Rating: 
Summary: Bad Author
Review: The Coil of the title refers to a group of six international movers and shakers who use their considerable economic and political power to influence the course of world events. To protect their identities, they somewhat immodestly use code names relating to the Titans of myth, referring to themselves as Cronus, Hyperion, Prometheus, Atlas, Ocean, and Themis. Since the end of World War II, the group has made many momentous decisions affecting the fate of nations, including ordering assassinations when politically expedient. Many of those killings were handled by the legendary international hitman known as "The Carnivore". Now presumed dead, the assassin was rumored to have maintained extensive files on all his hits. Thus, the Coil becomes extremely agitated when it appears that someone has gained access to those files, and is now using them to blackmail the Carnivore's former employers. Painfully aware of what's at stake, the secret organization and other interested parties initiate a search for the blackmailer and the invaluable files in his/her possession. A natural starting place is with ex-CIA agent Liz Sansborough, the Carnivore's daughter. Firmly convinced that her life of intrigue is all in the past, Sansborough (who previously appeared in Lynds' 1997 novel MASQUERADE) is abruptly pulled back into the spy game, forced to seek the files to stay alive. Her odyssey leads her into the murky world of espionage and intrigue, where one mistake could prove fatal. Given her collaborations with the late Robert Ludlum (such as the "Covert One" novels THE HADES FACTOR, THE PARIS OPTION, and THE ALTMAN CODE), it's not surprising that THE COIL evokes the works of that internationally best-selling author, especially those written in his prime. Lynds, however, manages to build on the work of her collaborator, updating his basic formulae for modern audiences. Efficient and quick witted, Sansborough proves a worthy heroine. Her companion, MI6 agent Simon Childs, proves equally adept. Lynds pits the winning pair against several hostiles, constantly testing their mettle as they piece together a very complicated international puzzle. A gripping read, the book seems like a natural property for a movie adaptation. Sadly, Alfred Hitchcock, the one director best suited to bring this novel to the screen, is no longer with us. Fortunately, Lynds has provided an eminently filmable blueprint that even the most inept director couldn't botch.
Rating: 
Summary: Engaging suspense.
Review: The Coil of the title refers to a group of six international movers and shakers who use their considerable economic and political power to influence the course of world events. To protect their identities, they somewhat immodestly use code names relating to the Titans of myth, referring to themselves as Cronus, Hyperion, Prometheus, Atlas, Ocean, and Themis. Since the end of World War II, the group has made many momentous decisions affecting the fate of nations, including ordering assassinations when politically expedient. Many of those killings were handled by the legendary international hitman known as "The Carnivore". Now presumed dead, the assassin was rumored to have maintained extensive files on all his hits. Thus, the Coil becomes extremely agitated when it appears that someone has gained access to those files, and is now using them to blackmail the Carnivore's former employers. Painfully aware of what's at stake, the secret organization and other interested parties initiate a search for the blackmailer and the invaluable files in his/her possession. A natural starting place is with ex-CIA agent Liz Sansborough, the Carnivore's daughter. Firmly convinced that her life of intrigue is all in the past, Sansborough (who previously appeared in Lynds' 1997 novel MASQUERADE) is abruptly pulled back into the spy game, forced to seek the files to stay alive. Her odyssey leads her into the murky world of espionage and intrigue, where one mistake could prove fatal. Given her collaborations with the late Robert Ludlum (such as the "Covert One" novels THE HADES FACTOR, THE PARIS OPTION, and THE ALTMAN CODE), it's not surprising that THE COIL evokes the works of that internationally best-selling author, especially those written in his prime. Lynds, however, manages to build on the work of her collaborator, updating his basic formulae for modern audiences. Efficient and quick witted, Sansborough proves a worthy heroine. Her companion, MI6 agent Simon Childs, proves equally adept. Lynds pits the winning pair against several hostiles, constantly testing their mettle as they piece together a very complicated international puzzle. A gripping read, the book seems like a natural property for a movie adaptation. Sadly, Alfred Hitchcock, the one director best suited to bring this novel to the screen, is no longer with us. Fortunately, Lynds has provided an eminently filmable blueprint that even the most inept director couldn't botch.
Rating: 
Summary: International Intrigue
Review: The novel is a sequel to MASQUERADE. The author has written it as a stand alone novel, but characters carry over from the previous novel. Readers might want to read the novels in order, although explanations of previous action are included in the plot. The Carnivore, an international assassin for hire, had provided information to U.S. intelligence in exchange for sanctuary for his wife. Now it appears that all the information was not revealed, and a file exists somewhere. A secret group of international business and government leaders, calling themselves the Coil, want the file. A deadly blackmailer apparently has the file and is using it for his own purposes. Liz Sansborough, ex-CIA agent and daughter of the Carnivore, finds herself caught in the middle, with the blackmailer trying to have her killed and The Coil trying to use her for bait to lure the blackmailer into the open. Her look-alike cousin and the cousin's wife are drawn into the plot. There are a series of captures and excapes as the advantage shifts from one side to the other. The plot winds down to a final confrontation. I won't reveal that here as there are some surprises. As I noted in the previous review, who can you trust? Things are not always as they seem.
