Daddy

This is one of my favorite books of all time. I won't even lend my copy out unless I buy another one as back up. Daddy by Loup Durand is so far and above any other Thriller. The characters are so vivid and the plot is so intricate it grabs you by the throat on the first few pages and pulls you threw the entire book before you look up and realize you've read till four in the morning again. This book inspired me to start writing thrillers; I hope I'll be worthy of it.

This is the story of a young genius, his unknown father, their evil enemy (a Nazi officer yet) and their travails as they run across Europe. It is both poignant and dramatic as they both dance the familiar patterns of a father and son discovering as much about themselves as each other. The character of the boy is especially well-told - from his terror to his confusion.I have read this book several times and have never failed to enjoy the read. It may be hard to find but the search is certainly worth the effort.

I've now read Daddy at least 6 or 7 times, and each time, after the first few pages, I'm sucked in for the next few hours. A young boy, with the access codes to hundreds of millions of dollars stashed in his memory, is on the run from the Nazis and in particular, a sadistic, brilliant academic the Nazis have recruited to track the boy down when the military's efforts have failed. Thrown into the mix is the boy's American father, who didn't know he even had a son. Durand nails everything here; the plot goes breathtakingly fast, yet believably, and the characters are terrifically well drawn, particularly Thomas, the young genius. Jaguar was so-so, and I gave up on Angkor Massacre after the first couple pages, but Durand got it all together for Daddy.

When this book first came out in the mid to late 80s, I was in high school. At that time I wasn't an avid reader nor did I truly enjoy reading. It was this book that changed that perspective for me. This book was wonderful and exciting to read. The details made visualizing the story easy. Now, as a 29 year old teacher, I still love to go back and reread this book. Granted, I love Harry Potter as much as the next person, but for a truly mature suspense thriller "Daddy" is a sure fire winner. Tom Clancy has nothing on the suspense and emotional investment in the characters that are developed while reading "Daddy." I only wish an excellent screen writer would take it and develop a mini-series. A long major film would lose too much detail and character development in the translation. This was the FIRST book that "I couldn't put it down! "The Harry Potter books were the 2nd, 3rd and 4th! :-)

This is a battle of wits between and young jewish boy,who has memorized information about hidden money, and aGerman colonel who wants that information. The writing is taut and there are a couple of scenes that literally took my breath away. Very little violence, no sex, just a very engaging story.