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27
As the world trembles with the approach of World War II, a woman dies at the hands of Hitler's henchmen. Her murder forever changes her lover, Francis Scott Keegan, a relentless anti-Nazi mercenary, who becomes locked in a desperate cat-and-mouse game with the Third Reich's perfect spy, a man of a thousand faces. In an arena that encompasses presidents and gangsters, spies and sirens, the deadly present and the dark past, Keegan pursues his elusive quarry into the cutting edge of world events--and into the secret inner workings of a terrifying mission known only as "27."
559 pages, Hardcover
First published February 10, 1990
78 people are currently reading
699 people want to read
About the author
William Diehl
47 books171 followersWilliam Diehl was an American novelist and photojournalist.
Diehl was fifty years old and already a successful photographer and journalist when he decided to begin a writing career. His first novel, Sharky's Machine, which became a movie by the same name was directed by and starred Burt Reynolds. Diehl saw the movie shot on location in and around his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia.
Following the success of Sharky's Machine, Diehl relocated to St. Simons Island, GA in the early 80's where he lived for the next 15 years before going back to the Atlanta area. While living on St. Simons, he completed eight more novels, including Primal Fear, which also became a movie by the same name starring Richard Gere and Edward Norton. Diehl died at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta on November 24, 2006, of an aortic aneurism. He was a resident of Woodstock, Georgia at the time of his death and was working on his tenth novel.
Diehl was fifty years old and already a successful photographer and journalist when he decided to begin a writing career. His first novel, Sharky's Machine, which became a movie by the same name was directed by and starred Burt Reynolds. Diehl saw the movie shot on location in and around his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia.
Following the success of Sharky's Machine, Diehl relocated to St. Simons Island, GA in the early 80's where he lived for the next 15 years before going back to the Atlanta area. While living on St. Simons, he completed eight more novels, including Primal Fear, which also became a movie by the same name starring Richard Gere and Edward Norton. Diehl died at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta on November 24, 2006, of an aortic aneurism. He was a resident of Woodstock, Georgia at the time of his death and was working on his tenth novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
June 9, 2023
An interesting mixture between fiction and historical facts and characters. The style is pleasant, the plot promises. On the other hand, I've found Jenny rather stupid to go back in Germany, so this part of the novel looks somehow artificial. The final could be better, mainly the fight on the island, including the U-boot sinking by a mostly common fish-boat. Not to speak about the usual temporal coincidences...
January 13, 2011
This is a very enjoyable thriller from the author of Primal Fear.
The world is at the edge of the second World War. Master disguise artist Johann Ingersoll is commisioned by the Fuhrer himself to carry out a plan known only as "27". But don't worry, a fanatic anti-nazi from the States will do everything to stop him...or at least he'll try.
Diehl integrates historical elements from Hitler's rise to power to Dillinger's bank robberies and weaves one hell of a tale. The plot is ruthless and hits ground already in motion, and never really stops. Despite some Dickensian coincidences the novel is well-plotted, well-written and populated by good characters, who while a bit on over-the-top side are interesting and worth the attention. The blood flows, the bodies mount, and the suspense is unrelenting. Recommended to all readers.
The world is at the edge of the second World War. Master disguise artist Johann Ingersoll is commisioned by the Fuhrer himself to carry out a plan known only as "27". But don't worry, a fanatic anti-nazi from the States will do everything to stop him...or at least he'll try.
Diehl integrates historical elements from Hitler's rise to power to Dillinger's bank robberies and weaves one hell of a tale. The plot is ruthless and hits ground already in motion, and never really stops. Despite some Dickensian coincidences the novel is well-plotted, well-written and populated by good characters, who while a bit on over-the-top side are interesting and worth the attention. The blood flows, the bodies mount, and the suspense is unrelenting. Recommended to all readers.
March 5, 2019
This book is an unusual piece for me, being both historical and fiction in a WW2 setting. Not my usual fare for sure. With trepidation, I cracked open the book and began this garage sale rescue. To my surprise, I found the book very entertaining and easy to read. I feel Diehl has done a reasonably good job of capturing the period, and created a story that was interesting in many ways.
Now for the bad news. It is laughably unrealistic and even silly at times. Think James Bond silly. Or maybe this is good news if you like silly spy stuff. I get a bit twitchy though when I read things that are just not plausible and found myself groaning at various points at how easy the spy business apparently can be, seeing as someone with zero experience or training can pick it up so well. : )
Anyhow, it is fiction and is thus safe from too much punishment for this writing weakness seen in many books. Yes, I get that we need a hero. A believable one is better though, so try harder you spy writers.
