The Veteran - Hardcover

Forsyth, Frederick

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0312286910 ISBN 13: 9780312286910

Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books, 2001

Synopsis

Forsyth, The Master Storyteller, Presents Five Brilliantly Ingenious Tales of Murder, Justice, Intrigue and Revenge

A miracle in war-torn Siena that begins with the persecution of a young nun in the turbulent days of the sixteenth century and culminates in the bitter German retreat from Italy; a drug-smuggling heist on an international flight where the knock are only one step ahead of the smugglers; a ruthless urban murder, where a brilliant QC decides to defend the killers, resulting in a startling act of justice; an incandescent art scam at a famous London auction house, and a brilliantly plotted revenge that shatters the elegant world of Old Masters - each story is a remarkable tour de force.

And above all here is a brilliant novella, 'Whispering Wind', which begins with the single survivor of Custer's Last Stand at the battle of Little Big Horn. It follows the defense from rape and murder of a Cheyenne girl and a flight across the mountains and forests of the West, ending in a savage present-day manhunt in the wild lands of Montana.

Whether his theme is international espionage, miraculous events in war-torn Italy or a Customs drug bust, these stories all share Forsyth's trademark for compulsive storytelling, his clinical eye for authentic detail and an unnerving sense of suspense.
Not since his New York Times bestselling story collection No Comebacks has he crafted such remarkable work.

Five breathtaking tales from the greatest storyteller of them all.

About this title

About the Author

Frederick Forsyth is the author of ten bestselling novels. He lives in Hertfordshire, England.

Reviews

This collection of four short stories and a novella may disappoint readers expecting one of Forsyth's international thrillers but not anyone looking for a good read. What is surprising is the thematic and geographical range of these pieces, all narrated in a solid realist style with sharply observed detail and engrossing, sometimes surprising plots. Always suspenseful, the stories take us into disparate worlds. "The Veteran" features London thugs, the police, and the courts, whereas "The Art of the Matter," a highly entertaining tale of revenge, delves into the world of auction houses. "The Miracle," which takes us to an Italian hill town during World War II, is related as if by a medieval fabulist but with its own modern twist, while "The Citizen," perhaps the least successful story, portrays drug smuggling via an airline flight. Most startling of all is "Whispering Wind," Forsyth's tale of the Indian wars in 1876, in which we discover that a frontier scout survived the massacre at the Little Bighorn. The scout's love for a Cheyenne woman, a magical tale that spans two different historical periods, makes for compulsive reading. Recommended for all collections of popular fiction.
- Ronnie H. Terpening, Univ. of Arizona, Tucson
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

*Starred Review* The five stories in this book by the author of such classic crime novels as The Day of the Jackal (1971) and The Odessa File (1972) deserve to be classics themselves. Combining sharp detail, fully realized characters, and clever lastminute twists, these small gems are polished to perfection. Here we have an attorney who has special plans for his clients; an art appraiser who exacts brilliant revenge for his unfair dismissal; and, in the book's longest story, the lone survivor of Custer's Last Stand. Forsyth has always been a masterful plotter, with a special affection for using elements that appear to come from out of left field but somehow work just perfectly. Fans of his novels will be utterly thrilled by this collection. Readers unfamiliar with his writings couldn't find a better introduction. Revenge, mystery, murder, deception--all the main themes of Forsyth's best novels are represented here in stories that showcase the author's ability to capture character and generate suspense in remarkably few words. The stories in this collection were first published on the Internet late last year; this is their first appearance in print. David Pitt
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
• Publication date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0312286910
• ISBN 13: 9780312286910
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 228