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Hector Cross #1
Those in Peril
Hazel Bannock is the heir to the Bannock Oil Corp, one of the major oil producers with global reach. While cruising in the Indian Ocean, Hazel's private yacht is hijacked by African pirates. Hazel is not on board at the time, but her nineteen year old daughter, Cayla, is kidnapped and held to ransom. The pirates demand a crippling twenty billion dollar ransom for her release. Complicated political and diplomatic considerations render the civilized major powers incapable of intervening. When Hazel is given evidence of the horrific torture which Cayla is being subjected to, she calls on Hector Cross to help her rescue her daughter. Hector is the owner and operator of Cross Bow Security, the company which is contracted to Bannock Oil to provide all their security. He is a formidable fighting man. Between them Hazel and Hector are determined to take the law into their own hands.
386 pages, Hardcover
First published May 10, 2011
757 people are currently reading
2605 people want to read
About the author
Wilbur Smith
320 books4,397 followersWilbur Smith was a prolific and bestselling South African novelist renowned for his sweeping adventure stories set against the backdrop of Africa’s dramatic landscapes and turbulent history. Born in 1933 in what was then Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia), he grew up in South Africa, where his love for storytelling was nurtured by the rich environment and tales of African history. His early years were shaped by his experiences in the wilderness, which later became a defining element in his fiction.
After studying at Rhodes University, Smith initially worked as an accountant, but his true passion lay in writing. His breakthrough came in 1964 with When the Lion Feeds, a historical adventure novel that introduced the Courtney family saga. The book’s success led to a long-running series chronicling the exploits of multiple generations of the Courtney family, spanning centuries of African and world history. Alongside this, Smith wrote the Ballantyne series, focused on colonial Africa, and the Ancient Egypt series, which delved into historical fiction with a mythical touch.
Over his six-decade career, Smith authored more than 50 novels, selling over 140 million copies worldwide. His works were characterized by meticulous research, vivid descriptions of the African wilderness, and gripping action-packed narratives. Whether set in the colonial era, the world of pharaohs, or modern-day Africa, his books often explored themes of survival, war, power, and human ambition. He collaborated with co-authors in his later years to expand his literary universe, ensuring his stories continued to reach new audiences.
Beyond writing, Smith was an avid traveler and adventurer, drawing inspiration from his own experiences hunting, sailing, and exploring remote corners of Africa. While he was passionate about wildlife and conservation, some of his views—particularly regarding big game hunting—sparked debate. Nonetheless, his deep affection for Africa was evident in his writing, which celebrated both its beauty and its historical complexities.
Smith’s influence on adventure fiction remains significant, with his books continuing to captivate readers around the world. His legacy endures through his richly woven tales of exploration, conquest, and the enduring spirit of Africa.
After studying at Rhodes University, Smith initially worked as an accountant, but his true passion lay in writing. His breakthrough came in 1964 with When the Lion Feeds, a historical adventure novel that introduced the Courtney family saga. The book’s success led to a long-running series chronicling the exploits of multiple generations of the Courtney family, spanning centuries of African and world history. Alongside this, Smith wrote the Ballantyne series, focused on colonial Africa, and the Ancient Egypt series, which delved into historical fiction with a mythical touch.
Over his six-decade career, Smith authored more than 50 novels, selling over 140 million copies worldwide. His works were characterized by meticulous research, vivid descriptions of the African wilderness, and gripping action-packed narratives. Whether set in the colonial era, the world of pharaohs, or modern-day Africa, his books often explored themes of survival, war, power, and human ambition. He collaborated with co-authors in his later years to expand his literary universe, ensuring his stories continued to reach new audiences.
Beyond writing, Smith was an avid traveler and adventurer, drawing inspiration from his own experiences hunting, sailing, and exploring remote corners of Africa. While he was passionate about wildlife and conservation, some of his views—particularly regarding big game hunting—sparked debate. Nonetheless, his deep affection for Africa was evident in his writing, which celebrated both its beauty and its historical complexities.
Smith’s influence on adventure fiction remains significant, with his books continuing to captivate readers around the world. His legacy endures through his richly woven tales of exploration, conquest, and the enduring spirit of Africa.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 615 reviews
April 19, 2011
The great storyteller has, sadly, produced an absolute mess here.
Somalian pirates kidnap the daughter of mega rich oil company boss, Hazel Bannock and she turns to her ex SAS head of security to find and rescue her.
So far so good, and easy premise around which Wilbur Smith could weave his narrative skills but that is where it all goes wrong. It's difficult to know where to start, but long, unnecessary and detailed sex scenes, caricature bad guys, poor characterisations and stilted and painful dialogue would be a good place. It is hard to imagine that this was written by Smith as there is no glimpse of the skills with which he has held readers captivated in the past.
New readers to Smith should ignore this and start with "When the Lion Feeds", fans of Wilbur Smith should do themselves a big favour and avoid this like the plague - it really is that bad.
Somalian pirates kidnap the daughter of mega rich oil company boss, Hazel Bannock and she turns to her ex SAS head of security to find and rescue her.
So far so good, and easy premise around which Wilbur Smith could weave his narrative skills but that is where it all goes wrong. It's difficult to know where to start, but long, unnecessary and detailed sex scenes, caricature bad guys, poor characterisations and stilted and painful dialogue would be a good place. It is hard to imagine that this was written by Smith as there is no glimpse of the skills with which he has held readers captivated in the past.
New readers to Smith should ignore this and start with "When the Lion Feeds", fans of Wilbur Smith should do themselves a big favour and avoid this like the plague - it really is that bad.
August 26, 2012
I am a big Wilbur Smith fan but this is absolutely shocking. I am genuinely surprised that the publisher accepted this given the strength of his previous works. It is singularly the most cliched and poorly written book I've ever read. The dialogue is at best clumsy, at worst embarrassingly unrealistic. The narrative is identical in this respect - the ridiculous nature of Smith's plot devices was summed up for me when the lead characters come across another ship in the middle of the Indian ocean, yet lo and behold the two captains just happen to know one another.
The book will also provide ample ammunition for those critics who consider his tales to be racist. In previous novels I was on-the-fence on this matter, considering that the colonial and post-colonial eras in which he set his books was always going to cover some of these tensions. In 'Those in Peril' though, Smith turns his sights onto the Arab world. He skates on thin ice for much of the book and the justification for how he treats certain Muslim characters is at best extremely shaky. There is no doubt that Smith has a very limited, if not twisted, view on Islam.
