Spy |
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| Title: | Spy |
| Author: | Ted Bell |
| Publisher: | Pocket Star |
| Type: | Book / Paperback |
| Publication Date: | 31 July, 2007 |
| ISBN / ISBN-13: | 0743277244 / 9780743277242 |
| List Price: | $9.99 |
| Amazon Price: | $9.99 |
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This book is also available, brand-new, from 3rd-party marketplace sellers at Amazon.com, from $2.11.
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Editorial Review / Publisher's Information:
Product Description
Alex Hawke is on the hunt... In this exhilarating tale of international suspense, New York Times bestsellingauthor Ted Bell's "larger-than-life hero" (Publishers Weekly), counterterrorist operative Alexander Hawke, must save the United States from a devastating terrorist operation. When a mysterious explosion destroys his research vessel in search of a lost river, Alex Hawke is captured indigenous cannibals and enslaved deep within theAmazonian jungle. Before he escapes, he learns that a fearsome foe is preparingfor war - but against whom? When he regains contact with his American and British intelligence counterparts,Alex's worst fears are confirmed. The men in the jungle are highly trained Hezbollah warriors who are planning an unspeakably violent jihad against America. While the United States focuses its efforts on the escalating borderdisputes with Mexico, Alex vos to put a stop to the deadly plot. Aware that hismission may be the country's only hope, he travels back into the jungle to destroy the lawless mastermind who dares to threaten America's very existence.
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Customer Reviews:
• Has Potential, But Ends Up Disappointing...
27 June, 2009
I just finished this book. The first chapter starts off nicely, with an exciting chase throught the jungle. The chase ends abruptly as Hawke is miraculously whisked off by helicopter. That's when the story takes a turn for the worst.
Although I've read several of Bell's novels, I still find Alex Hawke unlikeable. I get tired of Hawke ordering everyone around like servants, never doing anything himself. For example, he would never ready a ship for departure. No, Alex Hawke orders a crewman to do it. He's always having stewards bringing him tea or cocktails, and generally comes across as being spoiled. The poorly developed, cliched and unlikable characters make it hard to get into this book. Sheriff Dixon, a new character to the book, was the most likable. I generally enjoyed the chapters involving him, although it got pretty unbelievable at the end when the US Secret Service was taking orders from a Texas Sheriff, at the presidential inauguration, no less.
Also, the plot is very uneven, lots of build up, followed by a short, rushed conclusion, that goes perfectly smooth for the main characters, despite it impossibility. The villains we are supposed to fear in the story are killed so easily, they almost give up without a fight. It leaves one wondering how they had achieved so much in setting up their operation when it ended up being so easy to destroy it. Overall, this book was still better than Hawke, which I consider the worst of the series. At least Cussler's Dirk Pitt character was likable. Hawke's snobbish sense of entitlement ruins his character for me.
I think this may be the last Ted bell book I read.
- Amazon Customer Review
• Can't Put It Down!
19 December, 2009
I don't have much time to read, but I picked this up to have something to do on a plane ride back home. I didn't finish it the first time, because my mother stole it. She loved it so much, she kept it, but told me I HAD to finish reading it... So I bought it again, and began to start over. My friend came over one day and asked about it, so I told her she could borrow it since I didn't really have the time to finish reading it... once again I never got it back. So I deployed, and my 'mother-in-law to be' at the time asked if she could send me something, and I requested this book. I took it with me everywhere, and could NOT STOP READING!! Ted Bell must have done plenty of research to write this book. It is fiction, but very believable. I fell in love with his writing style. The story line is easy to follow even for those who aren't "military/spec ops inclined", and is packed with tons of action! Many storylines meld into one as the book progresses. Through all the trouble I went through just to finish this book, it was well worth it! Buy it!!
- Amazon Customer Review
• Not Worth It.
