The first Hector Cross thrillerThe first Hector Cross thriller “He mounted his assault rifle to his shoulder and fired a three-shot burst into the thorn bush. The man who had been lying behind it leaped to his feet. He was turbaned and cloaked with his AK-47 slung over his shoulder and a small black box in his hand, from which dangled the thin red insulated cable. ‘Bomb!’ Hector screamed. ‘Heads … screamed. ‘Heads down!’” Some debts can only be paid in blood… When Hazel Bannock, billionaire oil tycoon, discovers her daughter has been kidnapped by Al Qaeda pirates just off the coast of Somalia, she uses all the power at her disposal to rescue her daughter but politics and diplomacy fail her at every turn. Her only hope is her ex-military head of security, Hector Cross, an expert in surveillance, infiltration and combat. For all Hazel’s connections and wealth, Cross is the one man who is offering to find her daughter and bring her home. Hazel and Cross must work together to bring Cayla home, but neither of them realise that the kidnappers are not merely interested in ransom — what they have planned is far, far worse…
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Smith is an extremely talented writer who brings to life stories that give the reader insight into rarely visited or understood parts of the world. All of his books once started become compelling.
All of Wilbur Smith’s books are full of adventure and this was no exception. It was set in modern day Middle East and North Eastern Africa and dealt with piracy and kidnapping on the high seas. I enjoyed it and most fans of adventure books most likely like it too.
The book was great. The characters were introduced clearly and stayed firmly in your mind as the book progressed. I have read many of his books over the years and strongly recommend them.
Predictable and unrealistic, but a fun read. I enjoyed it.
This was my first book by this author. I really liked it. Enough to purchase another book by this same author. That is what usually determines if I like a book or not…whether I buy another one. I liked the characters and the way they played out in the book. It was not a read for young minds, that’s for sure but it had what I thought it needed …
More than a worthwhile read.
I really enjoy the research of historical elements that Wilbur Smith weaves into his novels.
Love his books, have read every one of his books
Another action packed easy to read Wilbur Smith Novel once I started to read it I found it hard to put down
prose is a little outdated, but an ok read.
Many well-known authors use co-authors to write books under their name. Surely that was the case with this book. The writing is very different from the Wilbur Smith books that I have enjoyed over the years. It reads more like it was written for Argosy Magazine rather than as a Wilbur Smith novel. Yes, it’s action packed, Yes, it has spots of …
This is my favorite author. BUT when he get away from the stories of Africa and the settling of the country it is a downer. It is the same family years later but on a subject i’m not interested it.
I did not enjoy this book.
Too pridictable and did not finished, sorry Wilbur.