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Druhá světová válka, válka ve Vietnamu... Konflikty 20. století, v nichž muži bojující se zlem uzavírají přátelství na život a na smrt. Když pak jednoho z nich tragicky zasáhne krutá vražda, stejně nelidská, jako byly jiné zločiny spáchané na těch, kteří chtěli v 90. letech pomoci nešťastné Bosně, nemůže ji nechat bez odplaty. Obrací se tedy na svého dávného přítele... Po vrahovi se však jako by slehla zem. Osamělý mstitel má k dispozici jedinou nejasnou stopu, přesto pátrání po zabijákovi z bývalé Jugoslávie nevzdává. Nevědomky vede i nerovný boj s americkými zpravodajskými agenturami, které se snaží dostat jistého islámského teroristu... Děj nového Forsythova románu vrcholí 10. září 2001, v předvečer hrůzné akce teroristů v New Yorku. Zda lze proti zlu bojovat jiným zlem a jaká je ve světě plném násilí cena přátelství, to si už musí rozhodnout čtenář sám...
368 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2003
994 people are currently reading
3528 people want to read
About the author
Frederick Forsyth
333 books4,263 followersFrederick Forsyth, CBE was a English author and occasional political commentator. He was best known for thrillers such as The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File, The Fourth Protocol, The Dogs of War, The Devil's Alternative, The Fist of God, Icon, The Veteran, Avenger, The Afghan, and more recently, The Cobra and The Kill List.
The son of a furrier, he was born in Ashford, Kent, educated at Tonbridge School and later attended the University of Granada. He became one of the youngest pilots in the Royal Air Force at 19, where he served on National Service from 1956 to 1958. Becoming a journalist, he joined Reuters in 1961 and later the BBC in 1965, where he served as an assistant diplomatic correspondent. From July to September 1967, he served as a correspondent covering the Nigerian Civil War between the region of Biafra and Nigeria. He left the BBC in 1968 after controversy arose over his alleged bias towards the Biafran cause and accusations that he falsified segments of his reports. Returning to Biafra as a freelance reporter, Forsyth wrote his first book, The Biafra Story in 1969.
Forsyth decided to write a novel using similar research techniques to those used in journalism. His first full length novel, The Day of the Jackal, was published in 1971 and became an international bestseller and gained its author the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel. It was later made into a film of the same name.
The son of a furrier, he was born in Ashford, Kent, educated at Tonbridge School and later attended the University of Granada. He became one of the youngest pilots in the Royal Air Force at 19, where he served on National Service from 1956 to 1958. Becoming a journalist, he joined Reuters in 1961 and later the BBC in 1965, where he served as an assistant diplomatic correspondent. From July to September 1967, he served as a correspondent covering the Nigerian Civil War between the region of Biafra and Nigeria. He left the BBC in 1968 after controversy arose over his alleged bias towards the Biafran cause and accusations that he falsified segments of his reports. Returning to Biafra as a freelance reporter, Forsyth wrote his first book, The Biafra Story in 1969.
Forsyth decided to write a novel using similar research techniques to those used in journalism. His first full length novel, The Day of the Jackal, was published in 1971 and became an international bestseller and gained its author the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel. It was later made into a film of the same name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 609 reviews
October 10, 2018
Occasionally I read Forsyth ... Avenger is a real page-turner, and I don't think many readers doubt if revenge can be justified ... anyway, FF at his best!
February 27, 2025
Don’t get mad, get even! On second thought, do both!
Who remembers THE EQUALIZER from 1980s television starring starring Edward Woodward as a retired intelligence agent with a murky, mysterious past? He used the skills garnered from his past career to exact justice for innocent people trapped by circumstances in dangerous situations – a soupçon of spy, a dash of military thriller, a pinch of private detective, with a heaping helping of vigilante sauce added on top of the other ingredients. With AVENGER, one need only add counter-terrorist and trained black ops commando to the mix! If all of that sounds very over the top and pushing the limits of credibility, be assured that it is but AVENGER is still one of the most compelling action thrillers that you’ll ever read.
On top of that, AVENGER might be characterized as a fascinating and wonderfully informative brief history of the dark world of modern war and terrorism – from Vietnam’s tunnel rats and Pol Pot’s reign of terror in Cambodia, through the Serbian genocide of warlords directed by Slobodan Milošević, up to Osama bin Laden’s plans for his ultimate act of terror in 2001. Forsythe brilliantly intertwines a series of vignettes in each of these settings to craft the back story of the AVENGER and the supporting cast who will wage an undeclared war to revenge the death of a young man murdered as he sought only to do charitable work for an NGO in a setting troubled by war and revolution.
Definitely recommended. Oh my word, yes!
Paul Weiss
Who remembers THE EQUALIZER from 1980s television starring starring Edward Woodward as a retired intelligence agent with a murky, mysterious past? He used the skills garnered from his past career to exact justice for innocent people trapped by circumstances in dangerous situations – a soupçon of spy, a dash of military thriller, a pinch of private detective, with a heaping helping of vigilante sauce added on top of the other ingredients. With AVENGER, one need only add counter-terrorist and trained black ops commando to the mix! If all of that sounds very over the top and pushing the limits of credibility, be assured that it is but AVENGER is still one of the most compelling action thrillers that you’ll ever read.