Furthermore the book is overly gratuitous on sexual deviancy. Smith has had plenty of characters be rapists before and I can recall at least once instance of paedophillia too but in this novel it serves no purpose other than being a cheap way of characterising Evil.
An awful effort for what could have been an interesting subject matter. Do not read.
The book will also provide ample ammunition for those critics who consider his tales to be racist. In previous novels I was on-the-fence on this matter, considering that the colonial and post-colonial eras in which he set his books was always going to cover some of these tensions. In 'Those in Peril' though, Smith turns his sights onto the Arab world. He skates on thin ice for much of the book and the justification for how he treats certain Muslim characters is at best extremely shaky. There is no doubt that Smith has a very limited, if not twisted, view on Islam.
Furthermore the book is overly gratuitous on sexual deviancy. Smith has had plenty of characters be rapists before and I can recall at least once instance of paedophillia too but in this novel it serves no purpose other than being a cheap way of characterising Evil.
An awful effort for what could have been an interesting subject matter. Do not read.
June 1, 2025
These three stars are a sign of great benevolence. The plot is not bad, the characters are somehow passable, but I have some critics:
a. logical fractures
- Hazel is a smart lady, but she erases the message from Cayla
- some admiral talks about tsunami in deep waters
- Cross is a tough guy, who knows people well, but he is betrayed by one of his best friends
- the Islamists are stupid enough to let the girl guarded by only two men and their trucks are not in order
- Cross is shooting the tires of the enemy car, but the enemies do not the same obvious little thing
b. too much violence and unprovoked brutality
- the killings of Delphin officers
- the Sharia passage
- the rape scenes
c. hardly believable facts
- the way the pirates attack The Golden Goose
- the fact that Adam takes his suitcase with him on the boat
- it is very hard to believe that you will escape with a heavy truck on an ancient road, no more in use
d. gruesome sex in the book does not fit this kind of novel
So, as I've said, there was a sign of great benevolence in those three stars...
a. logical fractures
- Hazel is a smart lady, but she erases the message from Cayla
- some admiral talks about tsunami in deep waters
- Cross is a tough guy, who knows people well, but he is betrayed by one of his best friends
- the Islamists are stupid enough to let the girl guarded by only two men and their trucks are not in order
- Cross is shooting the tires of the enemy car, but the enemies do not the same obvious little thing
b. too much violence and unprovoked brutality
- the killings of Delphin officers
- the Sharia passage
- the rape scenes
c. hardly believable facts
- the way the pirates attack The Golden Goose
- the fact that Adam takes his suitcase with him on the boat
- it is very hard to believe that you will escape with a heavy truck on an ancient road, no more in use
d. gruesome sex in the book does not fit this kind of novel
So, as I've said, there was a sign of great benevolence in those three stars...
April 30, 2011
Just heard I won this from First Reads; can't wait to get it and read it. Thank you!
Well, I just finished this book. I have long been a fan of Wilbur Smith, having read all his books, starting with his Ballantyne novels and absolutely adoring his Egypt series. However, I have to admit to being disappointed by this book. Its sort of a cross between a Jack Higgins novel and a romance novel. The protagonist is pretty unbelievable, and his female counterpart goes from being strong woman heading a major company to sex kitten. Even some of the language is hokey, especially around the love scenes. The story requires you to completely suspend disbelief, and while I totally read for escape and don't expect stringent realism, this book is just a bit too unrealistic.
Having said all that, if what you are looking for is a fast paced action thriller with some sex and romance thrown in, and you don't care at all how realistic it is, then this is the book for you. Maybe my expectations, because it is Wilbur Smith, were just too high.
Well, I just finished this book. I have long been a fan of Wilbur Smith, having read all his books, starting with his Ballantyne novels and absolutely adoring his Egypt series. However, I have to admit to being disappointed by this book. Its sort of a cross between a Jack Higgins novel and a romance novel. The protagonist is pretty unbelievable, and his female counterpart goes from being strong woman heading a major company to sex kitten. Even some of the language is hokey, especially around the love scenes. The story requires you to completely suspend disbelief, and while I totally read for escape and don't expect stringent realism, this book is just a bit too unrealistic.
Having said all that, if what you are looking for is a fast paced action thriller with some sex and romance thrown in, and you don't care at all how realistic it is, then this is the book for you. Maybe my expectations, because it is Wilbur Smith, were just too high.
May 22, 2011
Worst book Wilbur Smith has written - what should have been a great plot line for him, felt more like a mills and boon - if his name had not been on the cover I would have thought it was ghost written by someone without any experience.
The characters were insipid and plastic with nothing believable about them - they related to each other in utterly inconvincing style and the dialogue should be renamed direlogue!
I feel really saddened that an author who could spin such great stories as the Courtneys/Ballantynes/Egyptian series as well as all the other stand alone titles - and I have read them all, should write such a poor book as this.
Get it from the library if you must read it - don't waste the readies.
The characters were insipid and plastic with nothing believable about them - they related to each other in utterly inconvincing style and the dialogue should be renamed direlogue!
I feel really saddened that an author who could spin such great stories as the Courtneys/Ballantynes/Egyptian series as well as all the other stand alone titles - and I have read them all, should write such a poor book as this.
Get it from the library if you must read it - don't waste the readies.
June 3, 2011
I couldn't even finish this. If I could score it less than one star, I would. The fact that I was willing to skim it even halfway through is only because Wilbur Smith is one of my favorite authors and has produced a few of the best novels I have ever read. It's hard to believe that the same man who wrote "The Angels Weep" and "The Burning Shore" (among other great novels) produced this book. His stereotypical characters are what finally did it in for me, especially his one-dimensional portrayal of the stereotypical Muslim villagers laughing at an 8 yo boy who was terrified before his arms were crushed. I expected so much better from this great writer. Don't waste your money on this book - especially if you are a Wilbur Smith fan; it's not worth the paper it's printed on.
October 9, 2017
When South African tennis star, Hazel marries multi-billionaire, Henry Bannock, their partnership would last longer than a lifetime. Henry was much older than the new love of his life, but the age difference hardly mattered. From the very beginning, Hazel was involved with the running and decision-making of Bannock Oil. Henry recognized the intelligence and business savvy of his new bride and took full advantage of it. When Henry dies, the Houston-based company didn’t miss a beat. Hazel took over sole control of the company, acquiring rights to areas, previously owned by Shell Oil Company, but deemed played-out, and by applying new methods and technological advancements, discovered a hitherto undiscovered five billion barrels of sweet & light crude.
