Will I love The Day of the Jackal?

The mechanics of how an assassin goes about plotting his kill.

Not exactly literary fiction, I know. And it breaks none of the rules governing the novelist’s craft. And we all read it back when it came out, didn't we? Or saw the movie, there've been a couple of versions...

So why is it on my list, you ask?

The Day of the Jackal is quite simply the greatest thriller ever written, and should be read by anyone who writes fiction, literary or otherwise—and by the rest of us as well.

Think for a moment: We follow The Jackal’s relentless quest to corner and kill French President Charles DeGaulle for 380… show more.

Having been disappointed with a recent TV remake, I revisited the source to dive into the gripping time capsule called Day of the Jackal.

This slow-burn read offers plenty of nostalgia for a bygone age before the internet and mobile phones changed our lives.

I found Forsyth's writing both sharp and methodical. The narrative alternates between the relentless pursuit of The Jackal by law enforcement and the assassin's cunning manoeuvres, creating a gripping cat-and-mouse page-turner. Forsyth's detailed research shines through, giving the story an almost documentary-like realism, and his journalistic background shines through.

The first time I talked to my New York agent, I told her my three favorite novels were The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, the Eye of the Needle, and, of course, the Day of the Jackal. She caught her breath. “I’ve just written an article,” she said, “saying those were the three best thrillers ever.” 

Here’s a secret. Old City Hall is not the first book I’ve written. I spent ten years writing a thriller inspired by Jackal. Set in 1988, an assassin is on her way to Toronto to kill the G-7 world leaders… show more.

I loved this book for its attention to detail and meticulous plotting of the assassin, the Jackal. I also thought the police detective determined to stop him was wonderfully written.

My favorite scenes were set in Algeria, which was hot and exotic. It is a shame all thrillers can’t be this masterful.

If you want to understand the assassin genre, then you can’t forget the classics, and this is an all-timer.

The Jackal is the assassin to end all assassins—mysterious, brutally efficient, and terrifying. Forsyth writes with a level of realism that’ll make you believe that if you cross the wrong person, someone like the Jackal could end up knocking on your door… 

I’ve included this book in the list, although it’s not technically an espionage novel, because it brilliantly crosses so many genres.

The plot is based upon an attempt to assassinate Charles De Gaulle, the President of France. Despite the reader knowing the ending from the outset, it is the defining example of creating suspense in a novel. Forsyth leaves the reader spellbound to the final page. It’s a vivid recreation of time, place and character. After more than half a century, this novel remains pre-eminently the best political action thriller ever written.

I chose this for authenticity. Newsday's review said it was "chillingly real" and "the reader himself seems to be traveling with 'the Jackal.'"

That’s because Forsyth, as a foreign correspondent working in Europe and Africa, knew assassins, mercenaries, and arms dealers, which allowed him to craft fantastic but believable characters, settings, and situations. Forsyth opens the novel with the depiction of a real assassination attempt, employs historical figures, locations, and details, then seamlessly weaves his fictional plot into this authentic world.

Forsyth reveals lives most of us can only imagine, and he shows that wall-to-wall suspense does not require… show more.

My personal pick not just for the best espionage thriller but for the best thriller period.

Forsyth’s spare, efficient prose is a joy to read and a masterclass in how to keep readers hanging on every word.

In this tale of a shadowy assassin sent to murder the French president, we learn everything we need to know about the Jackal not via clunky exposition or flashbacks but by the precise way he assembles his rifle.

In parallel with the assassin’s meticulous preparations, we see the French security services desperately striving to intercept him before it’s too late. This is the… show more.

It is rare for fiction to appear so completely plausible, but that is what Frederick Forsyth has intriguingly done with The Day of the Jackal. The combination of a brilliant storyline and an arresting narration make this novel one of the all-time best works in the intelligence/spy thriller genre. To me, it was hard to guess what next, such are the intricacies and twists in the plot. The tense contest between a hired killer and the French Intelligence is classic and awe-generating. What a mesmerizing book! You will read it of course, but chances are you will read it… show more.