On top of that, AVENGER might be characterized as a fascinating and wonderfully informative brief history of the dark world of modern war and terrorism – from Vietnam’s tunnel rats and Pol Pot’s reign of terror in Cambodia, through the Serbian genocide of warlords directed by Slobodan Milošević, up to Osama bin Laden’s plans for his ultimate act of terror in 2001. Forsythe brilliantly intertwines a series of vignettes in each of these settings to craft the back story of the AVENGER and the supporting cast who will wage an undeclared war to revenge the death of a young man murdered as he sought only to do charitable work for an NGO in a setting troubled by war and revolution.
Definitely recommended. Oh my word, yes!
Paul Weiss
April 3, 2018
Frederick Forsyth is one of the best (if not the best) thriller writers today and Avenger proves it again.
Avenger is the story of vigilante Cal Dexter's pursuit of a Serbian warlord into the jungles of the fictional Republic of San Martin. Dexter, a former Vietnam war veteran, now small-town attorney and secret mercenary. Dexter is after Zoran Zilic, a gangster who has escaped Serbia with a fortune after killing an American aid worker. There is also an FBI angle to the entire story and the much of the narrative takes place within weeks of 9/11 which gives the story another dimension.
We learn the backstory of Cal Dexter in the first part of the story (who is a recurring character in Forsyth’s novels).From his humble beginnings to the jungles of Vietnam working as a ‘Tunnel Rat’ to the present day as mercenary for hire. The recent history of Yugoslavia & Bosnian War is also covered in much detail. Forsyth fans won't be surprised that the action is supported by extensive research on geopolitical, historical and scientific matters. Forsyth weaves in as many real characters and events as fictional and delves into each character's history explaining their strengths, weakness and general motivation. This style allows the reader to grasp and retain some of the most complex political and military information. The action moves seamlessly from Vietnam to Bosnia to US to Middle east to St Martin. Dexter’s investigation and execution of plans is fascinating. At 352 pages, the book is fairly long but no page lacks interest and the novel's second half, which focuses on the Avenger's attempted capture of Zilic is pure gold.
Only negative which I may add is that the book, especially the climax, is high on planning & research and low on action, which feels underwhelming after all the built-up. I thought same was the case with some of his earlier novels too (esp Cobra). But overall, if you love thrillers, you will enjoy this one. 3.5/5
Avenger is the story of vigilante Cal Dexter's pursuit of a Serbian warlord into the jungles of the fictional Republic of San Martin. Dexter, a former Vietnam war veteran, now small-town attorney and secret mercenary. Dexter is after Zoran Zilic, a gangster who has escaped Serbia with a fortune after killing an American aid worker. There is also an FBI angle to the entire story and the much of the narrative takes place within weeks of 9/11 which gives the story another dimension.
We learn the backstory of Cal Dexter in the first part of the story (who is a recurring character in Forsyth’s novels).From his humble beginnings to the jungles of Vietnam working as a ‘Tunnel Rat’ to the present day as mercenary for hire. The recent history of Yugoslavia & Bosnian War is also covered in much detail. Forsyth fans won't be surprised that the action is supported by extensive research on geopolitical, historical and scientific matters. Forsyth weaves in as many real characters and events as fictional and delves into each character's history explaining their strengths, weakness and general motivation. This style allows the reader to grasp and retain some of the most complex political and military information. The action moves seamlessly from Vietnam to Bosnia to US to Middle east to St Martin. Dexter’s investigation and execution of plans is fascinating. At 352 pages, the book is fairly long but no page lacks interest and the novel's second half, which focuses on the Avenger's attempted capture of Zilic is pure gold.
Only negative which I may add is that the book, especially the climax, is high on planning & research and low on action, which feels underwhelming after all the built-up. I thought same was the case with some of his earlier novels too (esp Cobra). But overall, if you love thrillers, you will enjoy this one. 3.5/5
October 3, 2012
100% escapist. If you are just looking for entertainment to while away time, this is a good book for you. Aside from that make-believe world, there is nothing else in here let’s say in terms of:
But still this is an okay book. Maybe the timing was just not right because I am in the thick of reading more attention-getting books like the one of Bolano, Hammett and Pineda. Then of course, the brilliance of James M. Cain was still fresh in my mind while reading this book.
Relatability - what are the chances? I have an elder lawyer-brother who is a practicing lawyer and he also refuses to work in a law firm. He was still a young child when Vietnam War happened. He runs on a treadmill and has not competed in a triathlon. He has a lovely wife and two beautiful children. In short, his life may not be exactly similar with that of Cal Dexter but… what are the chances that my brother maintains a secret office in Manila where he entertains wealthy clients to hunt the terrorists in Bosnia or in the Middle East? There is a chance that my brother has a huge bank account but he cannot lead a double life. Why? He is too busy attending to his clients, case hearings, writing the legal documents, playing chess, reading books and writing book reviews. How can he have time to go to Bosnia and hunt a terrorist? He would not time to do that!My first Forsyth and I am already disappointed. Will I read another book by him? Before writing this review, I googled him and saw that he is more known for his earlier novels like “The Day of the Jackal,” “The Odessa File” and “The Dogs of War.” I think I just picked up the wrong book and this cannot be a good representative of his canon.
2. Writing - just like most of the thrillers, the writing style is simple, straightforward but borders on being pretentious. Granted that the English author Frederick Forsyth has lived in different countries, e.g., he studied in Spain and was a BBC correspondent assigned in a number of countries, his depiction of the global terrorism and the role of CIA, seems to be exaggerated in my opinion. For example, how would CIA intervene in the arrest of a murderer just because it would hinder in the capture of Osama Bin Laden? I would imagine that the CIA agents are smart enough to find other ways to prosecute criminals whatever consequences their arrest would entail.
