!!!!! SPOILERS AHEAD !!!!!!!!!! SPOILERS AHEAD !!!!!!!!!! SPOILERS AHEAD !!!!!I read Forsyth’s "The Devil’s Alternative" recently and reflected how the master of spy stories has fallen.Of course, one can’t expect a "The Day of the Jackal" or a "The Devil’s alternative" in every Forsyth book. Forsyth does have a grip on modern Islamic terrorism but his "research" reads more like extracts from wikipedia. The book has whole chapters on recent Afghanistan history which has nothing new or insightful to offer. Forsyth also has conveniently taken the hero of his earlier book.
"The Fist Of God", Mike Martin, thus avoiding any effort of developing a new character.I felt the whole incident of the terrorist escaping from the high security prison - and that too because of a unconvincing coincidence - was an unncecessary diversion. Why is Forsyth resorting to improbable coincidences to advance his story?I couldn’t also digest that the terrorists suddenly agree to Martin joining their group when he is clearly not adding any value to their mission. In other chapters, Forsyth describes how meticulously Al-Qaeda plot and suddenly (and conveniently for everybody),
Al-Qaeda agrees to let Martin into a plan, which has taken years to plan and execute. Why?OBL remembering somebody, whom he has seen 16-17 years back as a teenager, is also a little too far-fetched and is a definite loose end of the novel.But having said all this, the book is definitely a page-turner, that too in the end. It falls short of the high standards of a Forsyth book, but is worth a read.