It's the 1960's and General De Gaulle is the President of France, loved by some envied my many. His life is in danger. Escaped failed assassinations, quite a lucky man.
I came across Forsyth when I was reading a newspaper. I have always been intrigued by spies and thrillers and crime. Read about him and his books. This one particularly interested me, merely by its name. Being a former RAF personnel Forsyth had knowledge on how it all worked and so it was easier for him to pen it down.
There's animosity between some of the people of France and the President. Ordinary people can't do anything, the powerful ones can.
An organization who goes by the name of Secret Army Organization (OAS) decided to put an end to the Presidents life.
The book begins with the aftermath of a failed attempt of assassination by the OAS and capture of the leader Lieutenant Colonel Jean Marie Bastien Thiry. The Colonel was hanged on 11th March 1963. A little less than a year after the futile assassination.
The OAS had highly operating members in different facets of the government itself sharing the same hatred for De Gaulle. Fanatics to be more precise.
The French Secret Service is called Service de Documentation Exterieure et de Contre- Espionage. It was divided into various categories such as Intelligence, Service, Action etc and spread across different hemispheres of the world. French weren't fool. They fought hard against those who were involved with the assassination. Bastien Thiry was on trial while SDECE gathered Intel on the happenings of each futile yet dangerously potent attempt at the assassination.
The Presidential protocol as you might have seen in movies is followed. Those big security personnel in black suits, glasses, an automatic gun under their arms, comprises of the entourage. Then the Presidents vehicle was surrounded by two identical vehicles one in front and one at the rear end. Imagine this being straight out of a Hollywood movie.
The plan was to render the entourage useless and fire at the President vehicle. It was all meticulously planned but somewhere the timing was a bit wrong and the President got away. The OAS had the best personnel at their disposal, most of them were ex- army men of tough build. Yet they failed.
This is just a bleak and brief description of what happened.
Now the OAS was crippled as the Thiry, their leader was caught, their resources were down to a trickle and as they had failed many times most of the investors backed out. They were in desperate need of money, resources and confidence. They were desperate to kill De Gaulle.
Marc Rodin who was second in command after Antoine Argoud, who had been kidnapped by the French government. He was a man of intellect and seldom did he leave his trail behind. He gathered two more men and also an entourage of security personnel. Obviously he was also at risk.
Rodin along with Andre Casson and Rene Montclair was now heading the OAS. At his disposal was a tank of a man, Viktor Kowalski who was the security head where the new OAS leaders stayed in Vienna in Pension Kleist. Kowalski was better known as Pole due to the fact he was a giant to sum it up.
Rodin had spent a lot of time before shortlisting the assassin. Others consented with him after a long talk.
He was an Englishman, the assassin. He was practically no one. He didn't have his name in any of the government files, basically he was untraceable. That's why he was summoned. Best suited for the job, with a heavy price tag attached to him.
He was informed about the nature of the job and he didn't like any kind of interference. He wouldn't reveal how would he carry out his work even to those who employed him. Such a meticulous man.
Jackal, was his codename. Known just to the three men in Vienna. In order to pay the assassin OAS had to raise funds. Investors weren't interested in them anymore. So they looted banks. Classic move.
They raised half a million dollars and also raised the suspicion of SDECE so as to who was behind the loots. After Argoud was kidnapped they were financially crippled. Best bet for the SDECE had to be OAS.
Pole was caught by the SDECE due to his own stupidity. This was an interesting turn in the storyline which keeps the reader curious. Kowalski was tortured, a lot. He gave in. The plan was leaked and so was the assassin mere by his description. It would have been difficult for the SDECE to find a blonde English man who was to kill De Gaulle.
The novel becomes fast paced with a gripping storyline. The minute details just can't be explained which feels that the reader is experiencing it in first person. It's pretty easy to visualize what is happening and what is not, the surrounding and setting of the plot.
The Jackal travels a lot to prep himself for the mission. Everything's going to be fake.
In the process he even forgets his own name. He arms himself with different disguises, passports and of course a gun. A custom made gun, one of a kind.
On the other hand the French government warns De Gaulle but he's adamant on not compromising his schedule for an assassin. The Presidential Security Corps decides to taken matters into their own hands to protect the President.
Every top commissioner of each department of security force is assigned to find the assassin. A detective called Lebel is called in for investigating a man only known by his hair color. A tough task indeed.
Let's fast forward a bit where Jackal is being tracked. Lebel is on a few hours behind Jackal. Jackal escapes, Lebel frets. Yet they are more closer then ever before. Jackal knows that his covers been blown so does Rodin but he can't make contact with the English man.
There are many events which take place such as the regular meetings of the security forces, Poles death, a Baronness death, Valmy is exposed, Colonel Saint Claire's mistress had been tipping Jackal.
For Jackal it was all for one motive through new disguises, new places, train travels, car rides, fancy hotels and fancy lunches, to kill De Gaulle and retire with half a million dollars.
The question is who succeeds, Jackal or Lebel?
The Jackal buried his traces, Lebel dug up his traces and tracked him, nearly. Both the men were meticulous and professionals by nature. They had to complete what they had started.
The end was unknown here.
The Jackal prepared himself for 25th August, 1963 so did Lebel and the security forces at his disposal.
The President was to make a public appearance for Liberation Day. He did.
Jackal was disguised and took his vantage point in one of the buildings surrounding Arc de Triomphe and Notre Dame.
He settled and assembled his gun, marked his target and shot. He missed. He never missed a single shot from one hundred and fifty metres. He loaded his gun again and was about to shoot.
His room was barged in.
The end is dramatic. Read the book to find out if Jackal succeeds in his mission or Lebel.
It's such an high octane and gripping book with a solid storyline which will get your adrenaline pumping.
It's a must read for those who enjoy spies, crime thrillers and a fast paced book.
Hope you liked the review!
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