Wealthy people, in high and influential places, are always under threat. Henry employed Cross Bow Security Limited to protect his family and assets. This company is run by an ex-SAS operative, Hector Cross. Although Cross had Henry’s complete trust and confidence, this feeling wasn’t shared with his wife, Hazel. She found him arrogant, self-centered, and trigger happy, but he did protect her assets.
When her nineteen-year-old daughter, Cayla, is taken and her private yacht, the Amorous Dolphin is scuttled, Hector and Hazel are thrown into an entirely new relationship. A terrorist organization, based in the Horn of Africa, and calling themselves the Flowers of Islam, claim responsibility and demand a ransom for the return of Cayla and the yacht’s crew.
Language and literature aren’t quiescent and latent entities. They are constantly developing and changing, as does the world around them. I have long been an avid fan and admirer of Wilbur Smith. He has a way of bringing the dark mystery and the unblemished beauty, in the past and present, of Africa. In almost poetic prose, he creates characters and stories that transport you there; in sights, smells, and sounds.
Piracy isn’t just a practice of the past, confined to the Caribbean Sea and the treasure ships of Spain. It isn’t Moors raiding unsuspecting ships off the Barbary Coast. Today, piracy is a real problem, concentrating mainly off the coast of Somalia, in the Arabian Sea, in what is commonly referred to as the Horn of Africa. Muslim fundamentalists are constantly declaring jihads against western countries, religions, and ideologies, making the story’s premise not only plausible but predictable. Wilbur Smith weaves international intrigue with hedonistic pleasures. This story literally screams Missouri, the “Show Me” State. I highly recommend this book to everyone.
Wealthy people, in high and influential places, are always under threat. Henry employed Cross Bow Security Limited to protect his family and assets. This company is run by an ex-SAS operative, Hector Cross. Although Cross had Henry’s complete trust and confidence, this feeling wasn’t shared with his wife, Hazel. She found him arrogant, self-centered, and trigger happy, but he did protect her assets.
When her nineteen-year-old daughter, Cayla, is taken and her private yacht, the Amorous Dolphin is scuttled, Hector and Hazel are thrown into an entirely new relationship. A terrorist organization, based in the Horn of Africa, and calling themselves the Flowers of Islam, claim responsibility and demand a ransom for the return of Cayla and the yacht’s crew.
Language and literature aren’t quiescent and latent entities. They are constantly developing and changing, as does the world around them. I have long been an avid fan and admirer of Wilbur Smith. He has a way of bringing the dark mystery and the unblemished beauty, in the past and present, of Africa. In almost poetic prose, he creates characters and stories that transport you there; in sights, smells, and sounds.
Piracy isn’t just a practice of the past, confined to the Caribbean Sea and the treasure ships of Spain. It isn’t Moors raiding unsuspecting ships off the Barbary Coast. Today, piracy is a real problem, concentrating mainly off the coast of Somalia, in the Arabian Sea, in what is commonly referred to as the Horn of Africa. Muslim fundamentalists are constantly declaring jihads against western countries, religions, and ideologies, making the story’s premise not only plausible but predictable. Wilbur Smith weaves international intrigue with hedonistic pleasures. This story literally screams Missouri, the “Show Me” State. I highly recommend this book to everyone.
April 9, 2011
First, thank-you to Goodreads for sending me this book for free! I wish I could write a good review of this, but I can not. While Wilbur Smith's characters generally are stereotypes (think rugged alpha male, and beautiful spirited female) that hasn't bothered me in the past and I've enjoyed the pacing and action sequences of his plots and his realistic portrayal of his settings. This time, I couldn't get past the flatness of the characters and the graphic sexual violence. This book is not as well thought out as some of his other books, and his settings seemed completely imagined. This is in stark contrast to his descriptions of South Africa etc. in some of his other novels. The action sequences were riveting, but the rest of the book was lacking. I wouldn't recommend this book, but would recommend his Courntey books( When the Lion Feeds etc.).
October 26, 2011
I have SO many mixed feelings on this book. At times it was over a 4 & then it dropped to a zero(if possible). The relationship between Hazel & Hector was unbelievable. The dialogue was beyond stupid. But then the story line for the first part was interesting & suspenseful.
Who wrote the middle rubbish of this book? It didn't even read like the first part. The story went into trivial areas...I mean hobknobbing with the Queen of England & Prince Philip??? Really, I find that doubtful.
I figure the best would be to read the first part & skip the last half. Totally unrealistic. I also felt that Hector's enemies were protrayed as stupid people & I don't feel that type of protrayal was realistic.
Who wrote the middle rubbish of this book? It didn't even read like the first part. The story went into trivial areas...I mean hobknobbing with the Queen of England & Prince Philip??? Really, I find that doubtful.
I figure the best would be to read the first part & skip the last half. Totally unrealistic. I also felt that Hector's enemies were protrayed as stupid people & I don't feel that type of protrayal was realistic.
December 4, 2011
I have been with Wilbur smith for many years. From When the Lion Feeds through the Courtney years. Always a fan of his big African vistas. Things started going downhill at the end of the Egyptian series particularly when Taita grew his bits back, oh Wilbur what were you thinking? This novel not only contains every literary cliche known to man, but everyone and everything is drawn in such an over the top way that I have trouble thinking this was actually written to be taken seriously. Yes I stuck with it, but there was considerable eye rolling and sighing along the way. Oh and I am on a beach holiday, so any book rated as "way too cheesy" must be a real shocker. And it is. The hero and heroine start out disdainfully eyeing each other off and are head over heels way too quickly. Seriously, this book sticks exactly to script. It's like a joint project between Wilbur and Jackie Collins.
March 23, 2012
'Those in Peril' is the first book I have read by Wilbur Smith. I do not think I will be reading another by this author. This book was read for my book club, and that is the only reason I would ever have picked up this kind of book.
Hazel Bannock is a millionaire by marriage and recently widowed, and has a rather rebellious teenage daughter, Cayla. One day, Cayla is kidnapped by Somalian pirates who bring their 'prize' back to the leader of their tribe, the Sheikh. Desperation ensues, and Mrs Bannock has a troupe of burly Arabic men ready to risk life and limb to blend into the Puntland scenery to retrieve Cayla. The leader of the muscle-brigade, Hector Cross, namesake of the Cross Bow security company, undertakes the mission as his personal favour to the distraught Hazel.
Initially, I thought, "I've never read a book about kidnapping or Arabs, so here goes!". As the book went on, I concluded that I no longer wanted to read about Arabs, and probably not kidnapping ever again.
The first sex-scene of the book was so very obviously written by a man, practically worshipping the man's prowess. I found this passage very uncomfortable and awkward, and the only reason I could see for it being written was to portray the naivete of the young girl.
