Thunder Point

Sean Dillon #2

by Jack Higgins

1945. The day before Hitler commits suicide, he arranges for Nazi leader Martin Bormann to flee to South America in a German U-boat.1992. Terrorist Sean Dillon is saved from a Yugoslavian firing squad—if he agrees to help the British government retrieve the long-lost documents of Martin Bormann. The wreck of Bormann's U-boat has been discovered in the Caribbean, along with a secret list of Nazi sympathizers. The names include high-level citizens from the U.S. and Great Britain—and may implicate the Duke of Windsor himself. The evidence lies in a watertight briefcase on the bottom of the sea. And the desperate search to find it will send shockwaves across the world ...

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Adventure, Espionage, Mystery, Action, Suspense

250 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 23, 1993

About the author

There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Jack Higgins was best known of the many pseudonyms of Henry Patterson. (See also Martin Fallon, Harry Patterson, Hugh Marlowe and James Graham.)

He was the New York Times bestselling author of more than seventy thrillers, including The Eagle Has Landed and The Wolf at the Door. His books have sold more than 250 million copies worldwide.

Born in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, Patterson grew up in Belfast, Northern Ireland. As a child, Patterson was a voracious reader and later credited his passion for reading with fueling his creative drive to be an author. His upbringing in Belfast also exposed him to the political and religious violence that characterized the city at the time. At seven years old, Patterson was caught in gunfire while riding a tram, and later was in a Belfast movie theater when it was bombed. Though he escaped from both attacks unharmed, the turmoil in Northern Ireland would later become a significant influence in his books, many of which prominently feature the Irish Republican Army. After attending grammar school and college in Leeds, England, Patterson joined the British Army and served two years in the Household Cavalry, from 1947 to 1949, stationed along the East German border. He was considered an expert sharpshooter.

Following his military service, Patterson earned a degree in sociology from the London School of Economics, which led to teaching jobs at two English colleges. In 1959, while teaching at James Graham College, Patterson began writing novels, including some under the alias James Graham. As his popularity grew, Patterson left teaching to write full time. With the 1975 publication of the international blockbuster The Eagle Has Landed, which was later made into a movie of the same name starring Michael Caine, Patterson became a regular fixture on bestseller lists. His books draw heavily from history and include prominent figures—such as John Dillinger—and often center around significant events from such conflicts as World War II, the Korean War, and the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Patterson lived in Jersey, in the Channel Islands.

Reviews

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just a great, action packed story. 9 of 10 stars

[M.A. McRae · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've read some great books by Jack Higgins, others that were quite reasonable, but not worth adding to my permanent library. This was the first time I've read one that was frankly poor. So OK, if you just read and never think about how likely it is, you might still like it, but really...

SPOILER ALERT: Our heroes know that the opposition are murderous, Dillon has already been run off the road and shot at, the nastiest one has dropped rotting fish bait over where they were diving in order to attract sharks, and yet they blithely go to the restaurant on the baddie's island, leave the airplane in the dark, alone, and have a nice dinner and discussion with Santiago (the Big Baddie.) Is it a surprise that the plane was sabotaged? When I should have been on the edge of my seat wondering whether they'd survive the plunge toward the ocean, I wandered off to do the ironing! It seemed to me they deserved to die.
What else? Only a few people knew what they'd found, yet the baddie knew straight away. They didn't even bother speculating who'd told him or trying to do anything about it! Just kept feeding information straight to the traitor.
And then, which I thought quite criminal, they left the innocent girl unwarned, even when by that stage, there had already been a successful murder or two, and she'd already been attacked. It is no thanks to these idiot 'heroes' that she survived the inevitable encounter, though badly injured and having been tortured. They didn't even apologise to her. They were almost as responsible for the attack on her as the Baddies, it seems to me.

I know that arrant stupidity is often accepted in light romances, but asking the reader to tolerate it in what should have been a first-class thriller is asking too much. I'm going back to reading more Indie writers. Technically, their writing may not be so good sometimes, but at least one can be reasonably sure that they're trying.
I do not think that Jack Higgins was trying.

[Sylvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

i had this love-hate relationship with Sean Dillon...but he was pretty compassionate and totally good in this one.i love his black Irish humour!!

[Cindy B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Action, excitement, and reading pleasure (author’s usual). Kept moving along gathering speed till there was no putting it down or away. Clean. Narrator is entertaining and adds to the plot.

[Pierre Tassé (Enjoying Books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was a little better than book #1. Entertaining but not an edge of your seat and action packed...more descriptive of what people were wearing or the surroundings than actual story that kept you going.

[Pat]

Of all the Jack Higgins books I've read, this is by far my favorite. Action, suspense, and the best setting for any book--the Caribbean! Great dive scenes for anyone into diving.

[D'Ailleurs · Rating 4 out of 5]

#Βιβλίο παραλίας νο.1

Έχω μια ιδιαίτερη σχέση με τον Χίγγινς. Για κάποιο λόγο η old school αισθητική του με τραβάει σε σημείο που προσπερνάω την απλοϊκή πλοκή και την απλή πρόζα. Έχει σημασία άλλωστε; Τα βιβλία του είναι pure fun, μιας άλλης εποχής (ειδικά αυτά που γράφτηκαν μέχρι τα μέσα των 90ς) οπότε ως τέτοια θα λαμβάνονται. Οι ήρωες του έχουν κάτι νοσταλγικό ως old school παλαίμαχες καρικατούρες, λίγο ρομαντικοί, λίγο αμοραλιστές, λίγο μοιρολάτρες, λίγο ματαιόδοξοι. Και μιας και μιλάμε για ματαιότητα, άθελα του ο Χίγγινς πολλές φορές προσεγγίζει λογοτεχνικές φόρμες που αρκετοί θα ζήλευαν: υπάρχει διάχυτη στα βιβλία του: τα γεγονότα γίνονται άνευ λόγου και πολλές φορές οι ήρωες παλεύουν μια χαμένη μάχη. Δεν ξέρω πόσοι πλέον ενδιαφέρονται για τα βιβλία του αλλά τούτο εδώ είναι από τα πολύ καλά.

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it, but this is no literary masterpiece. It's not even near the top of good writing. If I read about Dillon's flaring Zippo one more time ... good grief.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a pure ride of action and thrills as a secret from Hitler's Germany shows up in the 90's in the Caribbean and if gets out, could destroy many in the UK's power establishment, up to the Royal Family. So of course an ex-IRA gunman has to help save the day. Much of it is just short of being too clever, but the story flies along over two continents with bloodshed, air and sea escapades and a great climax of subterfuge and violence.

Definitely just a lazy beach read type of book but an enjoyable one.

[Colette]

I love Jack Higgins books, and this one was no exception. Fast paced, exciting and sometimes violent. I struggle to dislike/despise Sean Dillon. This leaves me feeling conflicted, as he puts minimal value on human life and makes his own rules. These rules are frequently illegal and immoral, and yet he is very much on the side of the underdog. For anyone who enjoys thrillers this is definitely a good book to read.

[Seema Dubey · Rating 4 out of 5]

#ThunderPoint by #JackHiggins Book #44 of the year 2023

I listened to the Roger Moore's narration. Well written, fast paced, never a dull moment.

A retired businessman turned diver finds a WWII German U Boat (submarine). He dives into the Sub to find a briefcase that's built to withstand damage, that contains a diary that hints to incriminate and damn many, including the Duke of Windsor. It also mentions another briefcase lying in the Sub that will have the details. He immediately flies to take the diary to his friend in the secret service.

And, the cat and mouse game begins. blurring the distinction between heroes and villains. Bodies fall at breakneck speed. The good guys are not only running against time, but also against those wealthy powerful people who want to stop them at any cost, and who have all the wherewithal to do so.

It's ending seems almost cheeky, but believable and very real.

