Christian Jacq

I have no idea why Christian Jacq books are so popular - I found the dialogue stilted and forced, charactisation poor, little flow and no tension. I dont know whether this is because Jacq is a poor writer, or this book has been translated poorly (I hope it was a translate - Jacq being French and living in Switzerland - as if not, the fault is entirely Jacq's).

For example: within seconds of meeting the investigator for the first time, the investigator has given up his entire life story in a paragraph along the lines of "I grew up on the wrong side of the streets, I'm mean and violent and I dont care who knows it and I'll beat up and threaten anyone who gets on my wrong side whether you like it or not". Literally.

The scribe is not better, always turning up late due to arguments with his wife, but the passages where this happens are not funny, threatening, enlightening and add little to the plot.

The judge keeps being told that he is making "powerful enemies" but you feel no fear of the characters concerned - and no empathy for the judge - so there is no engagement on either side to make you want to continue to the end… (lisätietoja)