I'd say 4 Stars for the entertainment, but minus 1 Star for the instant hero writing. A good solid 3 Stars then, and I'm fairly certain you won't have any regrets.
Now for the bad news. It is laughably unrealistic and even silly at times. Think James Bond silly. Or maybe this is good news if you like silly spy stuff. I get a bit twitchy though when I read things that are just not plausible and found myself groaning at various points at how easy the spy business apparently can be, seeing as someone with zero experience or training can pick it up so well. : )
Anyhow, it is fiction and is thus safe from too much punishment for this writing weakness seen in many books. Yes, I get that we need a hero. A believable one is better though, so try harder you spy writers.
I'd say 4 Stars for the entertainment, but minus 1 Star for the instant hero writing. A good solid 3 Stars then, and I'm fairly certain you won't have any regrets.
November 14, 2014
“The Hunt” (also known as “27”) was published in 2012 and was written by William Diehl (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_...). Mr. Diehl has published 10 novels.
I was alerted to this book being available for free on the Kindle book store through http://booksends.com. I would categorize this novel as ‘R’ as there are Mature Situations and Violence. The novel is written in the third person and is set in the period just leading up to World War II. The primary characters are Johann Ingersoll and Francis Keegan.
Ingersoll is a German hero from World War I, as well as a devotee of Adolf Hitler. In the 1930s Ingersoll is one of the leading actors in German film, able to make himself into any character, yet few if any know his real face. Approached by Dr. Vierhaus, a close advisor to Hitler and a member of the SS, Ingersoll is recruited to be a deep cover operative, a fail safe to prevent the US from entering the pending war. Ingersoll jumps at the opportunity to serve both Hitler and Germany.
Keegan is a wealthy American who spends most of his time in Europe. He has a shady past, but he is part of the social scene. Keegan meets, and falls in love with, a young German singer. Soon after they are engaged, she disappears, arrested and sent to a concentration camp because of her politics. Keegan hears of a German deep cover agent (Ingersoll) hiding in America as he tries to find out about his fiancee. Unable so save her, he makes it his mission to thwart the German plans.
I spent a little over 14 hours reading this novel and it was a joy. It reminded me a great deal of novels I have read by Alistair Maclean and Helen MacInnes. This is a tale of intrigue set against pending World War II. It paints a picture of Hitler and how a few courageous Germans opposed him. It also puts two men dedicated to opposing missions into a collision course with one another. I give this novel a 5 out of 5.
Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at http://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.
I was alerted to this book being available for free on the Kindle book store through http://booksends.com. I would categorize this novel as ‘R’ as there are Mature Situations and Violence. The novel is written in the third person and is set in the period just leading up to World War II. The primary characters are Johann Ingersoll and Francis Keegan.
Ingersoll is a German hero from World War I, as well as a devotee of Adolf Hitler. In the 1930s Ingersoll is one of the leading actors in German film, able to make himself into any character, yet few if any know his real face. Approached by Dr. Vierhaus, a close advisor to Hitler and a member of the SS, Ingersoll is recruited to be a deep cover operative, a fail safe to prevent the US from entering the pending war. Ingersoll jumps at the opportunity to serve both Hitler and Germany.
Keegan is a wealthy American who spends most of his time in Europe. He has a shady past, but he is part of the social scene. Keegan meets, and falls in love with, a young German singer. Soon after they are engaged, she disappears, arrested and sent to a concentration camp because of her politics. Keegan hears of a German deep cover agent (Ingersoll) hiding in America as he tries to find out about his fiancee. Unable so save her, he makes it his mission to thwart the German plans.
I spent a little over 14 hours reading this novel and it was a joy. It reminded me a great deal of novels I have read by Alistair Maclean and Helen MacInnes. This is a tale of intrigue set against pending World War II. It paints a picture of Hitler and how a few courageous Germans opposed him. It also puts two men dedicated to opposing missions into a collision course with one another. I give this novel a 5 out of 5.
Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at http://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.
December 21, 2020
Read in 1990. Thriller set during World WAR 2. My last book of 1990. I read 52 books that year.
October 18, 2018
Reading a Diehl after many years. The story is gripping and revolves around the Second World War. Audaciously imagined and acutely credible. 27 is a number which now starts having a new meaning for me. Excellent.
April 29, 2022
Срещите ми с прозата на Уилям ДИйл са доста интересни. Помня в гимназията, когато ми попадна Машината на Шарки бях като отвян. Книгата не беше моя и вече беше парцал от четене, тогава така се предаваха интересните книги от ръка на ръка. Доста по-късно в университета, по подобен начин попаднах на Тай Хорс и също зверски ми хареса.
