I don't know what it is about Alistair MacLean's books. You pick one up to just read a chapter or two, and the next thing you know you are halfway through it. I think I've read every one he ever wrote and they were addictive.
This one - Night Watch - was finished based on notes he left before he died. Once one of the top authors on the NYT Bestseller list, MacLean gave you all the action, intrigue, and suspense you could want, without resorting to the supposed "required" sexual interludes that seem to be the hallmark of today's NYT authors. Many of his novels were also made into movies, but I can't think of any which were better than the books.
MacLean's action starts off slow with events based on a single premise, then quickly diverges into several subplots that get more suspenseful as the book evolves. Yet he does this without losing the reader in complicated tangles.
What is best is that he often waits until the final chapter to expose the true hero and the plot twist. Plus, most of his novels leave you with the nice feeling that once again Good has triumphed over Evil.
I think I read Night Watch long ago, but it wasn't on my shelves and I had forgotten the plot. I finished it within 24 hours.
What made this book more interesting to me now is that I have seen the original painting in Holland since I last read this book.
Pick up any of MacLean's books - you won't be disappointed.
This one - Night Watch - was finished based on notes he left before he died. Once one of the top authors on the NYT Bestseller list, MacLean gave you all the action, intrigue, and suspense you could want, without resorting to the supposed "required" sexual interludes that seem to be the hallmark of today's NYT authors. Many of his novels were also made into movies, but I can't think of any which were better than the books.
MacLean's action starts off slow with events based on a single premise, then quickly diverges into several subplots that get more suspenseful as the book evolves. Yet he does this without losing the reader in complicated tangles.
What is best is that he often waits until the final chapter to expose the true hero and the plot twist. Plus, most of his novels leave you with the nice feeling that once again Good has triumphed over Evil.
I think I read Night Watch long ago, but it wasn't on my shelves and I had forgotten the plot. I finished it within 24 hours.
What made this book more interesting to me now is that I have seen the original painting in Holland since I last read this book.
Pick up any of MacLean's books - you won't be disappointed.
Interesting action/mystery about the theft of a priceless Rambrandt.
