[.ca] Spy (ISBN 0743298985)

The heir to Robert Ludlum?:
I've read not a few reviewers who say this author is the rightful heir to Ludlum. But I think his talent is too unique to be the heir to anyone. He does his homework. Lou Dobbs at CNN, who covers the border situation more carefully than any other newsman called this book, "Outstanding". I think I'll take Mr. Dobb's opinion over some self-proclaimed 'ski bum' any day. So should you. This book is fabulous. Period.

Great addition to an already amazing series...:
Spy is sensational. I've read every one of the Hawke books and found them to be among the best thrillers being written today. You've got an author who has clearly found his stride and the latest is a tour de force, written as if it was ripped out of the headlines, with enough action and marvelous characters for four ordinary thrillers. Do yourself a favor. Buy Spy and make sure you've got time to finish--you will not want to put it down. It is that good.

Complete garbage:
All this guy's books are terrible. Disjointed stories that are so unbelievable as to make you shake your head. Characters that are so poor as to make you want to curl up with embarassment. He keeps throwing in little bits of French and cannot even make the effort to get tenses or genders right. The author was once head of some advertising agency, so I guess he knew a few people in publishing houses who did him a favor. There is no way in a just world that this stuff would ever be used for anything other than toilet-paper otherwise. Save yourself the misery. If you want adventure buy a Lee Child book - they're awesome.

Complete Garbage 2:
Hmmm. Apparently Stickler is either a total book nerd, able to quote reviewers at will, or he works for Ted Bell's publishing company. Lou Dobbs' opinion, is neither here nor there, unless he chooses to write a review on this page. I did not find this to be a good book, and as I say like all of them it is poorly researched. I am French, and the French in all his books is littered with errors. I call that poor research. In one book, events take place in Cannes, France, and the author continually refers to Cannes' most famous street as "Le Croisette". It's actually "La Croisette". Sorry, for being a stickler, Stickler, but that is lousy research. I may be a "self-styled skibum", as opposed to a self-styled stickler, but I know a good book when I see one, and this is not it.

Barely literate:
Am baffled by how anyone could promote such a piece of hideous writing. How does this guy garner endorsements? I bought it at the airport with the hope that it would make the flight bearable. Couldn't get past 30-pages. Ted Bell's writing is equivalent to that of a grade schooler.