[.uk] Pirate (Hawke) (ISBN 1597373737)

Hawke Rocks!:
It took a little while to get through the 600+ pages of the paperback. Not that it was hard reading, it wasn't, just the sheer number of pages. It was worth the effort. Pirate opens with a spy, caught by the Chinese, on a slow boat back to China. The spy, however, has knowledge of a Chinese conspiracy to directly get oil from a Middle Eastern country with the assistance of France. He is the only person privy to this information. The CIA sends in Alex Hawke to rescue him, and thus begins an excellent novel. The novel takes you from Cannes, to Taiwan, Paris, New York, and England. Along the way, you meet a very unsavory cross-dressing Chinese agent/assassin, very deadly, twin female assassins, and a megalomaniacal French politician (a direct descendent of Napoleon Bonaparte). Pirate brings all of these characters together for a very believable plot concerning Red China pulling the strings of France to get direct access to oil, access to Taiwan, and subplots concerning super tankers doubling as atomic bombs and a 30-year old murder. The whole point is to crush America's standing as an economic powerhouse. And to sever their ties with Middle Eastern oil. The heroes of the novel, including the main character, Alex Hawke, are well drawn and believable. Bell does a great job of not making the secondary characters two dimensional. He also is able to tie all of the subplots together in a fashion that doesn't seem rushed or contrived. But you have to know that Alex Hawke gets himself out of some jams that will remind you of a Cussler novel. But not as quickly (hey, it is 600 pages - and it was a paperback!) This is the fourth novel in the Alex Hawke series, and I will have to go back and read the others, before reading his latest novel, Spy. This is one of those times when you are glad to have picked up a novel, without knowing that it was a series, and are happy to find that you have additional books to fill in some of the backstory. Another highly recommended series.

Great Book:
Ted writes a fine thriller dealing in some of todays most compelling topics. I read all of his books and will continue to. If you like Tom Clancy and the other writers in this genre you'll love Ted's books!

Ted Bell:
One of my favorite authors. Read the whole series. Make sure you pick up 'Nick of Time", as well. I believe it was recently re-released.

So predictable a complete waste of time:
Save your money. Anyone that picks the book up will know what happens. We all have seen the characters and story line before. I find it hard to believe that the book was published and that the series is still around. Bell would have had a better series if he took the rich hero and have him battle financial crime. I just found it disgusting that the author would want anyone to believe that this guy is the only guy that can save America and the world. What a cruel joke.

Hardy Boys gone fowl (sic).:
This is the second Ted Bell book I've read. The first was "Hawke." Perhaps I should have cut my losses. Bell's writing and research have improved but "Pirate" is still burdened with hollow characters and jarring implausibilities. In providing fast-paced action and a lively plot, Bell has sacrificed all else. Bell's target audience would seem to be 18-year-old military enlistees with time on their hands. As for myself, I cannot suspend disbelief long enough to enjoy a Bell novel.