26 September, 2009
I've never written a review before, despite being an avid reader. I'm writing my first review now - for this book - simply because I'm hoping I might prevent someone else from wasting so much time on such a terrible book. The writing is weak, the characters are unbelievable and stereotyped, and the story drags. I hate putting any book down, but am inclined to drop this one, even after plodding through the first 600 pages. Do yourself a favor and pick up LeCarre, Ludlum, Forsythe, Follett, on any number of better authors. Pass this "Spy" book by.
- Amazon Customer Review
• Hokey
17 September, 2009
This was my first Ted Bell novel. I struggled through it until I couldn't handle it anymore and gave up half way. It didn't zing me. The dialog was sophomoric and cutesy in many places: "Harry Brock could take a licking and keep on ticking." Ugh! This Timex watch ad line is outdated. Could it be Mr. Bell's former company, Leo Burnett, had the Timex account. Throughout the book misspelled words abound. At one point, Bell confuses the characters talking and identifies both with the same name. Huh? On page 223 he describes an 18-wheel tractor without its trailer as having 4 wheels. Better check again Mr. Bell, a tractor has 6 wheels. Characters are one dimensional and shallow. Writing is weak. Syntax is awful. His description of the Texas sheriff and deputy is nothing short of a corny representative of Andy Griffith and Barney Fife. Even the names he uses are stilted. The novel is an Indiana Jones derring do done badly. FYI Mr. Bell: The word is spelled BEcause not `cause. His description of the Amazon terrorist compound with its high tech weaponry, advanced computer monitoring et al is a bit farfetched even for fiction. The situations he presents: Mexican illegals, drug cartels, terrorists et al are real and serious. But Mr. Bell uses cartoon like action hero characters to deal with them using silly dialog. Of course like most of the so called "thriller" (that's a stretch) genre all the women are Playmates of the Month sex objects who are about as deep as a birdbath. Yet they're all described as "brilliant" professionals or scientists or something by the book cover blub writers who entice us to buy the book. Difficult to decide if he's trying to be funny or just lacks the depth of a serious writer (even fiction) to tell a good story based on real situations. Don't think I'll pursue any others.
- Amazon Customer Review
• Disappointing Read
24 February, 2010
I'll write this without bashing the author or the "hero" of the book; the whole thing, while interesting, was quite disappointing. Fortunately for my wallet, I picked this book up while in Kuwait (books for troops program), and read it while waiting for a plane ride back to the USA. I suppose the fact that I didn't buy this book makes it easier to tolerate, and having read it to pass the time waiting for the plane at least makes me feel as though I didn't waste any time reading it. As for the book itself, I left it on a bench somewhere in Kuwait for some other unfortunate transient that needs to kill time. At any rate, to say that a suspension of disbelief is required to enjoy the plot is an understatement. Perhaps I just got too wrapped up in comparing reality to the plot, but unless you're writing about aliens from space, some degree of accuracy helps to make things palatable. I was also left with a host of questions, starting with why do I care about a guy and his new souped-up car? I suppose that if I'd read this book's predecessors, it might have made some sense; I just found it to be annoying and that it did nothing for the story. I am no prude, but I found the sex scenes to be gratuitous and felt that they sounded like something from letters to Penthouse (and again, what did they do for the story?). It was easy to figure out the auto-piloted vehicles from the beginning (there's no driver!), and then chasing them across the country just grew old. Even in 2006, anyone that followed the Iraq conflict would know that NOT EVERY SINGLE SERVICEMEMBER was over there. The rush to get the surreptitiously filmed videotape of the southern border crossing to FEDEX made no sense, as it should immediately have gone to someone of authority. Of course, with all the focus on the border, though, such a crossing would have been noticed by someone in authority to begin with. Why was the trailer in which the deputy was cornered full of bones? That could have been better explained. 100-ton tanks driving around in the muddy jungle? 'Nuff said. I made it to the end of the book, but that was only because I had nothing better to do while sitting in the desert. I could continue to poke holes in the plot, but that would just cause me to become agitated; since I got the book for free, though, I guess I got my money's worth.
- Amazon Customer Review
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