[Huw Collingbourne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starts well but gets a bit bogged down with random fights, killings and other 'thrilling' events some of which only arise because various people who should know better willfully put themselves in the path of obvious danger (they stay alone in a location, for example, when everyone knows that the bad guys are looking for exactly this opportunity to get at them). A fairly middle-ranking thriller on the whole. Passes the time well enough but it's ultimately unsatisfying.

[KOMET · Rating 2 out of 5]

The best selling point about "Thunder Point" is that it gave me an insight on deep-sea diving.

[Michael Martz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although "Thunder Point" is a little overdramatic and the writing is somewhat dated, thriller author-extraordinaire Jack Higgins can surely spin a tale as well as anybody. I don't know if Thunder Point has been made into a movie, but it has the feel, like many Higgins novels, that it should be.

Thunder Point is the story of what happened after world-class bad guy Martin Bormann's escape from Germany just prior to the end of the war. He arranges secret passage on a German U-boat to South America while traveling under a false identity, financed by the network pre-established by Hitler's henchmen to ensure their safety in case the war didn't turn their way. A hurricane hits while Bormann goes onshore in the town of St. John as the U-boat sits well offshore in Virgin Islands. Fast forward to today, where an amateur diver takes a risky drop in a rarely visited area of the Caribbean, discovers the wreck of the U-boat along with an incredible diary kept by a seaman, detailing Bormann's presence on the submarine along with a special briefcase containing all sorts of information about Nazi sympathizers in both the British and American governments. Of course, the diary creates consternation among the Brits who've been advised of its existence, so they decide a 'special action' to retrieve Bormann's briefcase should be launched. It has to be top secret since the case's contents could be so controversial, but who to engage for such an escapade?

Enter Sean Dillon, Northern Ireland's finest assassin, languishing in a Yugoslavian prison after being caught running guns where he shouldn't have been. He's given the option of firing squad or leading the dangerous caper to recover the briefcase. Sort of an easy choice, I reckon. Dillon, operating undercover himself, travels to St. John's and begins the task of finding the wreck and extricating its contents, while at the same time competing interests of a deadly nature are attempting to do the same.

Higgins writes in perfect 'thriller-ese', deftly describing the action while the dialogue sounds overly scripted. There's plenty of action, a little violence, and a satisfying conclusion. For a Higgins thriller, it's all about the story and Thunder Point has a compelling one.

[Serdar Poirot · Rating 4 out of 5]