I found the passages containing brutal rape, torture, and drawn-out murder to be increasingly uncomfortable and disturbing. It somewhat made me question the necessity of such gruesome storytelling. The monstrosity of the Sharia law, taken to extremes, was portrayed in shocking intensity.
On the other hand, the parts of the novel concerned with courting and romance were sickening and clichéd. It was disappointingly cheesy and I couldn't wait for it to be over. I think the last line of the novel was something like "And they pranced down the hill together with jollity as if nothing had happened".
I will give Wilbur Smith one credit - he knows how to write a convincing Arab/Somalian kidnapping, but he really needs to work on male/female relationships and creating realistic pairings.
I will not recommend this book to anyone I know.
Hazel Bannock is a millionaire by marriage and recently widowed, and has a rather rebellious teenage daughter, Cayla. One day, Cayla is kidnapped by Somalian pirates who bring their 'prize' back to the leader of their tribe, the Sheikh. Desperation ensues, and Mrs Bannock has a troupe of burly Arabic men ready to risk life and limb to blend into the Puntland scenery to retrieve Cayla. The leader of the muscle-brigade, Hector Cross, namesake of the Cross Bow security company, undertakes the mission as his personal favour to the distraught Hazel.
Initially, I thought, "I've never read a book about kidnapping or Arabs, so here goes!". As the book went on, I concluded that I no longer wanted to read about Arabs, and probably not kidnapping ever again.
The first sex-scene of the book was so very obviously written by a man, practically worshipping the man's prowess. I found this passage very uncomfortable and awkward, and the only reason I could see for it being written was to portray the naivete of the young girl.
I found the passages containing brutal rape, torture, and drawn-out murder to be increasingly uncomfortable and disturbing. It somewhat made me question the necessity of such gruesome storytelling. The monstrosity of the Sharia law, taken to extremes, was portrayed in shocking intensity.
On the other hand, the parts of the novel concerned with courting and romance were sickening and clichéd. It was disappointingly cheesy and I couldn't wait for it to be over. I think the last line of the novel was something like "And they pranced down the hill together with jollity as if nothing had happened".
I will give Wilbur Smith one credit - he knows how to write a convincing Arab/Somalian kidnapping, but he really needs to work on male/female relationships and creating realistic pairings.
I will not recommend this book to anyone I know.
April 27, 2012
I have been a huge Wilbur Smith fan for 25 years and have read everything he's written. So it's a great disappointment for me to see him stumbling over the last few years. I had great expectations for Smith's latest, but this book is probably his worst to date. An implausible plot, gratuitous explicit sex, and unnecessary graphic violence are not his usual fare. But that's what you'll get here. Please give me the Courtneys back.
November 12, 2011
I am a long-time Wilbur Smith fan, having focused the bulk of my reading on the early Courtney series. I have only strayed from the wooden-ship and Egyptian eras once in an attempt at trying the Ballantyne series - but found the 1800s steam ships didn't fit nearly as well into Smith's beautifully detailed style of writing. I had stayed away from works based on more modern timelines until picking up Those in Peril, which I found new in hardcover (for a steal!) on Amazon.
I feel like I've been missing out.
Shorter than the lengths I'm used to, the 400 pages of this book had me running home from work and class to read what happened next, fighting to work on assignments rather than continue reading the book. Although the characters were a bit far fetched and hard to imagine being real, the book is fiction after all and this didn't take away from the story. The book was entertaining, suspenseful, and action-packed in true Wilbur Smith style. The characters, despite a long list of personal strengths, each had weaknesses that made them obviously human and some of the events actually had me shocked to see certain elements pour from Wilbur's pen.
The book kept me on the edge of my seat, kept me guessing, and kept me reading. In describing the book, I even had a friend who'd never touched Smith's work read it. He actually finishing it before me, despite my head start.
Keep an eye out, this book is sure to hit the big screen before long.
I feel like I've been missing out.
Shorter than the lengths I'm used to, the 400 pages of this book had me running home from work and class to read what happened next, fighting to work on assignments rather than continue reading the book. Although the characters were a bit far fetched and hard to imagine being real, the book is fiction after all and this didn't take away from the story. The book was entertaining, suspenseful, and action-packed in true Wilbur Smith style. The characters, despite a long list of personal strengths, each had weaknesses that made them obviously human and some of the events actually had me shocked to see certain elements pour from Wilbur's pen.
The book kept me on the edge of my seat, kept me guessing, and kept me reading. In describing the book, I even had a friend who'd never touched Smith's work read it. He actually finishing it before me, despite my head start.
Keep an eye out, this book is sure to hit the big screen before long.
January 1, 2015
This is the first book I read by Wilbur Smith and I'm not sure that's enough to give a judgment about the author. The pace is smooth, the story simple enough, the environment is mainly Africa, with a few locations in other parts of the world. What confuses is the change of pace and tone that you have in some points: after an early start, slow and aimed to delineate the characters and the background, the action speed up, then at some point become more like a romance novel and resume with the action in the last part. The characters are presented in a superficial way, without going into too much detail of their personalities, only what you need to history. Yet in some cases it seems that their character changes dramatically.
Smith definitely pull off some twists during the story, in a sometimes raw and direct way.
I had heard good things about the novels of Wilbur Smith and I was expecting something more. Descriptions of breathtaking scenery in the land of Africa, exciting and charismatic characters, plots unforgettable!
I think by this author, the best thing is to read the previous novels, the most famous and certainly appreciated.
However recommended as light reading for the summer.
Smith definitely pull off some twists during the story, in a sometimes raw and direct way.
I had heard good things about the novels of Wilbur Smith and I was expecting something more. Descriptions of breathtaking scenery in the land of Africa, exciting and charismatic characters, plots unforgettable!
I think by this author, the best thing is to read the previous novels, the most famous and certainly appreciated.
However recommended as light reading for the summer.
December 8, 2011
Although this is the first novel by Smith that I read, I was stunned with the fandom he seems to have created with his other novels. The web is full of rave reviews and recommendations for many of his works, including the Egyptian series.
“Those in Peril” is an Africa-based novel, and delves into the depths of a topic of burning contentions across the world – Piracy in Somalian waters. Given the absolute relevance of the subject Smith has chosen to handle, you would expect the author to go easy on sensitive and possibly controversy-provoking issues. But Smith does none of that. He takes the theme head on and makes his stance booming loud and crystal clear. Smith deserves kudos for that very reason.
