The Midnight Bell

Sean Dillon Series, Book 22

By: Jack Higgins

Narrated by: Michael Page

Length: 7 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's Summary

The new Sean Dillon novel, a knife-edge story of terrorism and revenge, by "the dean of intrigue novelists" (St. Louis Post-Dispatch).

"The bell tolls at midnight as death requires it."

In Washington, D.C., on a night full of rain, a woman is struck down and killed by a hit-and-run driver. But she is not just any woman - she is the assistant to the head of the secret White House department known only as the Basement. And she had secrets of her own.

In the Virgin Islands, former president Jake Cazalet receives a warning. He is recuperating on a diving trip after successfully helping Sean Dillon and the rest of the "Prime Minister's private army" defeat an Al Qaeda operation in London. But though AQ may be weakened and facing competition from other terrorist upstarts, it is far from dead - and it intends to prove it.

Soon the ripples from these two events will spread and overlap, not only in Washington but around the world. Everyone involved will find themselves in the most desperate battle of their lives - and the midnight bell will toll.

©2016 Jack Higgins. (P)2016 Brilliance Audio, Inc. All rights reserved.

A reunion of old friends

If you are a long standing reader of the Sean Dillon series, this book was merely a light visit to the characters we have come to know over the years. Kind of like a visit to family at the holidays - enjoyable but not of any depth. The plot construction was noticeably devoid of the depth we have come to appreciate. If you are considering visiting the team at Holland Park please start with a previous volume.

terrible addition to the series

Can't truly explain how bad this book was. Very disappointing addition to the series. Nothing happens! Characters endlessly repeat their back stories. Skip this one.

nothing like his older books

the book was nothing like it's older books...too much violence too much language for my taste personally

Just fair

Good narrator. This is one of his weakest books in the series. Weak plot and too many flashbacks to previous books.

Not up to snuff

It appears Jack is reaching the bottom of the barrel. This was an okay book, but the weakest SD I have read.

Predictable

Most of Higgins books still have quite a bit of action , but are starting to become so predictable. Still good overall.

Great to have Sean Dillon back!

It seems like it’s been a while between books but as a Sean Dillon fan, this book does not disappoint!
Love the narrator!

Everything has gotten so formulaic

A game I now play when a new character is introduced is live or die? villian, her or or bystander? This is nothing like Thunder Point.

The Keystone Cops ultimately beat ISIS

Jack Higgins books are normally extraordinary. Well researched, carefully plotted and filled with twists and turns. Even the Sean Dillon series is one where each next book is eagerly awaited.

Until now.

"The Midnight Bell" doesn't toll for thee or for a good book either.

It's almost a Keystone Cops meet ISIS. The secret army bumbles its way through one thing after another that even the most green spy would figure out. The dialogue is really weak, but the most annoying aspect of the novel is the ISIS antagonist on his barge in the Parisian Seine.

ISIS or Al Queda, it's never clear which, seems to be able to get anybody's unlisted satellite phone and make untraceable calls. The terrorist organization has extraordinary intelligence capabilities making MI-5 and MI-6 seem as capable as Maxwell Smart. And when ISIS makes the call, the protagonists respond like a president on Twitter at 6 in the morning.

In nearly all Dillon books, after he jumps from the IRA to Ferguson's secret army, there is always a transition where Ferguson reveals he withheld information critical to making plot and subplots come together. Since this is expected, it's always fun trying to figure out when the general is going to say, "Oh Sean, by the way..."

In this book however, Ferguson's role seems to be ... well it seems to be a role without a mission or purpose. But then, most of the plot seems to be without a mission either.

The book is finishable, but not pleasurable. If those are words.

Great performance of a very thin story

I hate to write a bad review of ANYTHING Jack Higgins writes, but this book is one that leaves me little choice. What makes it worse is that I fear this may be the last Sean Dillon adventure, unless more are sitting on an editor's desk somewhere waiting to be published.

The story has all the lines one has come to expect from a Dillon book (i.e. "six pounds of gray ash"). However, there is no real plot to the book, or a very thin one at best. it is mostly an excuse to bring our favorite characters into the spotlight for one last bow.

The formula of "The Master" is used again but with far less effect than in previous books. Overall, I see the story as a series of lost opportunities. The scenes wrap too quickly as if they were not fully fleshed out. The saving grace of this work is the excellent narration by Michael Page. He has distinguished himself once again as a great voice for this series. I can only hope he will have the chance to narrate more.