Reign in Hell

Rating:
Summary: Very Disappointing, by Diehl's high standards
Review: I have read every William Diehl novel, and I was delighted to pick up Reign in Hell at the Heathrow news stand recently. Diehl is pretty close to being my favorite author, particularly the early novels like Hooligans and Thai Horse. Starting out with very high expectations, I was bitterly disappointed with Reign in Hell. The plot was disjointed and not properly planned. It seems quite clear to me that Diehl started out intending for Aaron Stampler to have a key role in the plot, but then forgot him half way through. This book was written in a hurry! No question about it. As an Englishman, I found the pseudo-factual references to Waco and Oklahoma unecessary, and in bad taste. I am sure that many Americans will find this book objectionable. Whatever your views of these events, a lot of people died, and they should not be used for casual dramatic effect in a work of fiction. The ending to this novel was quite farcical! It is basically World War Three fought out in three and a half pages, watched by an unarmed lawyer who is airlifted into the middle of the war zone at the height of the conflict. To suggest that US Army, or any other Army in the Free World for that matter, would engage with an enemy so well dug in, with "hand to hand combat" is an insult to the readers intelligence. On the plus side, the Martin Vail character is very strong, and Aaron Stampler mk III had a lot of potential that was blatantly not exploted. You must do much better next time Mr Diehl!

Rating:
Summary: Diehl--a hardware illiterate!
Review: The Right-wing gun totin' redneck had "The Turner Diaries" and now the Left-wing, Perrier sippin', veggie-bar visitin', Mandaring class elitist has "Reign in Hell". If Diehl is going to write about the milita movement; which he seems to portray as Bible-thumping Bigots, then he would be well served to learn a little about the tools of the trade. Most of his errors regarding weapons and weapon nomenclature would be laughable if only they were not so completely inane. My personal favorite is when the US Rangers are staging their air assault on the militia enclave and: "Sgt Williams stepped off the Pavelow troop helo with a 30mm Gatling gun whirling and spitting in his enormous arms." Folks, they better be enormous, the 30mmGAU only weights 1100 pounds! Each round of ammo for that beast is a little over a pound each with the Depleted Uranium Projectiles. Mr. Diehl, if you want people to take you serious, get your facts straight. END

Rating:
Summary: Read it for Vail and not for Stampler
Review: I couldn't agree more with all of the reviews of "Reign in Hell" already placed upon this website. This is quite an intriguing novel because of its involvement with current events involving religious cults and/or militia groups. However, for those who are drawn to this novel because of its inclusion of Aaron Stampler, it is quite a disappointment. At the beginning of the book, we are led to believe that Aaron will play a major role in the novel when, in fact, he simply does not (Why he couldn't have played a bigger role, I don't know. So much could have been done with his newfound identity. Also, the build-up to the ending is terrific but the resolution happens too fast with little satisfaction for those following the Vail-Stampler rivalry.). With all of this in mind, this book is quite entertaining. If you've read Diehl's previous two novels, read it for Martin Vail, not for Aaron Stampler. Doing so will enhance the enjoyment of this novel.

Rating:
Summary: Readable but not as good as the two prequels
Review: The first 1/3 part of this novel is quite promising and read like a powerhouse, but when the author tried to let Vail get involved the militia RICO case and in the meantime, tried to give his loyal readers a resolution of the bad and cunning A. Stampler and made him connect with the crazy militia extremists, the whole plot seems suddenly lost its powerful grip. If a RICO case was expected not to be solved within 18 months after Vail was sworn-in as Deputy A.G., the whole 2/3 part of its development read just like happened and resolved within couple of weeks, didn't look like it was evoked or solved by Vail but purely by the right(wrong) timing. Once any military operation launced, the scenario has become so large, so wide and lost its steam, and Vail has become a vague character instead of a well-focused center. If describing and/or portraying it just by quite a few (and quite tiresome ones) dialogue scenes of Vail's Wild Bunch, it was not a good way to satisfy a thinking reader. But in general, this is still a readable one and definitely better than other novels in the similar genra. Anyway, I think the best excerpt digging out from this book's Book Three CHAOS is Pascal'S: " MEN NEVER DO EVIL SO COMPLETELY AND CHEERFULLY AS WHEN THEY DO IT FROM RELIGIOUS CONVICTION." Look around you now, what happened and is happening in this country is just like what Pascal said long time ago, in addition to the "religious conviction", we should also add the "self-righteous extreme right-wing conservatism". These two combined evil forces are now tearning our great nation and our book market apart.

Rating:
Summary: Wow! A surprise to the end.
Review: I kept picturing Richard Gere in the role of Martin Vail. Ended up holding my breath with just a few more pages to go because Diehl threw in a surprise at the end. I'm anxious for his next book!

Rating:
Summary: GOOD RIDDANCE AARON
Review: Fitting goodby to a really rotten character. It's tough to keep a reader interested for three novels but Diehl has managed well. I liked this book but Primal Fear was the best of the lot. If you haven't read the two previous novels please do so before this - you won't be disappointed. I look forward to Mr. Diehls' next work with or without Mr. Vail.

Rating:
Summary: I am in the process of reading it now
Review: I am in the process of reading the book now, but from what I have read, it goes into great detail of what Martin Vail's life is like and how he thinks outside the courtroom. I love the Vail sereis and I hope that these books become movies as well.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing.......
Review: Perhaps for a different author this book would rate a 7 but after Diehl's other two Martin Vail books this was a 5 at best. If you had not already read the previous two books you would not have a clear picture of how intelligent and savvy Martin Vail, Jane Veneable and the "Wild Bunch" are. I too did not see the reason for the inclusion of Aaron Stampler. I think Vail is at his best in the courtroom and there was none of that here. This simply was not Diehl at his best. I hope Diehl brings this crew back again and I hope we get to read about them in action in the courtroom.
Ree-views

Rating:
Summary: Great build up, disappointing ending
Review: William Diehl's book is an absorbing thriller about a rogue militia group. The only problem is that he decided to graft a Martin Vail book onto it. The result is that you spend 3/4 of the book waiting for some sort of fascinating legal and/or action showdown with Martin in the middle and instead he's cut out of the climax. The Aaron Stampler character is completely out of place in this novel. He adds little except a familiar name and a selling point for the novel. Diehl could have cut him out and nothing would have been lost. Still, the plot threads together nicely and I was up until 1 A.M. reading in a white heat trying to see how these elements would fit together. The ending works, but is disappointing in its result.

Rating:
Summary: A great read.A great story. A great author.
Review: Another Diehl book I could not put down.What next for Martin Vail? Is he truely rid of Aaron Stampler? Will the "wild bunch" continue to assist Vail in persuing the next lot of villans to leap out of William Diehl's creative mind? I,for one,cannot wait for the next episode!