The Day of the Jackal (1971)

I found this absolutely enthralling. ( )

This is the third time I've read this book, and really, it is incredible. I know, I know, coming from a sci-fi and fantasy background, and preferring women's stories, this book just is so well-researched and well-written that it holds up well.

The basis is France's withdrawal from its colonialism of Algeria and the impact that change had on the character of the French people. Many French followed Charles de Gaulle as he led France out of the grip of the Nazis, and he seemed to promise them unity including keeping a foot in Algeria. But when he decided to pull out there were assassination attempts, one of which is documented here.

While the remainder of this book is fictional, it is written as a police-procedural that describes politics, interdepartmental cooperation (and not), those who seek a rise to power, those who kill for a living, and those who do the "grunt" work in their search for a cold-blooded killer with very few clues to go by. ( )

Whoa!
I am kicking myself to have not read this earlier. ( )

I loved every moment of it. Riveting from its inception to its rippling conclusion. A masterpiece of a thriller. DEFINITELY recommended. ( )

Any details I give about this book will quaff the fun out of this engaging read, so I would stick to the literary basics. The author does very well in setting up the context in the first half and drives the reader to fast-paced action that follows. The Day of the Jackal is a captivating battle between two meticulous professionals, two experts of their trades on either side of the law. And finally, beneath all its action, drama and chases, it actually boils down to which of them is more disciplined about his work. At one point I did feel though one of the characters did something totally out of character, but I could attribute it to survival instinct. A must read thriller. ( )