L'orma del califfo

by Wilbur Smith

Peter Stride decide di irrompere nel Jumbo bloccato a Johannesburg da quattro dirottatori: per il comandante della più selezionata squadra speciale antiterrorismo non è un'azione diversa da molte altre. Magda Altmann incontra i rapitori di suo marito per consegnare il riscatto, ma per il barone Altmann ormai non c'è più nulla da fare. Solo un nome unisce queste due vicende apparentemente lontane: il Califfo. Magda e Peter uniscono le loro forze per carpire il segreto di un personaggio che sembra reggere le fila del terrorismo internazionale. È l'inizio di una tormentata storia d'amore e di un avvincente inseguimento attraverso le città e i luoghi dove il Califfo ha lasciato la sua enigmatica traccia.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Adventure, Action, Mystery, Ebooks, Historical Fiction

415 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1979

About the author

Wilbur 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.

Reviews

[Chris Gager · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mr. Smith writes his actions scenes well, but this book is already seeming dated and sexist what with several mentions already of taut nipples, big breasts and round, firm buttocks - all of women, of course. And that ain't all ...

- My 1980 passport was blue. The Americans in this late-70's tale have green passports. Just sayin' ...

- The daddy-daughter thing is very Trump-Ivanka, i.e. stomach-churning.

- "Most of the world's leading surgeons are on the 747." - Really???? That must be a super-sized 747!

- lots of smokers smoking(though not our hero!)

- A U. S. Navy base in Indonesia? Where?

- This book was titled "The Delta Decision" in the USA - a better title than this British one.

Part One is finished after some nasty, hair-raising action. Like Stephen King, Mr. Smith is best when it comes to action stuff. I already know about one event coming up because it's spoken of in the blurbs on the back cover. I HATE that! Anyway, the hunt for Mr.(Ms?) Big and Evil will commence soon I'm sure.

- Evidently, being a nasty terrorist makes you horny. Let the panties drop and the groping begin - right in the middle of a hijacking! Really??????

- You know, as I was writing the above comment about the sexual urges of terrorists I had the vague feeling that I might have read this before, or something very like it. If so I've pretty much forgotten the whole thing. Getting old ...

- I'm assuming that I know who the big traitor is, but it could be so obvious it's a red herring and I'll be mistaken. We'll see.

- The author finally betrays his right-wing prejudices. I hope he'll keep that to a minimum. I wonder what he'd think of Trump and his Putin-love?

Just as the story was beginning to sag from a romantic interlude ... boom, another excellent action sequence is inserted. And now the author has skillfully introduced some doubt(in my mind at least) about who the big baddie might be. I'm sticking with my first guess, but won't know for a couple of more nights. I wish I could read faster, but when I do I tend to miss stuff. more notes and quibbles ...

- Shouldn't "skis and sticks" be "skis and poles"? I skied for many years and never heard anyone refer to ski poles as sticks.

- The neverending references to women's bodies ...

- Should "zodiacal sign" just be "zodiac sign"?

- Apparently the author thinks of women as horse-like as he loves the word "coltish."

- I skipped of the big romance/sex scene. No doubt as bad as Dan Brown's in "The Rise of Endymion."

Just like clockwork the author trots out an extended action scene. As before the outcome is predictable, but the telling of it is excellent. There will be more as there are almost 200 pages to go. The author continues to pile suspicion on one particular character, but this is almost certainly a red herring. I'm sticking with my first guess, though that one seems semi-obvious too. Maybe there's a third option?

- So ... it never occurred to Peter that his daughter might be a target? Seemed kind of obvious to me, plus that plot point was spoiled on the back cover blurb of the book.

