to give one Higgins book a shot, then read "The Eagle Has Landed", this was when he was at his best and is a quality novel. If you are a Higgins fan, then you'll read this book regardless, just don't be surprised that it doesn't stand out from many of his other books.

So what's the recommendation overall. If you are looking for a quick mindless read with adventure, then this is for you. If you want a book with a lot more substance and a believable adventure tale, then you need to look elsewhere.

Rating:
Summary: What a disappointment....
Review: I was in the mood for a good thriller when I picked up this book. Unfortunately, I still am. Cardboard characters, weak plot, and predictable action add up to a disappointing read. The only redeeming quality of the book was Sean Dillon, the ex-IRA terrorist-turned-good guy protagonist. Dillon apparently received all the benefit of Higgins' attempts at character development. The rest of the characters are so weak and uninteresting that you find it hard to care if the President's daughter is rescued or not. Since both the female characters seemed to have a slight crush on Dillon, I thought there might at least be some romantic tension to add excitement to an otherwise bland novel, but I was disappointed in that area as well. I find it hard to become involved or invested in a book whose main gimmick, the rescue of a hostage, is so obvious from the beginning. She'll be rescued, they'll walk off into the sunset, birds will sing.....all that nonsense. Unless you're waiting to be rescued from kidnappers and this is the only book available to pass the time, I'd suggest you skip this one in favor of a thriller with more, um, thrills