Reviews for Year of the Tiger (Paul Chavasse Series #2)

The average rating for Year of the Tiger (Paul Chavasse Series #2) based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2018-03-06 00:00:00 Bagdad Art "I thought that, as Buddhists, the Tibetans were generally against any kind of violence," Ferguson remarked. "That was true once," Joro said grimly, "but then the Reds came to butcher our young men and defile our women. Before the Lord Buddha brought the way of peace to us, we Tibetans were warriors. The Chinese have made us warriors again." One of Jack Higgins' Paul Chavasse stories, this adventure set mostly in Tibet, has a James Bond kind of vibe and flavor; Chavesse even uses a Walther. Higgins has long been a master at the action adventure, and though I mostly prefer his older stuff like The Last Place God Made and The Kufra Run, this was a very enjoyable read. The freshly knighted Paul Chavasse is dreaming of retiring from an organization called the Bureau ' think British Secret Service ' when he discovers a man named Lama Morrow has been watching him. At the same time, the British PM asks the French-English Chavasse to remain as head of the Bureau at least for one more mission, one for which he is imminently qualified. It seems that in 1959 he secretly helped the Dalai Lama escape Tibet. Now, in 1962, he needs to do the same for mathematician Karl Hoffner in order to use his theories on harnessing energy from space itself in order to beat the Russians in the space race. Trouble is, Hoffner is a guest of the Commies. Much of this is told in flashback, as Chavasse relates it to someone. It's a rip-roaring tale which rarely slows down. Higgins gives Year of the Tiger enough exotic flavor, intrigue, and surprises near the end to make the pages virtually turn themselves. He's always good with action, but there are also quiet moments of snow-covered mountains and dangerous traveling. There is also more than one contemplative moment: "And then the wind touched him coldly on the cheek, sending a wave of greyness through him, reminding him that half-an-hour's flying time away through the darkness was the border. The wind called to him as it moaned across the rooftops, and he turned and went inside." The adventure is in getting to Hoffner, with captures and escapes, impersonations and betrayals. And then there is Hoffner's beautiful young companion, Katya Stranoff: "She had the breath-taking beauty that one always associates with simplicity and Chavasse shivered suddenly, as if somewhere someone had walked over his grave." People aiding Chavasse pay a high price, and everyone and everything is not always as it seems despite the original simplicity of Chavasse's plan to liberate Hoffner from the Communists. Colonel Li wants to convert Chavasse to the Red side but he's having none of that, not even under torture. There are executions, exciting escapes, and as mentioned, a couple of twists near the conclusion you won't see coming. All in all this is quite fun, and it reads fast, Higgins is a master of pacing, making sure there's no time for the reader to become bored. Pay attention to the beginning of this one, as it's more important than you might initially think. A delicious genre read from a great storyteller. This one is probably a 4.2 for me, so four solid stars as an action thriller in the James Bond mold.

Review # 2 was written on 2018-04-29 00:00:00 Phillip Sabbagh What can I say about this book. The first word that comes to mind is pedestrian. The second word is beige. I just found the whole thing so contrived and cliche ridden. None of the character came to life for me. Paul Chavasse came across as a pour man's James Bond but with none of the wit or charisma. Most of the tale takes place in Tibet. Paul is sent to Tibet to evacuate a reclusive genius who seems to have discovered a new power source that will revolutionise space travel. Nothing goes to plan and Paul finds himself at the mercy of the ruling Chinese Army. Life becomes a battle for survival. The end was just too much. Sounds like it should have been a good read.