1945 yılında Hitler, Bormann'ı elinde mühim Belgeler ile Sovyetler gelmeden kaçırır. Bormann'da mavi kitap denilen İngiltere ve ABD içindeki yandaşları, banka hesapları, Windsor dükü ile imzalanan protokol vb vardır. Yıllar sonra Henry adında bir denizci Karayipler'de dalarken bir Fırtına Burnu denen yerde bir denizaltı enkazın rastlar. Burada bazı belgelere erişmiş olur. Gemi kaptanının günlüğü vb de vardır. Londra'ya uçar ve Travers adındaki profesör arkadaşına gider. O da Grup 4 başkanı Ferguson ile görüşür. Ferguson'un başka işleri de vardır. Sean Dillon insanlık namına Bosna'ya uçakla ilaç götürürken ihbar üzerine uçağı düşürülür ve Sırpların eline düşer. Burada ilaç kutularının altında silah da çıkar. Ama Ferguson gelip onu kurtarır kendisine çalışma karşılığında. Henry bir kaza sonucu ölünce adadan sevgilisi Jenny de gelir. Birinin denize dalıp kalan belgeleri alması gerekir. Simon Carter ve Francis Pamer da bu olayda Ferguson'a destek olacaktır. Ama Pamer o listedeki Nazi sempatizanı birinin oğludur ve onun sayesinde zengindir. Hemen adadaki işlere bakan Max Santiago ile görüşüp ona bilgiler aktarmaya başlar. Dillon ve Ferguson adaya gelince duyulur. Santiago'nun adamları peşindedir. Carley adındaki dalış hocası ile çeşitli yerlere giderler ama bulamazlar. En sonunda Fransa'da gelen Jenny onlara teknedeki ipucunu söyler. Algaro, Guerra kaç kere Dillon ve Jenny'yi öldürmeye kalkar. Ferguson'un yardımcısı Lane de Santiago adamları tarafından öldürülür. Bir şoför sayesinde Pamer'ın işin içinde olduğunu öğrenirler. Belgeleri Fırtına burnundan çıkarırlar ama Santiago el koyar. Acaba geri almayı başarabilecek midir? Dillon Santiago'ya ne yapacaktır? Ferguson ve Pamer yüzleşince ne olacaktır? Başbakan bu belgeleri ne yapacaktır? Jenny ile Dillon ne konuşacaktır? Keyifle soluksuz okunan bir roman.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good fast-paced thriller, which is what we can expect from British author Jack Higgins ( born in 1929). He has written 84 novels (!) of which I have only read a half dozen. My favorite of his is the 1975 "The Eagle Has Landed" which was also made into an excellent film. In this one, from 1993, Nazi leader Martin Bormann escapes Germany in a U-Boat to get to South America. Unfortunately for him, the sub is wrecked in the Caribbean. Then, in the 90s, a diver discovers the sub--and also a list of Nazi sympathizers in the USA and Britain, people who could help Bormann build a Fourth Reich. When British Intelligence learns of this- and that there is a briefcase with evidence on the sub, they decide to recover it at all costs--as it could have a explosive effect on Her Majesty's Government. The man they turn to is Sean Dillon---an IRA terrorist! I find it far-fetched that this is the man the British would turn to--but, anyway, this book is the second in the Sean Dillon series. The story is a good one and the setting-in the Caribbean-is great, but I can't buy into an IRA man going to the rescue of the Brits, as Sean does. So--*** ( 3 stars).

[Oli Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fifty-first #jackhiggins #martinfallon #hughmarlowe #harrypatterson #henrypatterson #jamesgraham novel #thunderpoint published in 1993. The second appearance of #seandillon and another variation on one of Higgins favourite questions what happened to Martin Bormann at the end of ww2. Higgins has dealt with this in a few of his books and he pulls elements from previous novels and puts a fresh twist on them here. Dillon is recruited to group four. Another opportunity for Higgins to write about boats and scuba diving. Apparently one of his hobbies that he includes in his books quite often. I read this one back in the 1990s when I was younger. I don’t think it’s nostalgia, but it seems like it holds up really well. Interestingly Higgins old reliable device of a fight scene early on to keep the reader’s interest doesn’t happen until almost half way through. His writing has improved so much by this point that he manages to keep the intrigue and suspense without relying on the early fight scene this time around. Bit fear not, there is plenty of action in the second half of the book. Always fun having real history examined through fiction.
Great stuff.

[Clyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

The initial idea of this book was intriguing to me...a sunken U-boat discovered by a diver that was determined to have documents confirming the escape of a high ranking Nazi party leader (rumored to have been spotted in South America) as well as documents identifying prominent English and American Nazi sympathizers. The idea is that the Nazi sympathizers who benefitted from the spoils of Nazi Germany fear that if this information gets out, they stood to lose their fortunes, good name, status, etc. I thought it a little far fetched that so much would he made of something that happened half a century ago, and by the progenitors of the current generation, but the more I thought about it, and as disgusting as I find it, this is probably a significant force behind the actions of those in power to stay in power...burying the skeletons, and making sure no one finds them. And if someone does, then you get Thunder Point. The book was good, the characters interesting, and I thought the audiobook was well performed. 3.5 stars.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Sean Dillon series novel is something of a throwback to the James Bond type thriller. It's clear who the bad guys, the good guys and the damsel in distress are from, or near, the beginning. Lots of expensive dinners and glitzy locales. The plot revolves around the discovery of a WWII German Uboat, and a diary found on board indicating that Martin Bormann survived the war.

Lots of action, with bad guys and a few good guys dying. The author writes well, with well drawn characters and the ability to build suspense. No real plot twists or surprises, just a good old fashioned thriller.