The plot revolves around these protagonists - Hazel Bannock, a tennis-star turned heir to a business tycoon, who stumps the world with her keen sense of investment and her acumen in making profits; Hazel's 19-year old daughter Cayla, pampered, and used to getting things done her way; Hector Cross, who has a heart of iron and nerves of steel, and utterly devoid of emotions, and who heads the firm providing security to Bannock Oil Corporation. When Cayla gets kidnapped and is taken hostage, and there's little help coming in from the White House, a bewildered Hazel is left with no choice but to cross legal boundaries with the help of Hector and win her daughter back. The plot gets thickened with each passing page, sprayed with sentiments of revenge and righteousness.
The narrative is gripping, no doubt. But there are times when the reader might wish for a solace from the formidably graphical descriptions. The atrocities are all describes in gruesome detail and the author seems to have forgotten that there's something called a subtle story-telling. Nevertheless, the book still makes for a pacy and fast page-turner. Smith does the twist and turn scene building with effortless ease and takes the reader along on a journey that blends fiction with the horrifying reality of piracy that's rampant even today in the Indian Ocean.
If you are looking for the likes of a classic literary masterpiece, then this book may not fit your bill, but if what you are looking for is a fast read for a train journey, then this book will definitely catchy your attention – hook, line, and sinker!
“Those in Peril” is an Africa-based novel, and delves into the depths of a topic of burning contentions across the world – Piracy in Somalian waters. Given the absolute relevance of the subject Smith has chosen to handle, you would expect the author to go easy on sensitive and possibly controversy-provoking issues. But Smith does none of that. He takes the theme head on and makes his stance booming loud and crystal clear. Smith deserves kudos for that very reason.
The plot revolves around these protagonists - Hazel Bannock, a tennis-star turned heir to a business tycoon, who stumps the world with her keen sense of investment and her acumen in making profits; Hazel's 19-year old daughter Cayla, pampered, and used to getting things done her way; Hector Cross, who has a heart of iron and nerves of steel, and utterly devoid of emotions, and who heads the firm providing security to Bannock Oil Corporation. When Cayla gets kidnapped and is taken hostage, and there's little help coming in from the White House, a bewildered Hazel is left with no choice but to cross legal boundaries with the help of Hector and win her daughter back. The plot gets thickened with each passing page, sprayed with sentiments of revenge and righteousness.
The narrative is gripping, no doubt. But there are times when the reader might wish for a solace from the formidably graphical descriptions. The atrocities are all describes in gruesome detail and the author seems to have forgotten that there's something called a subtle story-telling. Nevertheless, the book still makes for a pacy and fast page-turner. Smith does the twist and turn scene building with effortless ease and takes the reader along on a journey that blends fiction with the horrifying reality of piracy that's rampant even today in the Indian Ocean.
If you are looking for the likes of a classic literary masterpiece, then this book may not fit your bill, but if what you are looking for is a fast read for a train journey, then this book will definitely catchy your attention – hook, line, and sinker!
May 8, 2025
The book is tragic.
Seriously. These kinds of adventures might have been tolerable—or even entertaining—half a century ago, but the late Wilbur clearly paid no attention to the passage of time.
All the clichés are here:
Tough, charming men with military backgrounds. Beautiful and obscenely rich women. Villainous Muslims capable of performing a prostatectomy on a woman (yes, really). Rape—multiple times. Orgasms. Silk panties, often with lace. Jewelry and paintings by old masters. Fine wines. Guns—lots of them. Amphibious tanks. Huge ships and luxury yachts. Vows of eternal devotion. Betrayals. Melee combat. Obsolete vehicles tearing through the desert. A spoiled brat who "fokks" and performs blowjobs on a terrorist without suspecting his true identity. Beheadings. Stunning Russian women tougher than Rambo. Weddings. More weddings.
The book is bad.
Worse: it’s rotten to the core. The characters are flatter than doodles on a napkin, quickly forgetting the brutal deaths of parents and children as they sip champagne and plot revenge.
What more can I say? Miserable. Sexist. Outdated.
Read it only if you’re stuck in a Turkish prison and it’s your only connection to the outside world. And when you return it, write—in blood if you must—a note on the first page:
BRING ME A BETTER BOOK OR KILL ME NOW!!!
Seriously. These kinds of adventures might have been tolerable—or even entertaining—half a century ago, but the late Wilbur clearly paid no attention to the passage of time.
All the clichés are here:
Tough, charming men with military backgrounds. Beautiful and obscenely rich women. Villainous Muslims capable of performing a prostatectomy on a woman (yes, really). Rape—multiple times. Orgasms. Silk panties, often with lace. Jewelry and paintings by old masters. Fine wines. Guns—lots of them. Amphibious tanks. Huge ships and luxury yachts. Vows of eternal devotion. Betrayals. Melee combat. Obsolete vehicles tearing through the desert. A spoiled brat who "fokks" and performs blowjobs on a terrorist without suspecting his true identity. Beheadings. Stunning Russian women tougher than Rambo. Weddings. More weddings.
The book is bad.
Worse: it’s rotten to the core. The characters are flatter than doodles on a napkin, quickly forgetting the brutal deaths of parents and children as they sip champagne and plot revenge.
What more can I say? Miserable. Sexist. Outdated.
Read it only if you’re stuck in a Turkish prison and it’s your only connection to the outside world. And when you return it, write—in blood if you must—a note on the first page:
BRING ME A BETTER BOOK OR KILL ME NOW!!!
May 16, 2021
Wow, what a headache of a book....extremely racist and sexist. The author seems to be a white boomer who really does not understand women or grief. It was like reading (half a book) about how "evil" or "mismanaged" middle eastern and african countries are. And the dialogues.....absolutely unrealistic.
All in all, could not finish this...at all.
All in all, could not finish this...at all.
March 16, 2016
I would have rated this book a four or five star, but (for me) it was spoiled by the hard core pornographic descriptions of rape and also the use of crude language in the torture scenes. My three stars rating is therefore to balance my negative comment with an otherwise interesting book.
August 11, 2024
I have read similar styles of books like this before, but this one seemed a little over the top to me.
Super rich people also being super baddass…and risking their lives to settle a blood feud with a Somalian sheikh (who in turn leads the most powerful group of pirates in the region) was a “bit” of a stretch on the believability scale. Some of the detailed descriptions of certain portions of the story seemed unnecessary, and some of the globetrotting escapades between the real action sections were drawn out as well.
Aside from those observations the story was easy to follow, and kept me reading it the end just to see how it turned out. Not something I can see being made into a believable action movie by any means.
