Jack Higgins rarely has a dull novel. This is one of them. It’s the first time he stopped using his real name, Harry Patterson, and started using Jack Higgins. Earlier Patterson novels were reprinted using the Higgins alias.
Joe Martin is a pilot in Greenland. He got tired of the city life and his marriage to a woman who became a famous singer was going nowhere. He runs supplies out to a boat where fading actor Jack Desforge is staying. He’s obsessed with killing a polar bear and keeping his he man image alive.
Visiting is actress Ilana Eytan who has a letter about an upcoming movie for Jack. Joe has a friendship with a pilot named Arnie. Also coming into town are insurance men Vogel and Stratton with Mrs.Kelso. Her husband’s plane crashed and she’s supposed to ID the body. The plane was way off course and the incident was judged to be caused by instrument failure.
Joe is hired to take the trio to the wreckage. Even though he smells a rat Joe agrees after someone ran a truck into Arnie’s plane. The first half of the book moves very slowly and then starts to move along. The ending has a lot of coincidences that come close to defying credibility.
It’s a quick read but not one to make a point of getting even if you’re a Higgins fan. I’ve read dozens of his books and enjoyed all of them. This is the exception. One good thing about it is his description of the cold in Greenland. It may make you want to read it with a hot cup of coffee.
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