Book Review: Midnight Runner

Reviewed By: Luke Croll - RAM

Midnight Runner     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon UK HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Jack Higgins
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Espionage   Thriller
Series: Sean Dillon # 9
HarperCollins; 2002; £16.99 (UK pounds); 342pp
Classification: Adult fiction (thriller)

Jack Higgins has realised that he has tapped into a good thing with the adventures of Sean Dillon and the others, as the intrepid team battle terrorists and other criminals. His newest novel is a direct sequel to 'Edge of Danger' and it sees the return of Lady Kate Rashid, the only member of the Rashid family to survive their attack on Dillon and his team.

At the end of 'Edge of Danger', she swore revenge on them all, from Dillon to the US President. Now, with the help of her cousin, she is ready. Her plans are even more audacious than before and it looks as though leaving her alive may have been a fatal mistake.

Jack Higgins has written some good, enjoyable thrillers which catch the reader's attention. However, he has now got stuck in a rut, presumably due to the great success of the Sean Dillon novels. Again and again, he follows the same formulaic pattern. Someone attacks Dillon, he strikes back, one of the good guys gets injured, the bad people get killed. It's a simple plan and judging by the amount of copies sold, one that works. However, it does become boring and I would like to see something more innovative.

In this story, the plot is average, but it is a fast and simple read. Higgins keeps a fast pace and there is nothing complicated here. Overall, however, I was left feeling unsatisfied and wanting something meatier, with more innovation and less repetition.

Luke Croll - RAM

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Luke Croll - RAM

Luke Croll - Conference interpreter and translator
http://lukecroll.translatorscafe.com