3. Ability to engage reader - this highly depends on one’s personal taste. I was able to finish the book but the reading at some point in the middle switched from being engaging to somewhat boring. The first part was about Cal Dexter an ex-Vietnam rat soldier and it talked about those intricate tunnels in Vietnam hidden from the eyes of the American soldiers. There were also references to his being a triathlon. Then the narration went to the rape and murder of his daughter and then the eventual suicide of his wife. Then after those tragedies, surfaced the “Avenger” Cal Dexter who maintains a secret office in Manhattan where he entertains clients who were wronged and would like to take revenge. Then when the global terrorist, CIA, etc etc., the believability just went from 1-10 (with 10 being the highest).
But still this is an okay book. Maybe the timing was just not right because I am in the thick of reading more attention-getting books like the one of Bolano, Hammett and Pineda. Then of course, the brilliance of James M. Cain was still fresh in my mind while reading this book.
February 29, 2020
Avenger, the darling of the bulk buy bins, seemed like a bit of dumb ol' fun. But it wanders into some preachy territory.
Just a bit of Dumb ol’ Fun?
No.
There’s a story in there, if you strip it right down to its dumbest and its funnest parts. Serbian gangsters/nationalists murder an American in Bosnia. Years later that American’s wealthy grandfather hires an “Avenger” to track down the head Serb. The CIA has its own interests and intervenes to protect the Serb. If you distilled this book to 100 pages, you’d have an efficient novella. If you slapped James Bond’s name on the lead, it’d be one of his better ones.
But getting there is Such. Incredibly. Heavy. Going. The book suffers from excessive characterisation. Significant sections of the book are set aside to go through tangential histories of the leads. Sure, those passages/pages/chapters/30% of the book are narrowly defensible as relevant to the story, but they keep derailing the narrative rather than being interesting interludes.
The structure also creates an uneveness. The final third is "too easy" as Forsyth rushes through the denouement and fails to take the time to build up tension in each scene.
There’s also a couple of things below that suggest Forsyth isn’t exactly a people person.
No time to chat
Forsyth avoids dialogue where he can and, when he can’t, the conversations are brutally efficient:
Person 1: Give me information
Person 2: [Conveys information]/[Refuses to convey information]
...even between characters that are apparently decades long bosom buddies.
Hot Daughter Blues
”By the summer of 1991 Amanda Jane Dexter was sixteen and knockout attractive. The Naples-descended Marozzi genes had given her a figure to cause a bishop to kick a hole in a stained-glass window. The blond Anglo-Saxon lineage of Dexter endowed her with a face like the young Bardot”
You know how I complained about excessive characterisation? Well... sometimes Forsyth forgets about any at all, particularly women. The Avenger is motivated in part by the death of his daughter. That really hot one. That we know nothing else about. Instead, we get a lengthy discourse about bamboo-snake ridden Vietnamese tunnels.
The Avenger’s wife also dies. It is the Avenger’s fault. Forsyth, who is writing the story, is unaware of this.
The deep end [of the paddling pool]
Forsyth is fiction for the non-fiction reader. He loves to delve into weapons, legislative history and biting political commentary, like the European intervention in the break up of Yugoslavia and that “The Russians are nothing if not the most racist people on earth."
I think the intent is that by reading his stories, you are initiated into the inner sanctum of geopolitical knowledge, and can expect invitations to those clubs where future Prime Ministers stick appendages into pigs.
...but anyway... ...Forsyth has an opinion on 9/11:
"He recalled Father Dominic Xavier who had taxed him with a moral problem. ‘A man is coming at you, with intent to kill you. He has a knife. His total reach is four feet. You have the right of self-defence. You have no shield, but you have a spear. Its reach is nine feet. Do you lunge, or wait?’ He would put pupil against pupil, each tasked to argue the opposite viewpoint. Devereaux never hesitated. The greater good against the lesser evil."
Now Avenger is fiction. But it’s clear to me that Forsyth wants to recreate that moral problem for the reader:
"Yes, the disgusting Serb had killed one American. Somewhere out there was a man who had killed fifty, and more to come."
This disgusting Serb is part of a plan to stop Osama Bin Laden pre 9/11. Ignore the gaping plot hole that a Serbian genocidal maniac might actually prefer 9/11 happened. Here's a hint to my main criticism: Forsyth is writing about 9/11.
Any number of events of varying ruthlessness could have stopped 9/11. Just because Forsyth created a scenario with a bad guy in it doesn't make him a moral philosopher. Read the book's moral problem again:
"With intent to kill you." and "He has a knife."
It's a tough choice that's not really a tough choice. Both answers are "right" in that you could feel comfortable either way. Wait for the bad guy's action, or strike first because everyone knows he's the bad guy. And sure, Osama was bad guy and maybe another bad guy might have stopped him. But, with respect to the problem he's irrelevant. He killed before 9/11 and we know he did 9/11.
So, asking the question another way, would you really trust a shadowy government organisation that deals with mass murderers when it tells you each time that "He meant to kill you" and "He had a knife"? Because it won't stop with Osama.
In case you're wondering whether I'm asking a hypothetical, I note that "knife" and "intent" really did start becoming "yellowcake uranium from Niger", "military aged males" and "American citizens Anwar al-Awlaki, 16 year old Abdulrahman al-Awlaki, and 8 year old Nawar al-Awlaki" (all killed in separate attacks without the slimmest of considerations to due process). And those are just the things they tell us.
What I'm saying is that when it comes to the knife and intent to kill,
- I don't know;
- You don't know; and
- Forsyth doesn't know.
