Review: Avenger

Even after all these years, I remember the thrills that Frederick Forsyth generated in my adolescent heart with his early works, such as 'Day of the Jackal' 'The Odessa File' and 'Dogs of War'. Not only were they well crafted novels of international intrigue with subtly communicated opinions on the machinations of the international military/industrial complex, they always contained a neat twist, with an often overlooked clue dropped almost offhanded early in the story which later is discovered to be critical to the plot's resolution. So I looked forward to this latest offering. Sadly, I was left unsatisfied; but more because of what I think is sloppy editing than the author's lack of skill.

Cal Dexter (not 'Pete' as one well known and prolific reviewer has mistakenly written all over the net) is the kind of modern hero that we all can respect. The child of a broken marriage and a nomadic childhood with a blue collar father, he volunteers for the Army during the Viet Nam era, serving with distinction as a 'tunnel rat', one of an elite corps who braves the subterranean maze beneath the battlefields to find and eliminate Viet Cong fighters. He bonds with a better educated superior officer and through this relationship finds the drive to leave the service and work his way through law school. Although offered a lucrative position with a well established firm, he chooses instead to become a public defender, championing the rights of the unfortunate.

From this point on, I am going to have to be a bit cryptic, since as any reader of Forsyth's work knows, enjoyment of his books depends on a reviewer being very discreet about how the plot twists, in order to avoid spoiling the surprise ending. In the case of 'Avenger', this is again essential. Suffice it to say that a series of personal tragedies compels Dexter to lead a double life. He leaves public service and sets up a low key private practice in a suburban New Jersey town near New York City, but in secret becomes 'Avenger', a skilled bounty hunter dedicated to bringing killers and the like to face justice. It is as Avenger that he is contacted by a billionaire whose only grandson has been brutally murdered while serving as a relief worker in Yugoslavia. Unbeknownst to him, the murderer is protected by high level US government agents, who are planning to use this evil man to reach an even more important target, and are ready to sacrifice the life of our hero to achieve what they believe is a greater good.

The plot is resolved with typical Forsyth cunning, and with a typical Forsyth 'twist' at the end. The problems with 'Avenger', that keep it from being one of Forsyth's better work, mostly concern sloppy editing. For example, at one point, a character converses with a Yugoslav in what the author specifically states is in English; but a few pages later, the same character is specifically described as not understanding English. This is the most obvious of the flaws; there are many others, as well as inexplicable style conventions, such as the use of 'f***' instead of the printing of the word. And according to some who know the areas of the world in which the novel is set, there are many errors when it comes to the geography.

All in all, 'Avenger' is still above the crowd, as any Forsyth book would be expected to be. But the annoyances do take away from the enjoyment, and the 'twist' is not up to Forsyth's best. Those less critical will still have a good read, but for those of us who have looked forward to the return of Frederick Forsyth, it can only be wished that he had had an editor who was more dilligent.

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, macheath

Book Review: Avenger