Thou Shalt Not Get Caught
Written: Sep 28 '05
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Product Rating:
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Pros: International intrigue, a page turner
Cons: Initially a little hard to follow
The Bottom Line: If you like espionage thrillers with lots of twists, The Eleventh Commandment fits the bill.
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| pearannoyed's Full Review: Jeffrey Archer - El undecimo mandamiento / The Ele... |
For decades, virtually every story of international espionage revolved around the Cold War, the Iron Curtain, and the ingrained evil of the Soviet Union. When the Berlin Wall fell, the Soviet Union collapsed, and the US and Russia once again renewed an official political relationship, many people thought the era of the spy novel might be dead. With the quick pace and multiple twists of The Eleventh Commandment, author Jeffrey Archer proves those fears were unfounded.
The Story
Conner Fitzgerald is the best at what he does. He's a devoted family man who married – and is still madly in love with – his college sweetheart. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for saving his CO in a swamp in Southeast Asia with the enemy taking pot-shots at them. And he is finally retiring from The Company after many years of devoted service. Unfortunately, his plans are about to change.
Rather than the high-risk insurance company he supposedly works for, The Company is a front for a CIA black-ops program. Connor's last assignment was to assassinate a Colombian presidential candidate. And now it seems that his boss, CIA director Helen Dexter, isn't going to let him retire quietly as he had planned. The desk position he had lined up with an office doing work similar to his own has fallen through, and Connor has no choice but to take on one final assignment for Dexter.
What he doesn't know, is that the Director is actually a rogue agent. She has ordered assassinations – including a recent shooting in Colombia – without knowledge or consent from President Lawrence. And now, to save her own position, she has to cover her tracks. The assignment Connor is supposed to complete in Russia isn't just supposed to be his last, it's supposed to finish him. And it's not clear if the best agent in the CIA can stay a step ahead when suddenly all the rules have changed.
My Thoughts
I used to read a lot of international intrigue when I was younger. But at some point I got sidetracked away from the thriller genre and have only revisited it occasionally. This book made me glad I came back. Jeffrey Archer has spun a tangled web with threads from the CIA, the White House, and the Russian Mafya. Connor has powerful and steadfast friends, many who would give their life for his, just as he often did for them. But he also has powerful enemies – enemies with powerful resources – who he doesn't necessarily know are his enemies.
While these sorts of books always tend to stretch the limits of believability, Archer did a good job keeping the story line plausible while still keeping one twist ahead of the reader. Ultimately, I saw where the story was leading before actually getting there, but I was kept interested by the fact that it didn't get there in the way I was expecting. For anyone who enjoys a quick-paced political potboiler, The Eleventh Commandment is a worthy read.
Recommended:
Yes
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pearannoyed
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Member: Amy Padgett
Location: CA Dreamin' ~ TX reality
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