Using 9/11 is a tawdry trick. If you don't have rules about how you establish knives and intent before you act, then you are the one with the knife and the intent.
I may not know much about philosophy, but I can smell bullshit, and this book is shovelling a whole lot of it.
Put it in the recycling bin.
Just a bit of Dumb ol’ Fun?
No.
There’s a story in there, if you strip it right down to its dumbest and its funnest parts. Serbian gangsters/nationalists murder an American in Bosnia. Years later that American’s wealthy grandfather hires an “Avenger” to track down the head Serb. The CIA has its own interests and intervenes to protect the Serb. If you distilled this book to 100 pages, you’d have an efficient novella. If you slapped James Bond’s name on the lead, it’d be one of his better ones.
But getting there is Such. Incredibly. Heavy. Going. The book suffers from excessive characterisation. Significant sections of the book are set aside to go through tangential histories of the leads. Sure, those passages/pages/chapters/30% of the book are narrowly defensible as relevant to the story, but they keep derailing the narrative rather than being interesting interludes.
The structure also creates an uneveness. The final third is "too easy" as Forsyth rushes through the denouement and fails to take the time to build up tension in each scene.
There’s also a couple of things below that suggest Forsyth isn’t exactly a people person.
No time to chat
Forsyth avoids dialogue where he can and, when he can’t, the conversations are brutally efficient:
Person 1: Give me information
Person 2: [Conveys information]/[Refuses to convey information]
...even between characters that are apparently decades long bosom buddies.
Hot Daughter Blues
”By the summer of 1991 Amanda Jane Dexter was sixteen and knockout attractive. The Naples-descended Marozzi genes had given her a figure to cause a bishop to kick a hole in a stained-glass window. The blond Anglo-Saxon lineage of Dexter endowed her with a face like the young Bardot”
You know how I complained about excessive characterisation? Well... sometimes Forsyth forgets about any at all, particularly women. The Avenger is motivated in part by the death of his daughter. That really hot one. That we know nothing else about. Instead, we get a lengthy discourse about bamboo-snake ridden Vietnamese tunnels.
The Avenger’s wife also dies. It is the Avenger’s fault. Forsyth, who is writing the story, is unaware of this.
The deep end [of the paddling pool]
Forsyth is fiction for the non-fiction reader. He loves to delve into weapons, legislative history and biting political commentary, like the European intervention in the break up of Yugoslavia and that “The Russians are nothing if not the most racist people on earth."
I think the intent is that by reading his stories, you are initiated into the inner sanctum of geopolitical knowledge, and can expect invitations to those clubs where future Prime Ministers stick appendages into pigs.
...but anyway... ...Forsyth has an opinion on 9/11:
"He recalled Father Dominic Xavier who had taxed him with a moral problem. ‘A man is coming at you, with intent to kill you. He has a knife. His total reach is four feet. You have the right of self-defence. You have no shield, but you have a spear. Its reach is nine feet. Do you lunge, or wait?’ He would put pupil against pupil, each tasked to argue the opposite viewpoint. Devereaux never hesitated. The greater good against the lesser evil."
Now Avenger is fiction. But it’s clear to me that Forsyth wants to recreate that moral problem for the reader:
"Yes, the disgusting Serb had killed one American. Somewhere out there was a man who had killed fifty, and more to come."
This disgusting Serb is part of a plan to stop Osama Bin Laden pre 9/11. Ignore the gaping plot hole that a Serbian genocidal maniac might actually prefer 9/11 happened. Here's a hint to my main criticism: Forsyth is writing about 9/11.
Any number of events of varying ruthlessness could have stopped 9/11. Just because Forsyth created a scenario with a bad guy in it doesn't make him a moral philosopher. Read the book's moral problem again:
"With intent to kill you." and "He has a knife."
It's a tough choice that's not really a tough choice. Both answers are "right" in that you could feel comfortable either way. Wait for the bad guy's action, or strike first because everyone knows he's the bad guy. And sure, Osama was bad guy and maybe another bad guy might have stopped him. But, with respect to the problem he's irrelevant. He killed before 9/11 and we know he did 9/11.
So, asking the question another way, would you really trust a shadowy government organisation that deals with mass murderers when it tells you each time that "He meant to kill you" and "He had a knife"? Because it won't stop with Osama.
In case you're wondering whether I'm asking a hypothetical, I note that "knife" and "intent" really did start becoming "yellowcake uranium from Niger", "military aged males" and "American citizens Anwar al-Awlaki, 16 year old Abdulrahman al-Awlaki, and 8 year old Nawar al-Awlaki" (all killed in separate attacks without the slimmest of considerations to due process). And those are just the things they tell us.
What I'm saying is that when it comes to the knife and intent to kill,
- I don't know;
- You don't know; and
- Forsyth doesn't know.
Using 9/11 is a tawdry trick. If you don't have rules about how you establish knives and intent before you act, then you are the one with the knife and the intent.
I may not know much about philosophy, but I can smell bullshit, and this book is shovelling a whole lot of it.
Put it in the recycling bin.
November 15, 2024
I did not find this book entertaining though I listened to it to the end...always an optomist. Looking for the silver lining but there was none.
May 31, 2014
Outstanding!
December 5, 2016
well....ididnt really finished the book. i gone through half of it get frustrated. my friend recommended me this book so i started reading it. the auther created a good story and characters. but the way he told it really makes you feel not to read more. i believe he wanted to make the story a bit complicated so it gets all laggy . well simple it is not that musch of good book by fredrick.