Last night I started ski-skimming to get to the end of the book faster, but I didn't quite make it. I will do that tonight. Sure enough, big action scene(a guy-gal fight this time) scene(#4) last night came up right on time. This scene went on for PAGES. I guess I basically just got tired of all those words. Endless piles of description of peoples faces, clothing, smells, hair and other physical details as well as relentless stuff-name dropping(cars, booze, clothing etc.). Wore me the hell out ... I'll finish just so I can know who the baddie is. No other reason. Nevertheless, because the author puts a lot into the action scenes(even when brevity might be a better choice) this book will get a 2.75* rating, rounding up to 3*. 2* would be a bit low. That's "Bourne" territory.

Finished last night with more skimming. Turns out that I was right about the big bad baddie. Mr Smith's not a bad writer, but he uses too many words. This would have been better at about 50-100 fewer pages.

- A Japanese aircraft carrier lying in a hundred feet of water would stick up like a sore thumb. More likely it was UNDER a hundred feet of water.

- The sub-baddie surprise was a bit of a head-scratcher and an example of gratuitous plot complication.

- The two lovebirds can't keep their hands off each other no matter how dire the situation. And one more re-visit to Mr. Smith's nipple-mania.

- It all ends with a joke, and not a bad one at all!

[Thom Swennes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wild Justice isn’t what one would expect from a Wilbur Smith book. His vast knowledge of the African Continent wasn’t tested as he moved his story over the whole world. My impression after the first hundred pages was it would be another Tom Clancy (Rainbow Six) international anti-terrorist squad tale. As the story progresses, so did the winding road it followed. The route had so many turns, I found myself suspecting everyone of being Caliph. As only a great writer can, in the end everything is clearly explained leaving me with the feeling I should have been able to guess from the beginning. I have always hated double or hyphenated names and this time it was no different. If I have a criticism it would be with Peter Stride’s daughter, Mellissa-Jane…..exactly for this reason.

[Laurie D'ghent · Rating 1 out of 5]

I would give it a zero, if it were possible. Two paragraphs in, and I'm already appalled by all of the references to the female anatomy. Epic fail.

[Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad read per se, but not up to the same immersive standard as the majority of Smith's output. WILD JUSTICE is fast-paced with some absolutely stunning action sequences in it, but there are too many flaws to make it a truly crackling thriller.

It kicks off on a real high, with the hijacking of a plane and the subsequent rescue mission described in sweaty detail. After this mini set-piece, though, the story seems to lose something. Smith wrong-foots you from the outset with the identity of his shady villain 'Caliph' and keeps twisting you back and forth throughout the story, keeping you guessing at all times. Rather than adding to the mystery, I found it all slightly annoying.

The ending of the book gets bogged down with endless complex exposition - there are pages and pages of characters going into their back stories when we really should be building the suspense for the climax. As for the eventual reveal of the Caliph's identity - yes, I guessed it beforehand, and no, it doesn't make an ounce of sense. I just don't buy it at all. It's too obvious, too unbelievable. It would have been better to have had him a previously unintroduced character, I think.

My other annoyance was Smith's treatment of women in this story. He seems obsessed with the phrase "round buttocks", which is repeated constantly and even the hero's 13-year-old daughter doesn't escape. Women seem to be described via their sexuality alone and EVERY time the love interest appears Wilbur describes her breasts in loving detail. It quickly becomes tiresome and, dare I say it, slightly sleazy.

These detractions are a real shame, because the handful of violent set-pieces that occur are truly stunning, outclassing the modern-day likes of Andy McNab and Chris Ryan in their realism and page-turning intensity. A little more focus and this would have been up there with the author's best.

[N.R. Baker · Rating 1 out of 5]

I suppose I always knew this day would come: my long relationship with Wilbur is at an end. I've enjoyed his historical adventures and family sagas since I was in my teens, and have returned to his books whenever my swash was in need of a little buckling or there was derring to do. But Wild Justice... well, enough is enough.

If cliches were spots, this story would be completely obscured by raging acne. From the stilted dialogue and the unintentionally hilarious love scenes, to the utterly predictable 'twists' and the meaningless title (the book was apparently called 'The Delta Decision' in the US, which is a bit better), I just can't take any more. Sorry Wilbs.