Super rich people also being super baddass…and risking their lives to settle a blood feud with a Somalian sheikh (who in turn leads the most powerful group of pirates in the region) was a “bit” of a stretch on the believability scale. Some of the detailed descriptions of certain portions of the story seemed unnecessary, and some of the globetrotting escapades between the real action sections were drawn out as well.
Aside from those observations the story was easy to follow, and kept me reading it the end just to see how it turned out. Not something I can see being made into a believable action movie by any means.
May 3, 2023
33 pages and immediate DNF. Totally unnecessary s*x scenes, and brutality. He doesn't know how to write women AT ALL. He should have taken some lessons from a normal women. As a girl, I felt insulted.
Another thing is, the portrayal of Islam, specifically Muslims. The author either has some personal dislike against Middle east/Egypt, or Islam in general. At first I overlooked it, thinking I should be more "open-minded" and of course, bad people exist right? Until when the man abused a girl for no reason and proceeds to pray Salah like what? I could see no point here. He could've just ghosted her if he found her so "impure"? 💀 So much unnecessary work.
I read few other reviews which made me realize I am not the weird one who thinks like that. I heard it's his worst book.
I bought two of his books from my precious money and I am so mad lol. If anyone thinks I am getting too worked up, remember that I am also a broke student who hates wasting money.
Thanks for reading my review!
Another thing is, the portrayal of Islam, specifically Muslims. The author either has some personal dislike against Middle east/Egypt, or Islam in general. At first I overlooked it, thinking I should be more "open-minded" and of course, bad people exist right? Until when the man abused a girl for no reason and proceeds to pray Salah like what? I could see no point here. He could've just ghosted her if he found her so "impure"? 💀 So much unnecessary work.
I read few other reviews which made me realize I am not the weird one who thinks like that. I heard it's his worst book.
I bought two of his books from my precious money and I am so mad lol. If anyone thinks I am getting too worked up, remember that I am also a broke student who hates wasting money.
Thanks for reading my review!
January 24, 2024
Χορταστική περιπέτεια με στιγμές από σόκινγκ βία, κάτι που δεν το περίμενα, μα με εξέπληξε ευχάριστα. Με έκανε να μην νιώθω ασφάλεια και ότι τα πάντα μπορούσαν να συμβούν. Σε κάποιους μπορεί να μην αρέσει αυτό, εγώ το λατρεύω.
July 30, 2024
Smith takes the Somalis pirates to another level
On the high seas and engages them is a battle
Of good and evil
Tons of action and guesswork as to what comes
Next
Mixed in is the love of two people that must seek revenge for love ones lost
On the high seas and engages them is a battle
Of good and evil
Tons of action and guesswork as to what comes
Next
Mixed in is the love of two people that must seek revenge for love ones lost
March 15, 2019
It was a good story, a lot of action, some mystery, and some romance. But, The story posits revenge as an honorable motivation and that those murdered want the living to carry out justice for them. I reject these philosophies. As this story so aptly illustrates killing for revenge leads to an endless cycle of killing. Some family feuds and cultural feuds can last for centuries.
The other thing about this book that I did not like was its stereotypical portrayal of Islam and of jihadists. It may well be a fact that ISIS and Al-Qaeda foment a brand of Islam that is particularly brutal and degrading to women, but the rapes portrayed in this story were beyond the pale and the story did not reveal anything of usefulness to restoring peace to the world.
The other thing about this book that I did not like was its stereotypical portrayal of Islam and of jihadists. It may well be a fact that ISIS and Al-Qaeda foment a brand of Islam that is particularly brutal and degrading to women, but the rapes portrayed in this story were beyond the pale and the story did not reveal anything of usefulness to restoring peace to the world.
May 28, 2011
Not one of the author's best books, in fact, probably his worst. Disappointing, with a very predictable plot especially in the first half of the book. There were few twists and those there were, were loudly marked! I still enjoyed the book to a degree, HOWEVER, I felt the author was just going through the motions and meeting his commitment to the publisher, with the reader more of an afterthought! I have always looked forward to a Wilbur Smith novel, as he is one of my favourite authors, but next time I will read the reviews first. A real let down.
February 25, 2024
3,5 stars.
July 28, 2020
I have heard a lot about the books of Wilbur Smith and I see from the reviews that this maybe was not the one to start with. And I see why!
It has action, a lot of it, as it has an ex SAS man, Hector Cross, taking it upon himself to rescue the kidnapped daughter of his employer,Hazel Bannock, from Somalian pirates. Hazel is the owner of Bannock oil and one of the richest women in the world but when her daughter is snatched off her yacht, the demands of the terrorists are such that no government would be willing to comply.
Going in full throttle, Hector and his team face danger,treachery and all kinds of adversity as they attempt to rescue 19 yo Cayla Bannock who is being subjected to the most horrible physical and psychological torture.
But what was not fathomable was how two people touted to have resources and brains like Hector and Hazel could be so complacent, only reacting, never proactive, never anticipating the danger that could befall them. It's almost like the author had to spring bad things on them just for Hector to admire Hazel's 'strength' and show his planning acumen!
It simply doesn't gel with how he is described as a man of action. No planning or even thinking about putting security in place to protect himself and his people from retribution from persons whose vileness and crudeness he is very familiar with!
There is no holding back on the language or graphic descriptions of cruelty and violence which I suppose is because of the situations themselves. But it is uncomfortable to read. And there are some cringe worthy scenes which could have been toned down in a book of this genre!
Overall, not a good introduction to Wilbur Smith but there are always other books and series to explore and I will definitely read his Courtney series before giving up on him!
It has action, a lot of it, as it has an ex SAS man, Hector Cross, taking it upon himself to rescue the kidnapped daughter of his employer,Hazel Bannock, from Somalian pirates. Hazel is the owner of Bannock oil and one of the richest women in the world but when her daughter is snatched off her yacht, the demands of the terrorists are such that no government would be willing to comply.
Going in full throttle, Hector and his team face danger,treachery and all kinds of adversity as they attempt to rescue 19 yo Cayla Bannock who is being subjected to the most horrible physical and psychological torture.
But what was not fathomable was how two people touted to have resources and brains like Hector and Hazel could be so complacent, only reacting, never proactive, never anticipating the danger that could befall them. It's almost like the author had to spring bad things on them just for Hector to admire Hazel's 'strength' and show his planning acumen!
It simply doesn't gel with how he is described as a man of action. No planning or even thinking about putting security in place to protect himself and his people from retribution from persons whose vileness and crudeness he is very familiar with!