[Neil Fulwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sean Dillon volume two, and after evading the British authorities for 20 years, our boy finds himself in a Serbian jail having undertaken an uncharacteristically philanthropic act. Enter Brigadier Ferguson, Dillon’s antagonist from ‘Eye of the Storm’, who brokers his freedom in return for a strictly off-the-record do-or-die mission. The kind of thing, in other words, that’s right up the former terrorist’s street. What follows is a high-octane, low-plausibility thriller involving violence, intrigue, corruption and a sunken u-boat holding a Dark Secret From The War. Boy’s own silliness of the highest order.

[Ajitabh Pandey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good old fashioned detective work, based on conspiracy theories surrounding World War II.
While the plot is somewhat interesting (considering the timing when it was written), there are various places where I felt that the main characters could not even think of protecting the asset they are trying to protect. Time and again they were attacked but they always thought nobody is going to touch them.
Its a very fast moving plot - the whole Yugoslavia episode, in the beginning, could have been removed.
And I loved the good old British style of communication.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

May 2018 My second Sean Dillon story. Definitely a ***** story. Unfortunately, Higgins threw in a few sadistic/brutal antagonists to make Sean into more of a grey hat. To my scuba diving friends and relative: Is Higgins diving knowledge accurate? From what my brother has said, referring to diving, it sounds right on. These stories have fairly predictable endings but are still page turners.

[Richard V. Carr · Rating 5 out of 5]

A superb tale, no unneeded baggage yet the characters and plot are believable. The story moves ahead without unneeded detours. The conclusions are satisfying from my own personal,".. evil deserves total banishment view point-- maybe its a bit of the 'ol sod' that remains after almost three hundred years American-Irish but I liked Higgin's creation enough to move on to the next in the Sean Dillon series.

[Mbsuther · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thunder Point

I have been reading the Sean Dillon books for years. I started with about book 7 and read forward. I have gone back to finish the early ones. They are just as good as the later ones. This one really gave me the background I needed for Sean Dillon. The story was went constructed and the action good. This series is a nice easy read and very much worth the read. A 4.5 out of 5 rating.

[Jerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is a Sean Dillon so the outcome was a bit predictable. It had some good twists and turns but there were other parts that were just a little implausible or, perhaps, convenient for the author. I did enjoy reading it and it's suitable for those who like the thriller/international crime/espionage genre, but it's not worth going out of your way for. Although it's Sean Dillon #2, I think it can stand on its own.

[Athelstan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this novel. This is easily a top three all-time Higgins novel. I enjoyed this thing all the way through. I didn't want to stop reading. I couldn't wait to see what was coming next. This was a lot of fun to read.

I put this behind Night of the Fox and East of Desolation as my favorite Jack Higgins novels.

[Julian Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cracking paced novel, with some supreme villains, Nazi secrets and intrigue at the highest levels of politics. He really captures the essence of the environments about which he writes - whether London, the Caribbean, or Scuba diving on a coral reef.

Lots of plot twists, and fast paced story development.

Great fun.

[Andy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolute rubbish

Dreadfully plot and awful characters...are we really supposed to believe this is the cream of the British secret service. Represented by an upper-class twit poncing around the Caribbean in a blazer and guards tie for gods sake, leaving a trail of innocent dead due to unbelievable incompetence ... its absolute drivel

[Diana Suddreth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thunder Point is a solid thriller with great Nazi bad guys and English good guys. The fact that it takes place in contemporary London and the Caribbean doesn't lessen it's excitement. Sean Dillon is a great good guy/bad guy and the rest of the characters are engaging as well. A fun quick read.

[David Patsel · Rating 5 out of 5]

a masterful book

There aren’t many thriller writers who can rival Jack Higgins. The plots are so wonderfully crafted with so many twists and turns in the plot lines. He develops characters beautifully and fully. There’s plenty of mystery, action scenes, great dialogue and always a satisfying resolution. I highly recommend anything Higgins puts to paper!