[Erica Mukherjee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though not as burning as the chicken and the egg question, “What came first, Rainbow Six or Wild Justice?” Regardless, the concept could be carbon copied from one book to the other. Albeit, Wild Justice would be the smudged and harder to read copy. Escalating terrorist attacks lead an trans-Atlantic team of highly trained intelligence and army men to be ready at a moment’s notice to fight against the rising tide of evil. This is a plot line designed to thrill, and in both cases the authors, Tom Clancy and Wilbur Smith respectively, string their readers along a knife’s edge of suspense. However, Smith falls into a trap of predictability that, while making the ride no less enjoyable, presents the reader with a bit of an anti-climatic lurch after he realizes he had guessed it all along.

Other complaints with Wild Justice are an unnecessarily long and graphic sex scene and Smith’s proclivity to describe his strong female characters as leopardesses; after the fourth or fifth occurrence one no longer has to wonder what images arouse Mr. Smith.

However, for a thriller, Wild Justice is a very good read. There is some technical and geopolitical detail about counter terrorism in the 1970’s. The hero is of the unflagging and never disappointing hero type. The action rockets along, especially the opening hostage scene, almost a novel unto itself. Overall, Wild Justice supports its genre and makes for a good read.

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pre-9/11 hijacking, where the terrorists are more like Carlos the Jackal and Hans Gruber than Osama Bin Laden. Complete with the mid-life crisis that seems to be in all of Smith's works.

[James Atkinson · Rating 1 out of 5]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bffL5...

Treading similar lines to Rainbow six, this is a poor thriller.
Problems:
1. the authors inaccuracy's to suit the plot. 'Violence provokes change like the suffragettes'-no this alienated there support, it was women's role in ww1 which aided there quest for the vote far more.
2. The fascist undertones. Our superman hero shoots a suspect because she'll be out next week (tell that to gitmo bay's inmates) which leads a reprisal bombing and no progress in the investigation, yet were supposed to feel sorry for him.
3. the stereotypical villains-bisexual (suggesting Smith's homophobia if this is a contrast to our womanising hero),mania laughter.
4. the length-its way to long and I was skipping through most of it by the end.
5. the plot holes. 'Our Hero' was apparently in the olympics. When the terrorists reconise him, he thinks its a leak-even though he would be known to the puplic, questioning why he would be leader.

[অনিরুদ্ধ · Rating 4 out of 5]

খলিফা। যাকে ধরা হয় সময়ের সবচেয়ে বড় টেরোরিস্ট হিসেবে। শ্বেতাঙ্গবাদী জঙ্গিবাদ পরিচালনার জন্য পরিকল্পনা করে আসছে বহু বছর ধরে। বড় বড় ধনকুবেরদের কিডন্যাপ করে হাতিয়ে নিচ্ছে মিলিয়ন মিলিয়ন ডলার!

গুপ্ত সংস্থা অ্যাটলাস। চীফ ডক্টর পার্কার। কমান্ডার জেনারেল পিটার স্ট্রিমেন। জঙ্গিবাদ নির্মূলে দৃঢ়প্রতিজ্ঞ। তার গার্লফ্রেন্ড বিখ্যাত ধনী (খলিফার হাতে অপহৃত এবং খুন হওয়া) অল্টম্যান-এর স্ত্রী! ব্যারোনেস ম্যাগডা। তারা সকলে চায় খলিফা কে ধ্বংস করতে চায়।

চার শতাধিকের বেশি যাত্রীবাহী এক প্লেন হাইজ্যা��ের মধ্য দিয়ে শুরু হয়। হাইজ্যাকারদের হাত থেকে অসীম সাহসীকতায় যাত্রীদের রক্ষা করে পিটার। এর জন্যেই কি অপহৃত হলো তার মেয়ে? খুন করতে বলা হল অ্যাটলাস চীফ ডক্টর পার্কারকে?