There is no holding back on the language or graphic descriptions of cruelty and violence which I suppose is because of the situations themselves. But it is uncomfortable to read. And there are some cringe worthy scenes which could have been toned down in a book of this genre!
Overall, not a good introduction to Wilbur Smith but there are always other books and series to explore and I will definitely read his Courtney series before giving up on him!
March 8, 2019
0.5/4 F
Sometimes I daydream about not just being a paid entertainment critic, but teaching kids about entertainment criticism. If I ever wanted to pursue that, and I think one day I’ll look into it, the responsible thing would be to do more research to be safe. But one controversial thing I find is if it’s justifiable to significantly lower or raise a grade from what it was a minute ago, if, during that minute, something huge happened. Such as, having originally a C and changing it to an A-, or vice versa, because of one decision a character makes. Well, that’s what happened, in that vice versa, in my first read by the legendary Wilbur Smith.
Hector Cross is the head of Cross Bow Security, a protection team for hire. He has blood on his hands that he’s unashamed of, and has studied how the minds of terrorists work. The head of the Bannock Oil Corporation, Hazel Bannock, ends up having to swallow her pride and contact him, despite Hector joking one day she’ll desperately need his help. Off the coast of Somalia, a country infamous for ship sieges by modern-day pirates, her daughter Cayla ends up taken hostage by her supposed boyfriend, Rogier. Her capture ends up beneficial for the Sheikh for two big reasons: One is Hazel is one of the richest billionaires in the world and owner of most of the waters that I suspect interfere with the Somali fishing. The other is he has a feud to finish with Cross, and he’s been tasked with coming to Cayla’s rescue.
Wilbur Smith is by far my dad’s favourite author, and he gave me this book to read because he was sure I’d like it. He was semi-right for a part of it. More on that in a second. The synopsis, the cover, and the interior map of Somalia and its neighbouring countries made me get the impression this was a novelized version of Paul Greengrass’ Captain Phillips, released two years after this book, and I wasn’t sure how any author would be able to turn a hostage premise on the seas into a big word-layered 386-paged book. After thinking about when I’d start the book for several months, I finally gave it a shot, and I’m sorry I have to do this to my dad. I put down this book in utter disgust, and not in a good way. You can be angry, sad, or even disgusted in a good way sometimes. Not for this title.
The synopsis I gave honestly makes it sound fun, and it sometimes honestly is. I actually do have a fair amount of positive stuff to say here. Even though the antagonists seem to thrive on typical revenge ideas and there isn’t enough to display the history of their overall personality and anger, they end up enacting torture scenes to Cayla, and torture scenes to what those in charge see as “criminals” that are very effective and cringe-creating. Cayla ends up suffering sexual abuse at the hands of a handful of men and Smith’s description of their lubricating and hairiness and willingness to cause pain is not held back. I couldn’t imagine suffering the way she was. And there are public executions that got under my skin, giving a good sense of danger.
And even if there’s enough words here to fill a 600-paged book at the height of books I generally read, the rescue ends up coming faster than you might expect. There were still some gimmicks that made these optimistic elements unable to promise a recommendation. The first bad thing I noticed was a sense of instalove. Hazel and Hector start a relationship so early and disappointingly it was actually a little painful how much better it could’ve been with a delay. I also noticed some very silly dialogue, bringing humour when anyone sane would be too terrified to say something out loud. Now, generally, mixed with these positives and negatives, I’d give maybe a 2 or 2 and a half. That was the first half of the book’s rundown. Then the second half arrives…
I hate to give too many spoilers, but I feel I have to justify my savage grade. The second half begins with a brake in everything, literally in both possibilities of the word. There are delays and skips forward, of apparently years. I generally find it okay to skip forward in the lives of characters maybe 5 or 6 months max, and, more acceptably, a few weeks, but if you have to race ahead as long as this story does, I think you should just start writing a new book instead. Pages of inactivity linger, attempting to make us care about the relationship of the characters more, except it’s both too annoying when we’re here to read about suspenseful action, and too little is said about what happens during this overlong period of time. Then there are some significant deaths where I wish we could’ve at least had a chapter showing how it happened. It was a missed opportunity.
Then we get the setup for another big showdown, which starts as not the worst ever, even if it has a completely illogical fake-out plan. We get some more nasty fights, and then page 343 comes, giving me quite possibly the most tasteless, sadistic and insufferably spiteful climax chapter I’ve ever read, maybe even topping the chapter in Cherub: Maximum Security when the mission is accomplished with disregard for the pain the “protagonists” have dealt, which isn’t far off in this one. Hector and a friend of his perform something even more vile than the acts I was talking about before, making them no better than the antagonists; making them monsters. If I was a judge with the authority, I’d have condemned these two to at least 15 years in prison, with a few rounds of waterboarding. You might be thinking I’m over-exaggerating. I’m really not, and I’m amazed Smith’s publisher agreed to have that chapter in there.
After reading that, I just wanted the whole ordeal out of my head, so I ended up just skimming the last twenty-five pages rapidly, the first time I can remember ever just not wanting to pay attention to the ending, the finish line, of a book. That chapter ended up erasing all sympathy I had for any of the “protagonists”. I’m not giving this book a zero, but it has the atmosphere of books I’ve given 1 star or half a star at first and then dropping them down to that. It’s actually depressing how much more of a better grade I would’ve given if not for that fatal error, and it’s depressing how I’ll have to tell my dad if he asks, that I’m giving a book he recommended to me a spot on my next worst book list. You want to read this book? My advice: Either don’t altogether, or read the first half and not bother.
Sometimes I daydream about not just being a paid entertainment critic, but teaching kids about entertainment criticism. If I ever wanted to pursue that, and I think one day I’ll look into it, the responsible thing would be to do more research to be safe. But one controversial thing I find is if it’s justifiable to significantly lower or raise a grade from what it was a minute ago, if, during that minute, something huge happened. Such as, having originally a C and changing it to an A-, or vice versa, because of one decision a character makes. Well, that’s what happened, in that vice versa, in my first read by the legendary Wilbur Smith.
Hector Cross is the head of Cross Bow Security, a protection team for hire. He has blood on his hands that he’s unashamed of, and has studied how the minds of terrorists work. The head of the Bannock Oil Corporation, Hazel Bannock, ends up having to swallow her pride and contact him, despite Hector joking one day she’ll desperately need his help. Off the coast of Somalia, a country infamous for ship sieges by modern-day pirates, her daughter Cayla ends up taken hostage by her supposed boyfriend, Rogier. Her capture ends up beneficial for the Sheikh for two big reasons: One is Hazel is one of the richest billionaires in the world and owner of most of the waters that I suspect interfere with the Somali fishing. The other is he has a feud to finish with Cross, and he’s been tasked with coming to Cayla’s rescue.
