Pirate: A Thriller

How lucky I am? Searching for a new author I find three books by Ted Bell. Well I sure made a good choice. Lots of action, good plotting and plenty of exciting friends of the hero. I enjoyed the big picture of the possiblity of probable occurance that was a major part of the book. Yes, I will now continue on reading all of his writings. I am sure I will enjoy them all, will you follow my lead?

This was my first novel by Ted Bell and I can't wait to read more! "Pirate" was a spellbinding, edge-of-your-seat, awesome adventure from page one. With a wide assortment of interesting, complex characters and situations, this book is anything but dull. It spans several continents and jumps back and forth from various story-lines which are all clearly connected. There are twists and turns galore and the ending will not let you down! Ted Bell is an truly exceptional writer which is so refreshing in this genre where most authors tend to be creative yet not particualrly talented. The book is intelligent, the characters practically jump off the page and the diaglogues very well-written. I HIGHLY recommend this to everyone!

Pirate is the third installment in the new Alex Hawke series by Ted Bell. It follows the adventures of Sir Alex Hawke a descendant of the pirate Blackhawke who works as an Intelligence officer for both the English and American government. The novel opens with an American spy being held captive on a Chinese yacht off the shore of France. He holds information about a ominous link between China and France. Hawke is then sent to save the American spy and learn what he knows. He also has to prevent the plot from being fulfilled. At times the plot is a little far fetched, but it written in a style that prevents you from second guessing anything you are reading. Bell convinces us that anything is possible just by writing it down strongly. The story is always interesting and keeps you involved. Hawke is clearly the next generation James Bond. Hawke has fewer gadgets and focuses more on brute force and hard action tempered with high society intrigue. Which in my opinion makes it a much more enjoyable read. It is a great story written with great style.

I am halfway through Pirate my second Bell book and like Assasin it is a darn good yarn. As a devotee of the Jack Ryan novels by Tom Clancy, Clancy this is not, but as an alternative book to simply fall into to escape the challenges of the day, Tom Bell certainly provides a great distraction. Respectfully the comparisons to James Bond are clear enough. Nevertheless I am having problems putting this book down. Take this book for what it is worth, fictional entertainment. 5 stars.

Okay, I'm hooked! I picked up "Assassin" at the airport, ruined my visit with friends because I couldn't put the book down, and just rushed home from work (with circles under my eyes from reading late last night)to finish "Pirate" in 2 days. I love the cast of characters, the array of locations, and maybe the munitions/aircraft technicalities have a few holes, but it's a great "take your mind off everything else" series. Can't wait for "Spy"! p.s. Ted, could you please crank them out a little more quickly : ) ???