Nachtwacht

UNACO

by Alastair MacNeill

Alle veiligheidsmaatregelen ten spijt is de Nachtwacht, het pronkstuk van het Amsterdamse Rijksmuseum, tijdens zijn toernee langs ’s werelds grootste musea, verwisseld voor een vervalsing. De UNACO, de geheime antimisdaadorganisatie van de Verenigde Naties, krijgt tot taak het gestolen meesterwerk en de misdadigers die dit op hun kerfstok hebben, boven water te krijgen. Agenten Graham, Whitlock en Carver volgen de route die het doek heeft afgelegd en komen stap voor stap dichter bij de oplossing van de misdaad, maar het laatste stukje van de legpuzzel lijkt onvindbaar...

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Action, Espionage, Ebooks, Adventure, Indonesian Literature

271 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Alastair MacNeill was born in Greenock, Scotland in 1960. His family emigrated to South Africa when he was six, settling in the coastal city of East London.

He returned to the United Kingdom in 1985 hoping to pursue a career as a writer. He submitted a manuscript to HarperCollins Publishers and, on the strength of it, was offered the chance to write a novel based on an outline by the late Alistair MacLean. He eventually wrote seven novels based on MacLean synopses and has also written five novels under his own name.

He lives in Sheffield.

Reviews

[Jerry Winsett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though titled "Alistair MacLean's Night Watch" the book was written by Alastair MacNeill after MacLean's death using an outline by left by MacLean. Because of my recent return to old favorites (I recently read and reviewed Ed McBain's "The Last Dance") I picked up "Night Watch", as MacLean was always reliable when I read him in the past. MacNeill did an adequate job of keeping the tone and the feel of MacLean's earlier books - action, interesting characters, a complex plot and international intrigue.

The book begins with the theft of Rembrandt's painting "Night Watch" (0riginally titled "Militia Company of District II under the Command of Captain Frans Banninck Cocq" but that would never fit on a book cover). As there is uncertainty about exactly when and where the theft occurred during the painting's journey to various museums around the globe, Special Agents of an esoteric and secret government agency are sent to recover the original and return it to the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

Of course that's not an easy task as (of course) the agents are each dealing with personal problems and distractions; and also there are many operatives involved in the painting's theft who are working on their own schemes. Other agents are drafted to help and things become more and more complex.

It's not vintage Alistair MacLean, but "Night Watch" is enough like his writing style to be serviceable for those who miss his action and intrigue filled novels. The exploits and surprises continue until the final page.

Note: The book was written in 1989 and some of the language, stereotypes and idioms of the day could likely be off putting to new readers.

[Ross McClintock · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one comes from the classic writing style of "oh and next this crazy thing happens" that suckers me in so often. The plot? GLAD you asked, the United Nations Anti Crime Organization (oh hell yeah!) has to investigate a stolen Rembrandt painting (the eponymous "Night Watch") that had been replaced by a nearly perfect duplicate. I know some people didn't care for this, due to the fact that Alistair MacLean only did the outline, but any astute reader could tell that it wasn't him from the get go. (Americans don't talk like British people, no traitors in the midst, the plotting makes no sense, etc...)

I enjoyed this for the wildness more than anything. The characters are all over the place, you have the loose cannon, the lady who may be into him, and the vet of the group whose marital problems are apparently affecting his work so bad he can barely function. But all of their motivations change from scene to scene, and you have to imagine it's the same with the other UNACO books-just with the same dynamic. (Oh, you KNOW there's more) And somehow a book about a stolen painting in Holland leads to hang gliding uzi fights, and shark attacks in Brazil. So, you gotta give the authors credit for that! This is like the book version of a Cannon Films movie-which really that should tell you if it's for you or not

[Millstone · Rating 2 out of 5]

Showed its film script origins too clearly to bear comparison with Alistair MacLean's original novels. I haven't seen the screen version, but it read as though it was three episodes of NCIS Los Angeles stitched together with ongoing characters and a higher suppression of reality ratio than the MacLean branding was associated with.

[Lance · Rating 2 out of 5]

This has a great plot, and promise. I think it was poorly carried out. I found that it was devolving toward the end to what can we find to put another curve in the book, but they did not enlarge on the story. Very disappointing.

[Lea Carter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finding out this was NOT actually written by Alastair MacNeill makes so much sense!
It's detail-dense, complicated, yet lacks the subtlety I associate with MacLean.
Plus, a bunch of good people died when they didn't have to.

[Jacy Carroll-Bussman · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first book by Alistair MacLean. It was an interesting read. I hate it when an experienced operative from the CIA gets killed. You think they would be a little more "on guard"! Hard to believe scenario but that's what makes it a novel!!!

[Brent Winslow · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best of the UNACO series - with a much better than average plot concerning the forgery of a Rembrandt on a world tour along with a wealthy collector who will stop at nothing in Rio de Janeiro Brazil.

[Petar Petrov · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good old 007 story, бай да уей, корицата и описанието са омешани с едноименната книга на Тери Пратчет?!?

[Wwwww · Rating 5 out of 5]

fuck

[The Villan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Poor plot didn’t finish

[Pontus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kul med lite spänning ibland.

[Swapna Peri ( Book Reviews Cafe ) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alistair MacLean's Night Watch (Mass Market Paperback) is a thrilling and action-packed novel that revolves around the theft of Rembrandt's painting "Night Watch" and the subsequent investigation by the UN Anti-Crime Organization (UNACO), a top-secret strike force. The book is written by Alastair MacNeill based on an outline by Alistair MacLean, who is best known for his novels "Where Eagle Dare" and "The Guns of Navarone."
The story is set in South America and involves drug lords, spies, and various detective-story types. The action is fast-paced and intriguing, with several plot twists that keep readers on their toes. The novel is part of the UNACO series, which features a cast of U.N. secret agents introduced in "Death Train."

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I learned from this book: Never, ever trust a man named Drago.

Not my favorite MacLean, but a good quick read for a long weekend. Lots of character names to remember, several Russian. Classic CIA/KGB cold war era plotline. Considerably less drinking than normal - you can tell the dialogue, etc was not written by MacLean.

[Brett]

Suspense