Jack Higgins has always been one of my favorite authors. I found The Eagle Has Landed to be one of the best I've read, and still have this in my collection. To Catch A King was a book I found in a thrift store nearly 20 years ago, and finally got around to reading it. The premise takes place when Nazi Germany was poised to invade England. Hitler got it in his head that the Duke of Windsor was on their side, and would sit on the throne as king of Nazi-occupied England in the not-to-distant future. To put his plan in effect, Himmler enlists the aid of SS General Walter Schellenberg, an elusive man rumored to have mixed feelings about Nazism.Schellenberg needs the help of a German-born American singer named Hannah Winter. He follows her to Lisbon where the Duke and Duchess of Windsor are about to sail to the Bahamas. Schellenberg must convince the Duke to come to Germany, while the Duke wrestles with a plan that could ultimately help him play an important role in saving his beloved England. SS Major Kleiber is sent to assist Schellenberg, but the two do not see eye-to-eye and often have disputes that develop in outright brawling. As the date of the invasion nears, Schellenberg does not know who he can trust, and should he fail his future within the Nazi ranks is jeopardized.I find Higgins has the tendency to use the same scenes from The Eagle Has Landed. For example, in that book a letter is handed to Colonel Radl authorizing him to have absolute power for the mission Hitler handed down to him. The letter is simple and effective, and Higgins uses the same type letter here, which leaves me wondering how he gets away with it so often. Then again, it does work here like it did in so many other books. To Catch A King is a short book, less than 200 pages, a good enjoyable read if you wish to finish something quickly. You will not be disappointed if you are a Higgins fan, but if you haven't read his books, I suggest starting with the one which made him famous, The Eagle Has Landed. You will appreciate his writing much more.David Lucero, authorwww.LuceroBooks.com