মখদুম আহমেদের অনুবাদে উইলবার স্মিথের প্রথম বই পড়লাম। নিঃসন্দেহে অসাধারণ একটি বই। টানটান উত্তেজনা বলতে যা বুঝায় আরকি! ধুমধাড়াক্কা একশনের পাশাপাশি নিখুঁত মাইন্ডগেম ছিল বইটির অন্যতম অস্ত্র!

অনুবাদ বেশ সাবলীল। মখদুম আাহমেদের প্রথম অনুবাদ পড়লাম। ইতোপূর্বে তার অন্য কোন অনুবাদ পড়া হয়নি। যাই হোক, উইলবার স্মিথের সাথে প্রথম পরিচয় বেশ উপভোগ করলাম!

[Mads · Rating 3 out of 5]

007 style book. Not his best. The plot gets both a bit tangled and streched to fit the story in the last third.

[Sue Williams · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just could not finnish....lost my interest too many times. Bizarre relationships, especially with daughter.

[Coleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story starts with the hijacking of a British Airways with a full load of doctors returning from a medical seminar. I checked to make sure that I was reading something written by Wilbur Smith - of whom I am a big fan, because this did not seem like his writing! The book moves to the kidnapping of a young girl and I was even more convinced that someone had written the book and used one of my favorite author's names on the cover.

With the famous author's name on the book, however, I was determined to read every word of every page, only to reach the end...I did not like it nor did I believe it - even as I read it. I was still questioning myself as to what happened to Wilbur Smith?

He still has quite a few published books that I have not read, so I haven't given up yet!

[Michelle Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book written by Wilbur Smith… I have not read one of those for a long time. A bit OTT but could not put it down. One of his protagonist is ‘the most beautiful woman’ isn’t that always the case. A plot that is very scary and so plausible, if to me a bit muddled at the end. Really enjoyable. Lots of money to throw around and always strong men with good abs !!

[Runu Hann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had never read anything like this but I’m glad I gave it a shot. It read like an action movie with vivid imagery (with the help of some googling) however,the ending didn’t quite hit the way I thought it would.

[Alexander Theofanidis · Rating 2 out of 5]

In a strange roller coaster of good quality (for the genre) and clichés, hasty closures, silk panties (I am definite that ole Wilbur had a thingy for silky and laced panties), beautiful and dangerous women, fit men ready for anything ... he will get two stars and should be happy about it.
(Still trying to wash my eyes clean of the sight of the printed words and forget that left-wing revolutionary women are sex addicts with nice asses and a tendency to go crazy and speak like lobotomized members of the Greek Communist Party, or even worse OAKKE -for the few that will get it).
The BAD thing is that the book is not absolute rubbish. It has some good points and it often wins you over by trying to philosophize things (especially ethics in extreme situations). But then comes Wilbur's need for action, blasts, punches and blows, broken bones, helicopter jumps, any recognizable cliché of the genre and then some, champagne on yachts with panties (here we go again with panties ole Wilbur...), beauties that catch your eye, small island complexes in the middle of nowhere you only go by private plane, tycoons, prostitutes, Mossad(!!!), and ... the shit hits the fan scenariowise.
Worst of all is the hasty, really ugly and insulting to the reader, finale, without which Wilbur's "Wild Justice" might have gotten even 3 stars.
As if he had a deadline, in about tens or so pages the author slaps you hard in the face with (already guessed by the reader) twists and you are left wondering why you had to read so many descriptions of female asses (especially when the book has no illustration) until you got there. And now that ole Wilbur is dead he can not even tell us...

P.S. I know that when the book was published, this kind of action novels was acceptable, appraised and wanted, but for fokks sake, I am writting my reviews now, not then.

[Christian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Major General Peter Stride is the head of THOR a anti terror unit composed of British and American Soldiers, which is supposed to act against "militants" (they are never called terrorists) all over the world. His second in command is a American Colonel. (If i ever wondered were Tom Clancy got his plot for Rainbow 6 now i knowRainbow Six)

Peter Stride must be also the must gullible man in the world over the run of the book he is consistently chasing a different track to uncover the identity of terrorist Mastermind CALIPH. As soon as he is convinced he has the right track he is charging straight for the target. And there are a lot of theses charges over the course of the story.

