Avenger

Starred review from July 28, 2003
"The master is back," the promo goes, "with his best thriller since The Day of the Jackal." A bold statement: while no Jackal, this strong and memorable novel is his best in decades, and as good as The Odessa File
and The Dogs of War.
It is the story of vigilante Cal Dexter's pursuit of a Serbian warlord into the jungles of the fictional Republic of San Martin. Dexter, former Vietnam tunnel rat, now small-town attorney and clandestine kidnapper of refugees from justice, is after Zoran Zilic, a gangster who has escaped Serbia with a fortune but not before savagely killing an American aid worker who happens to be the grandson of a billionaire mining magnate. It's the magnate who sets in motion the operation against Zilic, first through a man known as "The Tracker," who locates him, then via the Avenger, whose task is to bring Zilic to American justice. But Zilic is protected in his South American jungle compound not only by the best security money can buy but also by a top FBI man who plans to use the warlord to help take out a dangerous terrorist named Usama bin Laden; much of the narrative takes place within weeks of 9/11, and is laced with irony. Forsyth fans won't be surprised that the action, always exciting, is supported by numerous briefings on matters geopolitical, historical and scientific; with Jackal, Forsyth established the now traditional formula of thrillers that educate as well as entertain. The digressions are frequent early on but no page lacks interest and the novel's second half, which focuses on the Avenger's attempted snatch of Zilic, is pure gold. This will hit bestseller lists high and hard and a sequel seems likely.

October 6, 2003
Audio reviews reflect PW
's assessment of the audio adaptation of a book and should be quoted only in reference to the audio version.
Fiction
AVENGER
Frederick Forsyth
, read by Eric Conger. Audio Renaissance
, unabridged, eight cassettes, 12 hrs., $39.95 ISBN 1-55927-947-8

Conger's coldly precise narration complements the riveting prologue to Forsyth's latest thriller, which describes the ghastly murder of a young aid worker in 1995 Bosnia; however, his impersonal approach isn't as effective during the exposition-laden first half. This plodding segment consists of an excessively detailed search for the killer, interspersed with lengthy segments describing protagonist Calvin Dexter's background, from his inception and eventual service in Vietnam to his public career as a New Jersey attorney with a sub-rosa practice as Avenger, an astonishingly capable righter of wrongs. Forsyth's considerable fan base may relish the hours devoted to the warm-up, but less patient listeners will be tempted to fast forward to the novel's second half, when Avenger is hired to find and capture Zoran Zilic, a Serbian criminal ensconced beyond the reach of free world law enforcement. Once Dexter locates Zilic's seemingly impenetrable lair, both author and reader quicken their pace. Grueling physical challenges, chilling escapes, a splendid final surprise and a plot development involving none other than Osama bin Laden compensate for the novel's less-than-thrilling early padding. Simultaneous release with the St. Martin's/Dunne hardcover (Forecasts, July 28).

In 1982 Frederick Forsyth set a standard for the international thriller with his now classic The Day of the Jackal. His novels since have been complex and compelling, but not until Avenger has Forsyth crafted as chilling a tale. Eric Conger guides us through the convergent subplots around the death of a young American aid worker and the circuitous route of retribution set in motion by his tycoon grandfather. Conger's cool detachment helps the listener follow the many threads of the story while driving the suspense. His characters--from ex-Vietnam tunnel rat Cal Dexter to Serbian warlord Zoran Zilic--are clear; his accents are expert and his pacing as perfect as Forsyth's. The settings change from Serbia to a South American jungle, flashback to Vietnam, pass through CIA headquarters and bucolic New Jersey, and end on September 10, 2001. Forsyth's attention to detail and calculated coincidence are handled with finesse. Eric Conger's success with nonfiction narrative serves him well. He's able to move listeners through the historical detail on Vietnam and Serbia without ever letting the intrigue lag. His performance gives the difficult blend of involvement and objectivity that highlights the keen suspense. R.F.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine