Word: follett
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...chills, thrills and more sex than one would have thought possible in a few hundred pages. Ken Follett knows the correct formula for a plot-driven suspense novel, and in Night Over Water he inserts all the right elements of an enjoyable yarn. The resulting book is definitely no more than the sum of its parts, but one turns the pages fast enough. As with most of Follett's novels, satisfaction, though not superlative prose, is guaranteed...
...Follett has assembled quite a quirky cast of characters to inhabit his story. The Clipper list includes: Lord Oxenford, a British fascist fleeing arrest with his family; Carl Hartmann, a distinguished Jewish physicist escaping from the Nazis; Harry Marks, a bold and debonair jewel thief one step ahead of the authorities; Diana Lovesy, a bored and buxom housewife seeking adventure in America; and Tom Luther, a dangerous man with a dark mission (or is it vice versa...
...Follett makes less convincing explanations for the coincidences which power the plot than, say, John Le Carre. But once he has contrived to get the characters on board the Clipper, the constricted space and contrasting personalities make for some delightful bonding scenes between the passengers...
...both setting and style, Follett has geared Night Over Water to provide maximum entertainment. Doomed grandeur is always attractive in a book, and placing the action aboard the last flight of a Clipper is an inspired move. Follett's decision to employ multiple points of view also aids the story, especially when the same situation is presented from several perspectives...
Unfortunately, Follett's characters tend to be idealized types or expressions of certain feelings rather than fleshed-out, believable personalities. For example, Eddie Deakin, the Clipper's good-hearted engineer, is introduced thus...