This doesn't really spoil the story, but becomes somewhat repetitive. I thunk i should count myself lucky that I guessed the identity of CALIPH rather early, so I could bask in self doubts whenever a new option was revealed. But honestly I think the whole plot was rather obvious.

The one thing I found most annoying was the complete lack of structure for the book, there are no chapters, and the story just goes on and on.

[Harv Griffin · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first read HUNGRY AS THE SEA by Wilbur Smith I loved it so much I went down to my local used bookstore and bought everything they had by Wilbur Smith, a stack of 7 or 9 books, as I remember. This one, THE DELTA DECISION, was the only one that really worked for me as entertainment. It is better known on GoodReads as WILD JUSTICE, the title in the UK, and the story was made into a Roy Scheider movie.

Smith writes a lot of period piece novels, none of which I was able to "get into." His novel GOLD MINE, I sort of searched for years ago in bookstores, ordered once, but it never arrived: it was made into my favorite Roger Moore movie: GOLD. Reminds me to get on Amazon and search for it!

THE DELTA DECISION is a good action read, in the Alistair Maclean style of tough guy action novels, but I like the way Smith puts words together better; for me, Smith is very easy to read. There is also a bit of fun romance in the midst of fighting terror and hunting a super bad guy.

@hg47

[Taznina Zaman · Rating 4 out of 5]

মখদুম আহমেদের অনুবাদে চমৎকার থ্রিলার পড়ে ফেললাম। উপন্যাসের নায়ক পিটার স্ট্রাইড, একজন ব্রিটিশ জেনারেল, সন্ত্রাসবাদীদের যেকোনভাবে নির্মূলে বিশ্বাসী। এক গুপ্ত সংস্থা অ্যাটলাসের কমান্ডার সে। চার শতাধিক যাত্রী বহনকারী একটা বিমান ছিনতাই হওয়ার পর ঘটনাক্রমে তার সাথে পরিচয় হয় উগ্র শ্বেতাঙ্গপন্থী জঙ্গীর, তার নাম খলিফা। ধরে নেয়া হয় এই মুহূর্তে পৃথিবীর সবচেয়ে বড় টেরোরিস্ট এই খলিফা। অ্যাটলাসের চীফ ডক্টর পার্কার আর পিটারের গার্লফ্রেন্ড ব্যারোনেস ম্যাগডা দুই জনই চাইছে পিটার যেন খলিফাকে ধ্বংস করার মিশনে তাদের সঙ্গী হয়, অথচ এই দুই পক্ষই পরস্পরের প্রতি সন্দিহান। একগাদা সন্দেহের বেড়াজালের মধ্যেই খলিফার বিরুদ্ধে শুরু হয় পিটারের একক যুদ্ধ।

থ্রিলার হিসাবে এককথায় অনবদ্য। ট্যুইস্টটা প্রেডিক্টেবল, তাও শেষ পর্যন্ত গোগ্রাসে গিলেছি। অনুবাদকের ভূমিকাও তাতে কম নয়। তবে প্লেন কীভাবে পে-ন কিংবা প্ল্যান কীভাবে প্যা-ন হয়ে যায়, এরকম ভুল নিয়েও কীভাবে জলজ্যান্ত বই ছাপা হয়ে যায়, জানি না। বানান ভুল এড়ালে এক বসায় পড়ার জন্য দুর্দান্ত একটা বই।

সংক্ষেপে:

ওয়াইল্ড জাস্টিস (উইলবার স্মিথ)
অনুবাদক : মখদুম আহমেদ
প্রকাশনী : তাম্রলিপি (২০০৮)
গায়ের মূল্য: ২৭৫ টাকা

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seeing as this is the first I've read by Smith I was intrigued, knowing he writes series.