Ще ми се да кажа, че Дийл е доста бнедооценен автор, но факта, че първите ппет книги в поредицата трилъри на Бард са негови говори достатъчно.
Сега, 27 е добра колкото авторът си може, но историческият период около втората световна война ми е безкрайно противен, поради ред причини. Все пак Дийл доста добре се справя с реалистичната част, все пак е бил пилот по време на войната и не захаросва нещата колкото повечето си колеги.
27 е позивната на дълбоко внедрен от нацистите агент в Щатите. Щелта му е известна само на Хитлер. Нито той самият, нито читаелят са наясно каква е. След шест години укриване, най-сетне идва неговия час, точно когато анериканците обсъждат дали да се включат във войната. Срещу него ще се изправи един бивш контрабандист и настоящ бохем, който има лична вендета с нацистите. Какъв ще е резултатът?
Ще ми се да кажа, че Дийл е доста бнедооценен автор, но факта, че първите ппет книги в поредицата трилъри на Бард са негови говори достатъчно.
Сега, 27 е добра колкото авторът си може, но историческият период около втората световна война ми е безкрайно противен, поради ред причини. Все пак Дийл доста добре се справя с реалистичната част, все пак е бил пилот по време на войната и не захаросва нещата колкото повечето си колеги.
27 е позивната на дълбоко внедрен от нацистите агент в Щатите. Щелта му е известна само на Хитлер. Нито той самият, нито читаелят са наясно каква е. След шест години укриване, най-сетне идва неговия час, точно когато анериканците обсъждат дали да се включат във войната. Срещу него ще се изправи един бивш контрабандист и настоящ бохем, който има лична вендета с нацистите. Какъв ще е резултатът?
October 14, 2021
This was a good read. I have recently been drawn to war books, especially love stories set in war times. I was ecstatic when I saw a positive review from Sidney Sheldon on the cover. I am his biggest fan.
I loved how the story encompassed Hitler’s point of view of the world, it gave me an idea of his personality and motivation for war. I also loved how the story made me understand the consequences of wars. I felt the pain and helplessness of the people that have to suffer the effects of wars. And how invaluable a life becomes during wars.
I was not impressed with how the writer created Jenny. I am a sucker for ‘perfect’ love stories. And when she was not a typical fictional damsel, I was disappointed. I kept reminding myself throughout the story that Jenny was not a breathtaking beauty. But I loved the voice he gave her. I also expected 27 to have blended into society so much that he would turn out to be someone Keegan had already met and worked it. But I still loved how the story turned out. It was a brilliant twist of events I never would have expected that.
I loved how the story encompassed Hitler’s point of view of the world, it gave me an idea of his personality and motivation for war. I also loved how the story made me understand the consequences of wars. I felt the pain and helplessness of the people that have to suffer the effects of wars. And how invaluable a life becomes during wars.
I was not impressed with how the writer created Jenny. I am a sucker for ‘perfect’ love stories. And when she was not a typical fictional damsel, I was disappointed. I kept reminding myself throughout the story that Jenny was not a breathtaking beauty. But I loved the voice he gave her. I also expected 27 to have blended into society so much that he would turn out to be someone Keegan had already met and worked it. But I still loved how the story turned out. It was a brilliant twist of events I never would have expected that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 10, 2018
The premise of the book sounded fantastic.... and honestly... the book itshelf started off great. It was engaging...fast paced.. get your adrenaline rush while you're reading.
BUT there came a pivotal point in the book for me where as I was reading it I would literally say "oh for crying out loud...this is absurd."
Imagine if you will, a main character who for the first part of the book was this standoffish ..didn't want to get his hands dirty with anything... then 3/4th's of the way thru the book, he becomes this SUPER SPY... that has had ZERO training.... and can manage to outsmart the bad guy that has had YEARS of training.
It just became so UNBELIEVABLE that the book lost it's flair to me.
Definitely not my favorite book of William Diehl's... and definitely not one I would read again or even recommend
BUT there came a pivotal point in the book for me where as I was reading it I would literally say "oh for crying out loud...this is absurd."
Imagine if you will, a main character who for the first part of the book was this standoffish ..didn't want to get his hands dirty with anything... then 3/4th's of the way thru the book, he becomes this SUPER SPY... that has had ZERO training.... and can manage to outsmart the bad guy that has had YEARS of training.
It just became so UNBELIEVABLE that the book lost it's flair to me.
