In the opening chapter for The Eagle Has Landed, the author relays how he discovered the story (to be told through the remainder of the book) while researching the IRA for another writing project. We might be tempted to connect his aside to his series of books about IRA man Martin Fallon, both the character from his first book and one of his pseudonyms.
In 1960, Harry Patterson (the author Jack Higgins’ real name*) wrote his second novel. That novel opens with a would-be novelist, an ex-IRA man named Martin Fallon, attempting (and failing) to write. Very quickly he finds out that the “ex” in “ex-IRA” is far more temporary a label than he hoped it would be. An old comrade appears in his doorway to draft him for a new operation.
Patterson then went on to write half-a-dozen novels AS Martin Fallon. Acknowledging that I’ve read none of them I’m going to have to assume they are connected to his fictional universe – these are the books that Martin Fallon, the character, would have been writing. Right?
In any case, having re-read recently The Eagle Has Landed, I noticed (by way of some publicist rebranding) that the characters and themes I enjoyed when I was a teen now have follow-on novels within Higgins’ oeuvre. Given my long association with The Eagle, it seemed only proper that I should continue my literary journey.
But where to turn next?
Amazon suggested that next I should read the sequel, The Eagle Has Flown. Its “buy more stuff” marketing pitch had created for me a trilogy. The Eagle Has Landed and The Eagle Has Flown was to be accompanied by a third (but not really related) World War II novel. I can’t see it on Amazon anymore, but I think it was Night of the Fox.
Amazon also had another trilogy to suggest to me. The Eagle Has Landed introduced the character of Liam Devlin who also reappears in The Eagle Has Flown. That, however, is the fourth book featuring the man. Amazon advised that maybe a Liam Devlin trilogy consisting of The Eagle Has Landed, Touch the Devil, and Confessional might be the way to go. The Eagle Has Flown could then pick up where Higgins himself had placed it.
In all of this, I noticed that by the time The Eagle Has Landed became popular, Jack Higgins was already sixteen years into his writing career. Maybe the right place to start was that IRA book he was researching when he “discovered” the English grave for German paratroopers, whichever one that might be. When I looked back to his early works I saw that Cry of the Hunter, his second novel, his first IRA book, and the book introducing Martin Fallon, was only $2 for the ebook version. As I write this post, it still is. Still not having made up my mind, I figured I’d buy it before the price went back up (and/or before I lost my pending Amazon digital credits).
A year went by and I finally decided which book to read next. Cry of the Hunter was sitting there on my virtual shelf and so read it I did.
One reason I demurred for a bit with this title is its age. Just because an author had hit his stride in one work that I enjoyed doesn’t guarantee he had it 15 years earlier. Maybe Higgins hadn’t found his game yet back in 1960?
I suppose Cry of the Hunter is no match The Eagle Has Landed; not really. It is a simpler and more intimate piece – despite the grand backdrop of the Troubles in Ireland, it is really the story of two men plus a woman or two. It was worth the time to read and was worth the two bucks I forked over to Amazon. It also allows me even more leeway (and the attending indecisiveness) to pick what I want to read next. Higgins has, if I’ve counted correctly, 77 novels to his name, including the four that were made into feature films and seven adapted for television.
Wow. Maybe I should have just remained content with my happy childhood memories of The Eagle Has Landed.
*Or shall we say, nickname. He was born Henry.