It was well written, in that it was slower than your usual contemporary spy novel, but at the same time it was a really quick read. The plot twists were pretty insane. I enjoyed every minute of it. Even though the character of Magda got on my nerves so many times. Particularly at the end...

Saying that, I'm pretty sure I'll be reading more of Wilbur Smith in the future.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fast paced, tension building plot about a commando leader of the elite Atlas Command desire for revenge against a ruthless puppet master terrorist. Of course, he falls in love with the beautiful & wealthy widow along the way.

[Frik Prinsloo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, A great book by the master. The plot was neatly set and executed. It kept me guessing close to the end. I will recommend this book anytime. The characters came to life in this action packed book.

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 3 out of 5]

An aircraft is highjacked on its way to South America. Only one man can save everyone from the terrorists. Another modern terrorist novel about an over worked theme.

[Garry Nixon · Rating 2 out of 5]

It must've been another Wilbur Smith page-turner. I don't find myself cringing at the memory of this one quite so much, but I don't know why that is, and I'm not inclined to re-read to find out.

[Colin Dick · Rating 1 out of 5]

The story was good but the author was way too creepy about the young girl character he created.

[Koel Mukherjee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I shall begin by stating that this book turned out completely different from what I had been expecting. This is the first novel by Wilbur Smith that I have read and I'm not very certain whether I'll read more of them in the future.
Coming to the story, it consists of all the elements of a good thriller viz. a strong and charismatic hero capable of encompassing all obstacles thrown his way, his lady love, a gorgeous, enigmatic woman who turns out to be more than just a beautiful face. Lastly, absolutely breathtaking locations ranging from quaint villages of the English countryside to metropolices in the very heart of civilization in Europe. Yet the book falls short of it's potential in quite a few areas.
The one particular aspect which initially caused quite a bit of unease was the manner of description of the feminine gender. The graphic images painted of the feminine body can be construed as absolutely unnecessary in this genre and at times become downright offensive. They can make one ill-at-ease to say the very least. For all the romance between the two protagonists, this might as well have been an erotica. Also, some parts of the story are unnecessarily stretched to the point of them being boring and repetitive.
But there are few aspects where this book manages to excel. The plot is ingeniously fabricated so that there's always an element of surprise which keeps the readers on edge. All the action sequences are stunning and beautifully executed. The climax, I felt, was a bit predictable.
In conclusion I'd say that given all the elements present in this book, it could have been so much more than it turned out to be.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd never read any of Wilbur Smith's books before, so I didn't know what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised. Wild Justice has a fast moving storyline, with any number of suspects to choose from as to who the protagonist could be.
General Peter Stride is a man of action. A former soldier and high-flying anti-terrorist fighter/negotiator. He takes an apparent demotion to join Atlas, a group dedicated to stop terrorists in their tracks. His boss, Kingston Parker, is not overly keen on Peter, but keeps his dislike in check. Eventually, Peter Stride does the unthinkable and is forced to resign his position in Atlas.
Stride is charged with finding and eliminating Caliph from the face of the earth. His main problem is Caliph's identity. Could it be Magda Altmann, the wealthy widow of a very wealthy businessman who was abducted and killed. Could it be Sir Steven Stride, Peter's older brother? Could it be Peter himself? The possibilities are many, but when Caliph's true identity is revealed, it's obvious that this is the only character who could have been the ultimate opponent.
As the story moved on, I suspected two of the main characters, preferring one over the other. I was right. I was pleased that I'd managed to work out who Caliph was from the clues in the book, because I don't usually manage to decipher the truth from the red herrings. I was also slightly disappointed I'd done so, as I also like the surprise when I find out the real identity of the criminal element.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

