Hit List |
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Chris Ryan
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Pages: 464 (Paperback)
ISBN: 0099460149
Pub: Arrow Books Ltd
Pub date: 2001-06-21
Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 3946
Editorial Review:
Despite a derivative plot, The Hit List has a solid backbone derived from author (and ex-SAS) Ryan's explicit knowledge of death-laden situations. Armed with the vivid technical detail of raw experience, danger is omnipresent, evaded only by finely tuned intuition and training, rather than by well-worn cliché. This is marvellously evident in Neil Slater, the Ex-SAS serviceman whose chances at a peaceful life are shattered when he is approached by elite assassination squad "The Cadre", who need his anti-social skills in dispatching "enemies of the State". Slater is under no illusion about what he is and, as such, is a perfect vessel for Ryan's hardened brand of realism, thrust into situations where each act of violence is measured to provoke an exact response. Ryan's tale translates well to audio format, losing little of the tension and thrills that are so abundant in the novel. Christian Rodska's gravelly tones and enthusiastic reading certainly evoke the tension a tale like this demands. However, you might question Rodska's penchant for providing all the characters with their relevant accents. Mostly, it works, but it's unfortunate that his interpretation of an Eastern European woman sounds like a splicing of Monty Python and Zsa Zsa Gabor. However, that's forgivable, hardly detracting from this gripping, intense glimpse into an all-too-possible underworld of intrigue and extreme violence. --Danny Graydon
Reader Reviews:
Not Ryan at his best. (0/0 people found this helpful)
After reading many of Chris Ryan's other books (and finding them all fantastic), I was thoroughly looking forward to reading this. However, I found it very slow and tiresome to start, and it was sometime before the main part of the story came up. The main let down I feel was the storyline. I found it complicated with so many different people's names coming up and, to be honest, I never truly understood what was going on. However, as usual from Chris Ryan, the action scenes kept you reading and the twist at the end certainly helped the story. Overall: a good read but not up to Chris Ryan's usual standard.
Excellent read, a top book from Ryan! (10/12 people found this helpful)
An action packed easy read, his attention to detail helps immerse you in the world of Government operations. The story lines flow well and keep you hooked, I highly recomend this book. This was my first Chris Ryan book and upon the quality and enjoyment of it I bought pretty much all of his others.
Chris Ryan's fiction a better read than Andy McNab's (11/13 people found this helpful)
I have just finished reading this after the excellent Watchman. This guy's previous special forces experience lends an authenticity to his fiction that keeps you stimulated. McNab being of a similar background shares the attention to accurate detail but does not write as well.
Action Packed from start to finish (5/7 people found this helpful)
This book is amazing, it is the first book i have read by the author and i was very impressed. His insight from being in the SAS makes this book all the more impressive. The book does slow down at places and I for one was glad of that as it allowed me to put the book down and get to sleep at a reasonable hour.
The author is talented and long may he continue to write such good thrillers.
Pretty impressive (1/7 people found this helpful)
This is slow in parts with some sections too drawn-out, but overall I found it to be full of action and to be built around a pretty sound plot. The twists were helpful in keeping you glued to the set, as it were.
I can't help feeling that Ryan closed the story in such a way that he can change Slater's role in any follow-up novel, so I am curious to see what happens in the next, if there is to be one with Slater!
This was my first Chris Ryan book and he's does enough with this to make sure I buy a second. I hope he doesn't follow the same formula when he writes, however.
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Categories
Amazon.co.uk places this book into the following categories:
Books -> Subjects -> Fiction -> General AAS
Books -> Subjects -> Crime, Thrillers & Mystery -> Thrillers -> General AAS
Books -> Refinements -> Language (feature_browse-bin) -> English
Books -> Refinements -> Age (feature_two_browse-bin)
Books -> Refinements -> Format (binding_browse-bin) -> Paperback
Books -> Refinements -> Condition (condition-type)