July 11, 2016
Twists, Turns, Gripping, Complex, Engaging, Realistic, Intricate, Page Turner! An Excellent Read! I Loved It!
May 19, 2022
Avenger Frederick Forsyth Great simple well told action, woop. A man of small stature but very feisty determined and clever as, Calvin, once ages ago recruited trained to a real history elite force search seek & destroy unit that did exist during the Vietnam War, nicknamed the tunnel rats, from
these days of extreme pressure of killing or dying in horrible dark confined underground nightmares which he survived with honor and distinction then fast forward to the present now hes a non killing if able to capture & recover kind of a one man A team bad ass.
A lawyer by day and the avenger by night. Couldn't get enough of his character how internalised and how well he thought out his plans. Just knowing that he has that past and potential to kill easily and with skills no normal person has there just on the surface, but he doesn't he chooses not too, thats pretty cool, he rescues the kidnapped he brings the bad guys to justice he makes them pay for their crimes a true champion of the down trodden the more famous equalisers spitting image.
these days of extreme pressure of killing or dying in horrible dark confined underground nightmares which he survived with honor and distinction then fast forward to the present now hes a non killing if able to capture & recover kind of a one man A team bad ass.
A lawyer by day and the avenger by night. Couldn't get enough of his character how internalised and how well he thought out his plans. Just knowing that he has that past and potential to kill easily and with skills no normal person has there just on the surface, but he doesn't he chooses not too, thats pretty cool, he rescues the kidnapped he brings the bad guys to justice he makes them pay for their crimes a true champion of the down trodden the more famous equalisers spitting image.
October 28, 2024
Very much reads like a journalistic account of the fictional events. I found it easy to pick up after setting it down for a few weeks. A straight-forward narrative.
May 7, 2021
Heel spannend boek. De hoofdpersoon is Calvin Dexter, een advokaat. Hij heeft al veel meegemaakt, o.a. in de oorlog in Vietnam, en later wordt zijn dochter meegelokt, als prostituee gebruikt, en vermoord. Dexter vindt de moordenaar en rekent met hem af, maar bij zijn terugkeer heeft zijn vrouw zelfmoord gepleegd omdat ze het niet meer aankon. Dan wordt hij een advokaat in een kleine gemeenschap, maar af en toe heeft hij iets anders te doen. Dan wordt hij namelijk de Wreker, iemand die grote misdadigers opspoort en ze (anoniem) uitlevert aan de politie.
In dit verhaal gaat het eigenlijk over een jonge ontwikkelingshelper die in Bosnië aan het werk was tijdens de woelige jaren in de Balkan. De jongen wordt vermist, en dan vermoord teruggevonden. Dexter wordt aangezocht om de moordenaar te vinden. Het blijkt Zoran Zilic te zijn, een zeer gevaarlijke gangster, die ooit de rechterhand van Milocevic was, maar hem tijdig gesmeerd is naar een onbekende bestemming, nadat hij ervoor gezorgd had dat hij onmetelijk rijk geworden was.
Op een ingenieuze manier weet Calvin Dexter met hem af te rekenen.
Ik vond het niet alleen een zeer spannend, maar ook een zeer leerrijk boek; er worden namelijk veel politieke en militaire zaken uitgelegd, op een begrijpelijke manier. Onder meer de oorlog in Vietnam, de strijd in de Balkan, de toestand in Afghanistan en de UAE, en nog veel meer.
In dit verhaal gaat het eigenlijk over een jonge ontwikkelingshelper die in Bosnië aan het werk was tijdens de woelige jaren in de Balkan. De jongen wordt vermist, en dan vermoord teruggevonden. Dexter wordt aangezocht om de moordenaar te vinden. Het blijkt Zoran Zilic te zijn, een zeer gevaarlijke gangster, die ooit de rechterhand van Milocevic was, maar hem tijdig gesmeerd is naar een onbekende bestemming, nadat hij ervoor gezorgd had dat hij onmetelijk rijk geworden was.
Op een ingenieuze manier weet Calvin Dexter met hem af te rekenen.
Ik vond het niet alleen een zeer spannend, maar ook een zeer leerrijk boek; er worden namelijk veel politieke en militaire zaken uitgelegd, op een begrijpelijke manier. Onder meer de oorlog in Vietnam, de strijd in de Balkan, de toestand in Afghanistan en de UAE, en nog veel meer.
December 3, 2015
There is no doubt whatsoever regarding the prowess of Frederick Forsyth when it comes to writing thrillers, and very good ones too. His celebrated work, The Day of The Jackal, is one of the best thriller novel to have been ever written and this is not just my opinion. However, my worry was would The Master be ever able to recreate the same atmosphere, as which was evident in The Jackal, where the tension just kept soaring up?
I found the answer to my question in AVENGER.
This doesn't mean that his other works are bad or average. They are all very good and can easily topple many "thrillers" if there was a head on fight amognst the books. But they never could come close to standard set by the Jackal, let alone match it.
Its kinda fitting that an Avenger had to come, to fight The Jackal.
p.s- watch out for the last paragraph, and the last sentence. THE GODDAMN LAST SENCTENCE!!!!!!!!
I found the answer to my question in AVENGER.
This doesn't mean that his other works are bad or average. They are all very good and can easily topple many "thrillers" if there was a head on fight amognst the books. But they never could come close to standard set by the Jackal, let alone match it.
Its kinda fitting that an Avenger had to come, to fight The Jackal.
p.s- watch out for the last paragraph, and the last sentence. THE GODDAMN LAST SENCTENCE!!!!!!!!