Wild Justice by Wilbur Smith.
Wilbur Smith books were a familiar fixture in our household when I was growing up. As I grew older and went looking for more ‘interesting’ things to read, Mr. Smith was amongst the first ‘adult’ reads that I gravitated to. I read everything he had written up to that point, and then through the years I kept up with each new release. It had been many years since I last read one of his books, but in the past few months have found myself exploring them once more.
Wilbur Smith is one of my mother’s favourite authors, so reading this was a bit of a bittersweet experience for me as my mother passed away over a year ago, and I have been making my way through her extensive book collection, deciding which to keep and which to rehome. I also decided that reading each one could play a part in my reading challenge, as well as a way to pay tribute to my mother who was such a voracious reader..... This meant that I have reread a lot of books that I also have in my own collection- but, nonetheless, have enjoyed yet again. These books has stirred up a lot of memories, but I am forever grateful that mum passed on her love of reading to me.
Mr. Smith has a great knack for writing a great suspenseful and exciting read, and even though my tastes have evolved as I have gotten older, I still really enjoyed revisiting this book/series.
So if you are an action/adventure buff and want a book that will hold your attention and that you can immerse yourself in- then this may be the book for you!

[D.A. Fellows · Rating 5 out of 5]

Close to 5/5 stars. I did guess the identity of Caliph even during the extended airport sequence at the beginning of the book, and was never really turned away from it despite all the attempts to make me suspect others. But I don’t need clever twists to enjoy a good Wilbur Smith book, and this one is basically a great big mashup of Die Hard, 24, Bourne, George Smiley, James Bond and Dirk Pitt. Terrorism, deception, action, exotic locations, a little sex. It’s all good!

To the people who have given low star ratings because of references to the female anatomy, I understand why you feel the way you do. I do just think you’re probably not the intended audience. If you like any or all of the books, movies and shows I just mentioned, you’ve probably seen a boob before. Did the boobs at the beginning of Die Hard make you walk out of the movie in disgust? James Bond’s numerous sexual liaisons and attitudes are outdated now but were entertaining to the audience in the era in which they were created. I get where you’re coming from because when I read the Outlander books, I can do without the constant references to Jamie’s body, but I get through them in the knowledge that those parts aren’t really there for me as a reader. To anyone else thinking of reading this book but put off by the idea that this must be some kind of never-ending orgy, it isn’t. There are probably ten references to one particular pair of small breasts, and an intentionally vulgar female villain in the first hundred or so pages. That’s really all there is here. No need for anyone to spit their dummy out!

[Viva · Rating 3 out of 5]

An ok thriller that shows its age, or rather is very typical for a thriller from the 70's. The book is populated by the usual Wilbur Smith suspects: a smart, good looking, rich, etc. male protagonist and the same thing for the female.

I didn't like the beginning of the story which was a airplane hijack (I was wondering how a whole book could be written on it) but that was just the beginning and the plot went off into a different story. The story is of a multi-national anti-terrorism, anti-crime unit that is super elite and makes its own rules vs. a multi-national super elite villain who makes his own rules. In a way, the book is odd/interesting in that it seemed so modern but people were still using telexes and reading newspapers to get their news - I think this would be very interesting reading in 50 years time.

Overall it was ok. There were only a few action sequences: assassination in France, abduction of a child and final sequence in Israel and a lot of the book dealt with the romance of the main characters. Par for the course of Wilbur Smith. I've read most of WS's books, this is one of the rare stand alones that I missed. I'd give it 7/10 for old times sake.

[Nikhil Lodha · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is my second Wilbur Smith book. The first one was the first of Courtney series.

I set out with high expectations from Mr. Smith in my head but after reading this, I understand why the publisher forced him to write more Courtney books.

The story is too elaborate in its irrelevant detailings. The plot fails to move anywhere. It appears random big events are thrown to make the antagonist sound mighty. There’s no justification from the antagonist’s side though.

This book feels like Wilbur Smith’s own ideological output of the ‘West is the best’. Utter conservative without any moral obligation to at least make a case about it.

The all-powerful antagonist ‘Caliph’ is in line with Ludlum’s Carlos. However, Ludlum was in a league of its own and remains favourite of many.

Mr. Smith was too busy imagining raunchy scenes with lady characters than actually pacing the story.

The story, to conclude, has a solid beginning, lack lustre middle and an absolutely disappointing ending.