Rating:
Summary: Is Lynds as Good as Ludlum?
Review: The question is sure to be asked, whether Lynds compares to the master. Let's put it this way: In the early 80s, Robert Ludlum swayed me singlehandedly to the genre of suspense fiction. With books such as "The Bourne Identity" and "The Gemini Contenders," he established a new level of international intrigue. I'll forever miss him--and his powers of storytelling, particularly while in his prime. No one will surpass those masterpieces, in my opinion. So here comes Gayle Lynds. Not only did she join with Ludlum in writing the Covert-One novels, taking on all the pressure of having her name alongside his, she also writes her own bestsellers. A woman...writing muscular thrillers...and doing it darn well, I might add! "The Coil" could be another clone from Ludlum's conspiracy blueprint, but it raises the bar by giving us characters we care about. Okay, many of them are props to propel the script, yet Lynds gives us enough time with a handful of primary players to find a connection. Not only does this keep us turning the pages, it adds impetus to the final surprises. (Don't let anyone spoil it for you!) The story revolves around Liz Sansbourough, a former CIA operative, and daughter of the infamous assassin, the Carnivore. Liz is dragged back into the violence she opposes when a dangerous opponent claims to have her deceased father's files. Using the files' sordid detail, the unknown blackmailer is now twisting events and circumstances for his own dark purpose. Even as this plot coils tighter, the truth behind the Coil comes into focus. Liz must come out of seclusion to deal with this threat--for her own safety; for the safety of her relatives. Lynds sticks closer to Ludlum's suspense than LeCarre's politicizing, but she does throw in a few tidbits for thought..."they'll be crushed, or they'll get the right 'religion' and turn capitalist." At times, the narrative becomes bumpy while jumping from one point of view to another mid-paragraph, but the story keeps speeding along. Racing from one continent to the other, from one chase scene to the next, Lynds succeeds in matching all the best qualities of books such as "The Matarese Circle." Now it's Lynds' turn to sway readers to the genre of good old-fashioned, sprawling, international thrillers.
Rating:
Summary: The Coil!!
Review: Was an exciting read! I really like tense exciting thriller novels and the Coil was it! Once I picked up this book I couldn't put it down! I can just imagine the problems the daughter of an international hitman might have! Great read! I'd like to see more about the Carnivore family...maybe a prequel?
Rating:
Summary: Fabulous! Totally wonderful.
Review: When this book first came out I bought a copy and was enchanted. A fabulous story and excellent writing. I wrote a glowing review for Amazon, but today when I came back here and started to read through the reviews I noted mine wasn't among them. Off in cyber space I guess. I won't bother repeating myself. So many fans have posted rave reviews there's not much left to say. However, I do want to add my five stars and thank Gayle Lynds for this spectacular book. I do hope she's hard at work on the next one.
Rating:
Summary: Fabulous! Totally wonderful.
Review: When this book first came out I bought a copy and was enchanted. A fabulous story and excellent writing. I wrote a glowing review for Amazon, but today when I came back here and started to read through the reviews I noted mine wasn't among them. Off in cyber space I guess. I won't bother repeating myself. So many fans have posted rave reviews there's not much left to say. However, I do want to add my five stars and thank Gayle Lynds for this spectacular book. I do hope she's hard at work on the next one.
Rating:
Summary: More than a thriller
Review: Whenever I read, I hope to learn something, usually not facts but insights into human nature or clues to some mystery. So I read Gayle Lynds -- her characters are complex and vivid, her intrigues are credible, her vision clarifies why the world's the way it is. She does her research, thinks about it and then writes. And the settings of her stories captivate me so, the day after reading THE COIL, I started saving my pennies toward a golfing trip to Scotland.
Rating:
Summary: could not put this book down!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: wow!!!!!! what a read, its by far her very best.i started
this book in the evening and finished it at 1:00 in the
morning.this book has , a plot that won't let you go.
its quick, intelligent, and rolls on like a runaway train.
thank goodness that this author has come along since the death
of robert ludlum.if its story line,character development,and
pace,you want???? buy this book,ifs its suspense, action, and
a good mystery thrown in??? this is the book to buy!! buy it
now and take it to the beach this summer, its non stop .you won't be sorry!!
a real thriller!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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