September 8, 2013
I have never read Forsyth but know of him primarily from hearing about The Day of the Jackal, so when a friend loaned me this book, I was interested in seeing just how great a writer he was.
Avenger opened with a three paragraph stage-setting prolog that didn’t even fill a quarter of a page. This is a good way to start a thriller.
Chapter 1 introduced the main character over eight pages and ended with the event that draws him into action. Again, this was good because the reader wants to know a bit about the hero and what drives him.
Then Forsyth jumps to a new track. Over the next 157 pages, nothing happens. Instead, Forsyth gives us the life history of every major player in the story. Much of it is about the main character, which is good, but much of it is about lesser ones, which isn’t. Forsyth also gives us long history lessons on the Vietnam War and atrocities in the former Yugoslavia. While learning about the main character’s role in the Vietnam War was good, I didn’t need a history lesson on the war itself. Forsyth includes, too, a brief history of the OSS, forerunner of the CIA, a little geography of Virginia and some census data on Virginia Beach, VA. In all this verbiage, he does at least manage to introduce the main character’s nemesis, which is good.
There are only tiny blips of action in this long section, but nothing that has anything to do with the main plot.
Perhaps something in this in-depth detailing of the major characters’ lives would play a role later in the story, but as I read it, it all smacked of TMI. Ditto the history lessons. I can’t help wondering if this stuff is in here because Forsyth had all this info he’d gathered doing research for the novel and just couldn’t resist sharing it all with us, just to show us what a thorough researcher he was.
The only other possible reason is Forsyth was being paid by the word and was determined to wring every penny he could from his publisher.
Finally (finally!) on page 171, Forsyth returns to the story described on the back and the action starts. Nope. False alarm. There is more action than in the previous pages but the story still jumps to a side track, this time for a long backstory about the Russian invasion of Afghanistan, the rise of Al-Qaeda, and the start of the war on terror.
On page 259, we get back to the story on the back cover. At least, I hope we are, but will believe it only when I see it. Yep, finally Forsyth delivers. Sort of. There really is no tension. The main character is always one step ahead of the man he’s chasing and his minions and two steps ahead of the people who want to stop him. There is, however, a sense of ‘Gee, this guy is clever. He thinks of everything.” Then in the very last chapter, Forsyth tells us how the main character stayed ahead of the bad guys, totally destroying our admiration for his intelligence.
This reads more like a character study of two men on a collision course than a true suspense novel. The only suspense I encountered in this novel was the suspense of waiting for something—anything!—to happen.
This book is so lame, it doesn't even deserve 1 star.
Frankly, Mr. Forsyth, I’m not impressed and won’t be reading any more of your books.
Avenger opened with a three paragraph stage-setting prolog that didn’t even fill a quarter of a page. This is a good way to start a thriller.
Chapter 1 introduced the main character over eight pages and ended with the event that draws him into action. Again, this was good because the reader wants to know a bit about the hero and what drives him.
Then Forsyth jumps to a new track. Over the next 157 pages, nothing happens. Instead, Forsyth gives us the life history of every major player in the story. Much of it is about the main character, which is good, but much of it is about lesser ones, which isn’t. Forsyth also gives us long history lessons on the Vietnam War and atrocities in the former Yugoslavia. While learning about the main character’s role in the Vietnam War was good, I didn’t need a history lesson on the war itself. Forsyth includes, too, a brief history of the OSS, forerunner of the CIA, a little geography of Virginia and some census data on Virginia Beach, VA. In all this verbiage, he does at least manage to introduce the main character’s nemesis, which is good.
There are only tiny blips of action in this long section, but nothing that has anything to do with the main plot.
Perhaps something in this in-depth detailing of the major characters’ lives would play a role later in the story, but as I read it, it all smacked of TMI. Ditto the history lessons. I can’t help wondering if this stuff is in here because Forsyth had all this info he’d gathered doing research for the novel and just couldn’t resist sharing it all with us, just to show us what a thorough researcher he was.
The only other possible reason is Forsyth was being paid by the word and was determined to wring every penny he could from his publisher.
Finally (finally!) on page 171, Forsyth returns to the story described on the back and the action starts. Nope. False alarm. There is more action than in the previous pages but the story still jumps to a side track, this time for a long backstory about the Russian invasion of Afghanistan, the rise of Al-Qaeda, and the start of the war on terror.
On page 259, we get back to the story on the back cover. At least, I hope we are, but will believe it only when I see it. Yep, finally Forsyth delivers. Sort of. There really is no tension. The main character is always one step ahead of the man he’s chasing and his minions and two steps ahead of the people who want to stop him. There is, however, a sense of ‘Gee, this guy is clever. He thinks of everything.” Then in the very last chapter, Forsyth tells us how the main character stayed ahead of the bad guys, totally destroying our admiration for his intelligence.
This reads more like a character study of two men on a collision course than a true suspense novel. The only suspense I encountered in this novel was the suspense of waiting for something—anything!—to happen.
This book is so lame, it doesn't even deserve 1 star.
Frankly, Mr. Forsyth, I’m not impressed and won’t be reading any more of your books.
May 4, 2013
Frederick Forsyth is, for my money, far and away the best thriller writer currently practicing the craft. Well, he is slowing down... His debut foreign intrigue thriller, DAY OF THE JACKAL, is considered by many as the perfect thriller. Dan Brown may have sold more books with his third suspense puzzle novel, but JACKAL continues to garner raves. Some folks read it yearly... And yet, I'm not sure that AVENGER isn't better. The masterful plot, with four or five separate threads, intertwines, and at each step the master storyteller contrives to add in historical perspective -- on the Vietnam war, its prelude and aftermath; on the CIA; on the African "wars of liberation"; on the United Arab Emirates; on the laws of the sea.
