From Publishers Weekly
If you took the bite and humor out of a Richard Condon novel, the result would be very like Ludlum's ( The Road to Omaha ) 18th book. As a child, beautiful Amaya Aquirre, witnessed the brutal murder of her Basque parents, after which she adopted the name of their killer, Bajaratt; the motto, Muerte a toda autoridad (death rules over everything); and the profession of mercenary terrorist. When her husband, a Palestinian terrorist, is killed, Bajaratt sends a signal to an underground organization named the Scorpios, to take "the heads of the four great beasts," i.e., the leaders of France, England, Israel and the United States. A mistress of disguise, this "pathological genius" takes the plum assignment of killing the U.S. president. Cutting a bloody swath through the Caribbean, Florida and Washington, she finally wangles a private meeting with him. But British and French Intelligence have hired her nemesis and one-time lover, retired American Naval Intelligence officer Tye Hawthorne, to follow her bloodsoaked trail and, inevitably, nail her. Instead of conveying tension, the book has the elements of a soap opera: lots of shouting, too much psychobabble, some grief therapy and plenty of misunderstandings. Despite the huge body count, as a thriller it falls flat. Major ad/promo; author tour.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an alternate
Hardcover
edition.
From Library Journal
Ludlum fans who perhaps were frustrated by the author's last three novels (e.g., The Gemini Contenders , Audio Reviews, LJ 4/1/93) have a genuine treat in store with this one. The master of international intrigue is back, make no mistake about it. The producer offers an excellent abridgment, and the story is enhanced with music and read expertly by Robert Lansing. This is a riveting, fast-moving thriller full of violence, sex, thrills, and electronic wizardry--all the things one imagines for today's terrorists and intelligence agents. The story concerns Amayra Bajaratt, a beautiful terrorist, whose goal is nothing less than death for the heads of state of England, France, Israel, and the United States. Enter Tyrrell Hawthorne, ex-naval intelligence operative recruited by British military intelligence to stop "Little Girl Blood." Recommended for all popular adult collections.
- Cliff Glaviano, Bowling Green State Univ. Libs., OhioCopyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.