Wilbur Smith is by far my dad’s favourite author, and he gave me this book to read because he was sure I’d like it. He was semi-right for a part of it. More on that in a second. The synopsis, the cover, and the interior map of Somalia and its neighbouring countries made me get the impression this was a novelized version of Paul Greengrass’ Captain Phillips, released two years after this book, and I wasn’t sure how any author would be able to turn a hostage premise on the seas into a big word-layered 386-paged book. After thinking about when I’d start the book for several months, I finally gave it a shot, and I’m sorry I have to do this to my dad. I put down this book in utter disgust, and not in a good way. You can be angry, sad, or even disgusted in a good way sometimes. Not for this title.
The synopsis I gave honestly makes it sound fun, and it sometimes honestly is. I actually do have a fair amount of positive stuff to say here. Even though the antagonists seem to thrive on typical revenge ideas and there isn’t enough to display the history of their overall personality and anger, they end up enacting torture scenes to Cayla, and torture scenes to what those in charge see as “criminals” that are very effective and cringe-creating. Cayla ends up suffering sexual abuse at the hands of a handful of men and Smith’s description of their lubricating and hairiness and willingness to cause pain is not held back. I couldn’t imagine suffering the way she was. And there are public executions that got under my skin, giving a good sense of danger.
And even if there’s enough words here to fill a 600-paged book at the height of books I generally read, the rescue ends up coming faster than you might expect. There were still some gimmicks that made these optimistic elements unable to promise a recommendation. The first bad thing I noticed was a sense of instalove. Hazel and Hector start a relationship so early and disappointingly it was actually a little painful how much better it could’ve been with a delay. I also noticed some very silly dialogue, bringing humour when anyone sane would be too terrified to say something out loud. Now, generally, mixed with these positives and negatives, I’d give maybe a 2 or 2 and a half. That was the first half of the book’s rundown. Then the second half arrives…
I hate to give too many spoilers, but I feel I have to justify my savage grade. The second half begins with a brake in everything, literally in both possibilities of the word. There are delays and skips forward, of apparently years. I generally find it okay to skip forward in the lives of characters maybe 5 or 6 months max, and, more acceptably, a few weeks, but if you have to race ahead as long as this story does, I think you should just start writing a new book instead. Pages of inactivity linger, attempting to make us care about the relationship of the characters more, except it’s both too annoying when we’re here to read about suspenseful action, and too little is said about what happens during this overlong period of time. Then there are some significant deaths where I wish we could’ve at least had a chapter showing how it happened. It was a missed opportunity.
Then we get the setup for another big showdown, which starts as not the worst ever, even if it has a completely illogical fake-out plan. We get some more nasty fights, and then page 343 comes, giving me quite possibly the most tasteless, sadistic and insufferably spiteful climax chapter I’ve ever read, maybe even topping the chapter in Cherub: Maximum Security when the mission is accomplished with disregard for the pain the “protagonists” have dealt, which isn’t far off in this one. Hector and a friend of his perform something even more vile than the acts I was talking about before, making them no better than the antagonists; making them monsters. If I was a judge with the authority, I’d have condemned these two to at least 15 years in prison, with a few rounds of waterboarding. You might be thinking I’m over-exaggerating. I’m really not, and I’m amazed Smith’s publisher agreed to have that chapter in there.
After reading that, I just wanted the whole ordeal out of my head, so I ended up just skimming the last twenty-five pages rapidly, the first time I can remember ever just not wanting to pay attention to the ending, the finish line, of a book. That chapter ended up erasing all sympathy I had for any of the “protagonists”. I’m not giving this book a zero, but it has the atmosphere of books I’ve given 1 star or half a star at first and then dropping them down to that. It’s actually depressing how much more of a better grade I would’ve given if not for that fatal error, and it’s depressing how I’ll have to tell my dad if he asks, that I’m giving a book he recommended to me a spot on my next worst book list. You want to read this book? My advice: Either don’t altogether, or read the first half and not bother.
June 20, 2021
В цій історії про боротьбу з сомалійськими піратами Вілбур Сміт не цурається гидких образів. Катування, ґвалтування і вбивства тут не просто як мимовільні згадки, а описані в моторошних подробицях. «Гра престолів» на цьому фоні здається читанкою для дітей. А ще тут багато расизму. Звісно, вустами героїв автор пояснює, що не всі араби – покидьки, але Гектор Крос, головний герой, готовий обезлюднити весь Пунтленд. А ще Сміт не гребує вбивати головних героїв (ні, на щастя, не того, про якого я написав). Думаю, порівняння з циклом Мартіна тут було не зайвим.
Отже, яхту, на якій перебуває Кейла Беннок, захоплюють пірати. Кейла – та ще паскудниця, але її мати Гейзел готова на все заради порятунку доньки. На щастя, вона мільярдерка і на неї працює рембоподібний, макклейнопикий офіцер у відставці Гектор Крос. Тому, сомалійські пірати, готуйтеся до повної анігіляції.
Ця книжка – не така шаблонна, як «Око тигра», але їй вистачає своїх недоліків.
Отже, яхту, на якій перебуває Кейла Беннок, захоплюють пірати. Кейла – та ще паскудниця, але її мати Гейзел готова на все заради порятунку доньки. На щастя, вона мільярдерка і на неї працює рембоподібний, макклейнопикий офіцер у відставці Гектор Крос. Тому, сомалійські пірати, готуйтеся до повної анігіляції.
Ця книжка – не така шаблонна, як «Око тигра», але їй вистачає своїх недоліків.
February 28, 2024
Ohhh my god!!!.. Was my first time reading action thriller genre and my god it was such a wonderful experience. Writing is impeccable. Writer makes sure every cell of your body will hate villain, you just want him dead. And it makes you fall in love with hector cross and his brilliant mind. You are provided with map and blueprint of ship so you it's easy to visualize it. But in middle of book I felt why there is good part. I mean I felt book got little slower in middle but I think writer was making us feel the connection between character so when cross go for vengeance we feel him. We feel why adam has to be killed why he deserves to die. But idk why I felt they should have went with tarik when his wife and son was killed. That part made me sad like when tarik was there in the beginning while they were rescuing cyla but they left him alone when his family died and then again you ask him to help you when cyla dies. And then Hector says this is revenge for tarik's wife and son. I mean if u wanted you could have taken revenge around that time only.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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