You name it, Forsyth illumines the topic without really slowing the narrative. And, since I tend to agree with his viewpoints, I come away after each authorial historical briefing, thinking, Yes, finally I understand what happened with the yellowcake fiasco, or whatever it is.
Masterful!
You name it, Forsyth illumines the topic without really slowing the narrative. And, since I tend to agree with his viewpoints, I come away after each authorial historical briefing, thinking, Yes, finally I understand what happened with the yellowcake fiasco, or whatever it is.
Masterful!
May 6, 2009
A very interesting read. With a story so riveting, and the constant reference to real persons, I had to always remind myself that this is only fiction.
The book talks about possible events that could have prevented 9-11, aptly supported by historical accounts to establish how things came to be. My favorite quote from the book was Paul Deveraux saying “…there are some levels of loyalty that command us beyond even the call of duty.” After reading the book, some questions still remain in my mind: Would McBride have done what he had done had he known about the details of Project Peregine? Would he have sacrificed his friendship with Cal Dexter for his country? Or, even if McBride had been a loyal CIA agent, was 9-11 still bound to happen?
The book talks about possible events that could have prevented 9-11, aptly supported by historical accounts to establish how things came to be. My favorite quote from the book was Paul Deveraux saying “…there are some levels of loyalty that command us beyond even the call of duty.” After reading the book, some questions still remain in my mind: Would McBride have done what he had done had he known about the details of Project Peregine? Would he have sacrificed his friendship with Cal Dexter for his country? Or, even if McBride had been a loyal CIA agent, was 9-11 still bound to happen?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 14, 2025
স্নায়ুক্ষয়ী টান টান উত্তেজনা! এক বসায় শেষ করে ফেললাম! পড়তে পড়তে কখন যে দুপুর থেকে রাত হয়ে গেলো টেরই পেলাম না!
February 20, 2019
Lawyer and occasional vigilante Cal Dexter pursues a Serbian war criminal who was involved in the brutal murder of an American aid worker in Bosnia back in 1995. Meanwhile, CIA man Paul Devereux is following his own agenda and hunting Dexter, hoping to stop him before he can get to his quarry.
Fastpaced and entertaining - not Forsyth's best, but certainly a good read.
Fastpaced and entertaining - not Forsyth's best, but certainly a good read.
May 28, 2015
In 1995, a rich young man with a desire for philanthropy goes to Bosnia to work for a charity and is killed by a thug whose paramilitary unit is subservient to Slobodan Milošević, and nobody knows what happens until one of the unit confesses in 2001. The young man’s wealthy grandfather hires the Avenger, a Vietnam vet who uses his unique set of skills to hunt down and bring to justice those who prey upon the innocent. However, the CIA knows the whereabouts of the thug and is using him to get to Usama bin Laden prior to the big attack they know is going to come against the U.S. at some point, so they are trying to keep the Avenger from going after the thug in a race against time.
OK, so that’s a brief synopsis of an intricate book that mingles several intriguing story lines (the Avenger himself has a background that has intriguing story lines that would have made a great series of books on their own, but I’m glad Forsyth wrote this before the current trend of making one book into a series), and Forsyth brilliantly interweaves each of the individual stories with real-life characters and politicians, adding to the intrigue. He also takes many of these coincidences and intersections among the fictional characters and lines up a number of intriguing interactions that make this a brilliant book, which I completely enjoyed.
OK, so that’s a brief synopsis of an intricate book that mingles several intriguing story lines (the Avenger himself has a background that has intriguing story lines that would have made a great series of books on their own, but I’m glad Forsyth wrote this before the current trend of making one book into a series), and Forsyth brilliantly interweaves each of the individual stories with real-life characters and politicians, adding to the intrigue. He also takes many of these coincidences and intersections among the fictional characters and lines up a number of intriguing interactions that make this a brilliant book, which I completely enjoyed.
April 22, 2025
Onaj momenat kad dođete do epiloga i pročitate neki detalj koji vas natera da se samozadovoljno nasmejete... Neprocenljivo. Odličan triler!
*****
Edit: 22.04.2025.
Riki Kolenso je bio mladi američki humanitarac koji je ubijen u bivšoj Jugoslaviji. Njegov deda je odlučan da se ubici njegovog sina osveti, stoga zove čoveka koji je poznat pod nadimkom Osvetnik. Niko ne zna ko je on, a ni kako izgleda. A ni zašto radi ono što radi. No, on je samo jedan od ljudi koji je i sam doživeo ličnu nepravdu. On se izborio za svoju, a sada je red za tuđe. On je "lovac na glave" koji će sasvim sigurno uhvatiti bilo kog zločinca ma koliko to nemoguće bilo i isterati ga pred licem pravde.
Jedan odličan triler koji bih preporučila svima koji vole ovaj žanr. 😊
"Ili si najjači ili te vole. Znajte da nikad ne možete da budete i jedno i drugo. Ono što ljudi osećaju prema vama sačinjeno je od 10% neodobravanja onoga što radite i 90% zavisti."
"Nema većeg gnušanja od onog koje čovek oseća prema dobročinitelju."
*****
Edit: 22.04.2025.
