The Dark Crusader

This was published in 1961. Fleming on #9 (Thunderball) by this time and the Secret Service, beautiful girl, rocket, weapon, etc gendre were established. This is a good plot (though lacking in scientific reality, as a physicist) and I give it a 4.

This novel is my 2nd favorite that MacLean wrote (so far). There is plenty of adventure as the story takes many twists and turns. The character of Professor Witherspoon is the one who makes the story great, but there are others too. Fans of MacLean won't be disappointed with this novel nor will one who enjoys reading spy/adventure novels.

Some may not be aware that 'The Black Shrike' and 'Dark Crusader' are one and the same book, with the title changing when Dark Crusader was released in America as The Black Shrike. Or (my memory...), maybe it was changed when Dark Crusader was issued as a paperback. Either way, this particular novel was written when Alistair MacLean was in top form. It's not a complex story in any way. Simple and straightforward. Funny, sometimes simple is best, especially when It's A.M. doing the writing. Of the numerous books written by Mr. MacLean, the first 2/3rds are the best. Yes, they are written mainly for juveniles, but somehow they work well even when read as an adult (can you say "Harry Potter"?).

The Dark Crusader is an excellent story of a british secret service agent sent to investigate the disappearance of several high-level scientists. Posing as a scientist, the agent is faced with many obstacles and surprises along the way including an inexperienced colleague posing as his wife and a sudden life or death swim off a hijacked boat.

"The Black Shrike" (published in England as "The Dark Crusader") starts as a typical Alistair MacLean thriller, but by the end, it's bleaker than usual. MacLean originally wrote this novel (and "The Satan Bug") under a pseudonym, so he may have been experimenting a bit with his formula.Anyway, like most MacLean books, the plot is the most important element. The hero is typical MacLean: tough, resourceful, but possessed of emotions such as fear, and gifted with a self-deprecating sense of humor. A number of top nuclear physicists have disappeared, so Benton is set up with a cover guaranteed to attract attention from the wrong elements. Sure enough, he and Marie, another agent posing as his wife, are kidnapped and brought to a seemingly deserted isle. He is forced to work on a secret missile -- the Black Shrike. Can Benton save the day?The one thing I could never figure out about this novel was, how much physics did Benton know? Was he a physicist who went to work as a secret agent? Or was he a secret agent who was given a crash course in physics?Not that you'll be thinking about that question as you're reading; the book is thrilling.Along with "The Guns of Navarone," "Where Eagles Dare," "The Golden Rendezvous," and "The Golden Gate," this is one of the best MacLean novels.