The Double Eagle

By James Twining and Mork eoin

Book Overview

The Thomas Crown Affair meets National Treasure in this page-turning debut thriller. In Paris, a priest is murdered, his mutilated body dumped into the Seine. He has taken a secret with him to his death -- a secret that is revealed during the autopsy, reawakening memories of Depression-era politics and a seventy-year-old heist. Jennifer Browne, an ambitious FBI agent, is assigned to the case. For her, this is a final opportunity to kick-start a career that stalled three years ago, after a fatal error in judgment. She is determined that this time there will be no mistakes. Her investigation soon comes across a daring robbery at Fort Knox. The immediate suspect is Tom Kirk, a brilliant young art thief and a man whose very existence threatens to bring down the newly elected president. Caught between his desire to get out of the game and his partner's insistence that he complete one last job for the criminal mastermind Cassius, Tom faces a race against time to clear his name -- a race that takes him from London to Paris, and Amsterdam to Istanbul, in a search for the real thieves and the legendary Double Eagle.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060762098
• ISBN13: 9780060762094
• Release Date: August 2005
• Publisher: Harper
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 1.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Double Trouble

A good solid tale. After reading Mr. Twining second book, The Black Sun, I decided to give his debut novel a go. I am glad I did as I found it a slightly better read. The Double Eagle is an interesting story that combines the talents of recently retired famous art thief and former CIA agent Tom Kirk, and current FBI Special Agent Jennifer Browne as they hunt for 5 Double Eagle coins stolen from Fort Knox. The twists and turns of this who-done-it takes one on a dizzying ride through Europe in search of the elusive coins. Along the way friends become foes, and foes friends as Tom and Jennifer unravel the mystery of the missing coins. Excellent plot and good solid ending for a debut suspense novel. Character development was a little light but acceptable. Numerous characters but Mr. Twining does a good job keeping the reader informed and not overburdening the story. All in all an excellent debut novel. Highly recommended for that day on the beach or lazy afternoon on the deck. No gratuitous violence or sex. Very little coarse language. I am looking forward to Mr. Twining's next book and more about Tom Kirk.

an excellent debut

if you like DeMille, Cussler and James Rollins, you will love this book, trust me. Tight, fast-paced, no useless "it was a dark & stormy night" filler that Ludlum and Folsom love so much. A very good read, I enjoyed it from start to finish. Good job, James!

Smashing debut.

I could not put this book down. From start to finish it is a genuine thiller to keep the reader on edge. I can't wait for Twining's next book. He has me hooked.

The new Ludlum

I'd been searching for something to replaced Ludlum as my holiday reading material and the Double Eagle filled that void. Its a cliche, but once i'd started i couldn't stop. James Twining is as good a story teller as John Grisham, but is better written and has real character development. Here's hoping Tom Kirk is back in a new book before my next holiday.

The future of crime thrillers

What really makes this book stand out from all the others is its unique achievements of narrating a gripping tale, peppering it with fascinating nuggets of information, and illuminating it with well-turned prose. There are many page-turners on the market, but none with the same richness of detail and refinement of language. The author has evidently researched his subject thoroughly, and takes pleasure in sharing historical and cultural insights that makes you feel you are learning something at the same time as enjoying the read. And while Twining could simply have used the same turns of phrase that typically propel this type of story along, he constantly comes up with novel and arresting images that mark him out as a serious novelist in the making. Twining has raised the bar for all thriller writers, and it remains to be seen if he is the only one to meet the new standard when he releases his next book.