Riki Kolenso je bio mladi američki humanitarac koji je ubijen u bivšoj Jugoslaviji. Njegov deda je odlučan da se ubici njegovog sina osveti, stoga zove čoveka koji je poznat pod nadimkom Osvetnik. Niko ne zna ko je on, a ni kako izgleda. A ni zašto radi ono što radi. No, on je samo jedan od ljudi koji je i sam doživeo ličnu nepravdu. On se izborio za svoju, a sada je red za tuđe. On je "lovac na glave" koji će sasvim sigurno uhvatiti bilo kog zločinca ma koliko to nemoguće bilo i isterati ga pred licem pravde.
Jedan odličan triler koji bih preporučila svima koji vole ovaj žanr. 😊
"Ili si najjači ili te vole. Znajte da nikad ne možete da budete i jedno i drugo. Ono što ljudi osećaju prema vama sačinjeno je od 10% neodobravanja onoga što radite i 90% zavisti."
"Nema većeg gnušanja od onog koje čovek oseća prema dobročinitelju."
February 4, 2011
A wonderfully pacey read that was enjoyable for a few reasons. Firstly the protagonist of the story was not 20 and just out of college. Cal Dexter was a great character to follow and to get to know, who could certainly hold his own in the vipers pit of the drugs world. Secondly, the story was detailed, complex and with plot twists and turns in all the right places. The ending was also just. Forsyth had guided you neatly through the story building you up to detest the villian, and when the final chapter arrives the level of retribution is perfect.
A great novel of adventure and revenge.
A great novel of adventure and revenge.
November 16, 2020
Strangers who became friends during the great war.
Another life long friendship started in the tunnels of Vietnam.
A ruthless Serbian mercenary and his past crimes.
All these lives are tangled together. Does the outcome of this entanglement lead to another disaster ?
As the story ends in 10.09.2001
Probably one of the best by Forsyth. Simply enjoyed it very much.
Another life long friendship started in the tunnels of Vietnam.
A ruthless Serbian mercenary and his past crimes.
All these lives are tangled together. Does the outcome of this entanglement lead to another disaster ?
As the story ends in 10.09.2001
Probably one of the best by Forsyth. Simply enjoyed it very much.
March 26, 2009
Fast paced international conspiracy thriller set in contemporary times. A good read with lots of incidental information about the missions conducted by the "tunnel rats" in Vietnam.
December 11, 2018
As expected, a nice thriller built over a solid pillar of real life facts and information, all in a quick and compelling pace.
June 30, 2025
This is my third Forsyth book (second this month) and I can say that his “clinical” writing style suits me. Coupled with history and politics, it blurs the line between reality and fiction. Add a 51-year-old protagonist, who isn’t built like a building and doesn’t do HALO jumps, and suspension of disbelief is more than willing, almost automatic.
From the very start you know who the bad guys are, what the good guys are going to do and how the story will progress and, ultimately, end. Forsyth gives you the hows and the whys of the story, he doesn’t try to surprise you with plot twists and sudden reversals. But he does seem to like to leave something special for the very end, just to spice things up a little bit.
Much like The Day of The Jackal and The Fourth Protocol, Avenger is a behind the scenes story. It reads like a TOP SECRET report – with bios of all the actors, historical and political background, the research and mission planning, and execution (no pun intended).
From the very start you know who the bad guys are, what the good guys are going to do and how the story will progress and, ultimately, end. Forsyth gives you the hows and the whys of the story, he doesn’t try to surprise you with plot twists and sudden reversals. But he does seem to like to leave something special for the very end, just to spice things up a little bit.
Much like The Day of The Jackal and The Fourth Protocol, Avenger is a behind the scenes story. It reads like a TOP SECRET report – with bios of all the actors, historical and political background, the research and mission planning, and execution (no pun intended).
February 10, 2017
Forsyth é conhecido pelos livros "O Dia do Chacal", "Dossie Odessa" e "Os Cães da Guerra,". Penso que devia ter começado por um deles, pois "O Vingador" deixou-me quase de rastos. Apesar do fio condutor ser consideravelmente interessante, a acção é várias vezes interrompida por longas e minuciosas descrições políticas e históricas. As divagações são demasiadas e acho que, a partir de um certo número, as histórias secundárias se tornam ridículas. Confesso que a minha paciência, para certos temas, já não é a mesma. Porém, não desisti e ainda fui mais ou menos surpreendida no final.
October 22, 2020
I can't seem to decide on this one.
Parts I loved and flew through, others made me feel like giving up.
I loved the war history part of this book and the unfolding at the end was fantastic and what a way to end! Never saw that coming and did make me smile.
I think the part that bought this book down to 2 stars was just how dense the descriptions were. There were complete chapters just describing and telling you about a character that sometimes i found just to much. If that person was not interesting it completely made me turn off and those bits ruined this book for me.
Parts I loved and flew through, others made me feel like giving up.
I loved the war history part of this book and the unfolding at the end was fantastic and what a way to end! Never saw that coming and did make me smile.
I think the part that bought this book down to 2 stars was just how dense the descriptions were. There were complete chapters just describing and telling you about a character that sometimes i found just to much. If that person was not interesting it completely made me turn off and those bits ruined this book for me.
September 2, 2021
Very very satisfying, vintage Forsyth, that I'd not read before. He is a master. I liked the ending better than that of The Devil's Alternative, which had more intricate sub-plots. This one is, comparatively, a straight line of ingenuity, determination and skill.
November 10, 2023
Lang geleden dat ik zo'n goed boek heb gelezen !
November 26, 2023
Does one need to review Frederick Forsyth books? We are mere mortals!
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