Definitely not my favorite book of William Diehl's... and definitely not one I would read again or even recommend
January 19, 2018
An exciting plot woven through the authentic history of Hitler's rise and the beginning of WWII focused around a German spy and the American who hunted him down. Several different characters and situations all built toward and eventually unified the plot, such as bank robber Dillinger, a German nightclub singer, American ex-bootlegger now millionaire playboy, and Black Lily, an organization of Jews who helped Jewish people and others to escape from the Nazi Holocaust. I read a lot of books and I was fascinated by how smoothly the plot was built from many points and came together logically and interestingly. Excellent plot, excellent book! 5*s
December 20, 2020
Lots of history, a writer who is an absolute wordmaster, a thrilling story of a Nazi plan to keep the US out of WWII...what more could you ask for? (I'd ask for removing the rather explicit sex scenes - totally unnecessary! Why do writers feel compelled to put that stuff in a book?) Diehl is very good at descriptions; in just a few words, he puts the reader in Hitler's office, a local pub, a ski resort, on the Florida coast - this is just a good book on many levels.
January 25, 2022
2.5 for the historical tidbits which were well written: WWI treaty, rise of Hitler and his acceptance by most of the German people, and the dust bowl. I kept reading because of those parts.
The main character is so unrealistic it was almost comical. Women adore him, men admire him, he is ever so wealthy, and an instantly top-notch spy. If you can accept these fantasies, you will enjoy the book. It moves quickly.
The main character is so unrealistic it was almost comical. Women adore him, men admire him, he is ever so wealthy, and an instantly top-notch spy. If you can accept these fantasies, you will enjoy the book. It moves quickly.
April 29, 2024
The Hunt by William Diehl is a work of fiction set in a historical setting. A spy novel, where the spy is a wild rich guy out for revenge. The story is a bit unrealistic at times and also has some plot holes you could drive a take through. And it suddenly just ended. I realized as I was reading that there were very few pages left and there seemed to be a lot of the story remaining. I did find the story somewhat amusing, thus the two stars.
April 13, 2019
The Hunt (AKA 27) by William Diehl is an excellent book about evil, Nazi spies, love discovered, love lost and revenge exacted. The historical aspects were eye opening, revealing facts about the era from WWI through WWII that I never knew. The fictional aspects are full of intrigue and one shocking revelation after another. This is truly a "can't put it down"novel.
February 17, 2023
Not a bad thriller at times, but way, way too long to maintain a “thriller” pace. This book could easily be cut back by 100+ pages of filler and would end up reading much better for it. I’m a little disappointed in it as previous Diehl novels I have read were quite good and didn’t feel as bloated as this one. Still, it certainly had it’s moments…
April 23, 2020
I had read this book years ago and decided to read it again. It is a very long book to read, but the story keeps you interested.
It has a nasty villain that you want to be stopped and a somewhat reluctant hero that makes you want for him to succeed.
It has a nasty villain that you want to be stopped and a somewhat reluctant hero that makes you want for him to succeed.
June 27, 2020
This is not a sophisticated spy thriller but rather dull action novel in which handpicked elite German agent , a master of desguise and survival, sent on a highly secret mission is making mistake after silly mistake.
August 22, 2022
Suspenseful story, but drags in some parts. The point of view changes frequently: the story is told from so many people's perspectives it becomes rather absurd. I guess that is one way of writing a complicated plot but I didn't like that technique.
August 16, 2018
My favourite book for 25 years
Deihl was an absolute master of the genre. All of his stories can be read over and over with pleasure
Deihl was an absolute master of the genre. All of his stories can be read over and over with pleasure
November 30, 2018
Diego can twist your stomach and put your heart in your mouth. But this wasn't his best effort. It was a bit too convoluted and a lot too far fetched. Disappointed.
January 15, 2020
While written well, I struggled with the connection between characters. There were too many "coincidences" making the plot somewhat contrived.
August 4, 2020
The book blames the treaty of Versailles for World War II. The history of WWII that is worked into the story is excellent.
December 10, 2020
a gud ww2 thriller
November 18, 2021
Well-written and entertaining thriller, where even the coincidences make sense
March 5, 2023
Very interesting read
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 3, 2023
Great read
Non stop edge of your seat. Not so over the top that it isn't believable. I wish more books were this good.
Non stop edge of your seat. Not so over the top that it isn't believable. I wish more books were this good.
April 18, 2023
Great read.
April 3, 2024
Interesting
January 26, 2025
Absorbing
Very good and another good read. Dated but another perspective of WW 2. highly recommend it you will not be disapointed.
Very good and another good read. Dated but another perspective of WW 2. highly recommend it you will not be disapointed.
May 5, 2025
I had to DNF this one. The premise was right up my alley, but one of the MCs was a sick, perverted sadist, and I just couldn’t read any more of those scenes; I’m sure there would have been more.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews