What do You think about The Devil's Alternative (1982)?
If you're reading these "reviews," you'll no doubt notice that I say the same thing about all of Forsyth's works.I devour every book he writes; there's simply nothing better in the world of intrigue, in my opinion.Once you read one of Forsyth's books, you'll read them all. I began reading his work in the 1980's and haven't stopped. This guy gets you into his stories and doesn't let you go.Forsyth's writings are an accurate representation of "eat or be eaten" and that coupled with his knowledge of subject matter can make you feel exhausted at the end of the book; be prepared to be looking over your shoulders the rest of your life :-)
—Bob Conner
This was one of the most exciting books I've ever read! It's a Cold War story about the US versus the Soviet Union, mixed in with some Ukrainian nationalists bent on raising hell in Russia and upsetting world events as a result. We've got the CIA. We have the Politburo. We have the world's wheat production, which -- when I first started reading this -- I thought was going to be boring, but actually turns out to be essential to the plot. We have weapons reductions. We have war plans. We have super tankers and terrorists. We have romance. I could go on and on. And Forsyth doesn't go into his usual excruciating 100 page detail on the planning of an assassination or hostage taking like he normally does. In this book, the head of the KGB is killed -- in one page! Amazing. No details at all. I loved it. Talk about a real departure for the author. Of course, there is planning, yes, but none of the mind numbing lengthy stuff that bores the average reader to death with so many of his novels. This is a real page turner. I couldn't recommend it more.
—Scott Holstad
Wow, that was a literary workout! Although the author took the first half of the book to set up the events that would cascade down on the reader in the second half, one leaves the last page wondering how all that tension could have been resolved, was it really over? A welcome Epilogue tied together all the loose ends, leading to a satisfying conclusion.Yet looking at the perfect storm of events that precipitated the heart of the action, it often seemed as if there was no way out for the many nations in the center of the maelstrom. Passionate Ukrainian nationalists are the spark ready and able to start a conflagration of international disaster but factors such as a pending Soviet famine, a leadership crisis in the Politburo, the maiden voyage of a Scandinavian super tanker, an American president eager to secure his legacy with a landmark disarmament treaty, and a spy in the heart of the Soviet government being run by a British agent-- all are working to bring the crisis to a solution in line with the individual motives of the geographically scattered parties. The alternative, labeled the devil's alternative, is seemingly the only choice left, though the devil could have had a far bigger party had no disaster averting alternative been available. The interplay of all these actors and competing national interests creates much back and forth storytelling but a master like Forsythe guides the reader skillfully through the complex maze of his carefully constructed plot to the end of a remarkable literary experience.
—Dianeparente62gmail.com
