(Read in Hungarian)

Meticulous, intense dissection of a presidential assasination attempt (which is uh... kinda timely...) that manages to remain very tense and exciting despite the outcome being known since page 1.
The story is less about the cat and mouse game between assassin and detective, which only really kicks into gear halfway through anyway, and more about watching the intricate chain reaction of planning, events, and characters play out, like pieces on a 4D chessboard with guns. The protocols and state machinery on display feels uniquely credible and vivid, maybe due to Forsyth's background in the area.

I was also pretty impressed by the handling of the enormous cast of characters. Granted, they were mostly tools for the progress of the story and didn't have any grand arcs or development (or even second appearances after fulfilling their role), but as such, the little looks into their personal histories and mindsets really made the world of the book come alive. The Jackal in particular was a masterclass in show-not-tell to me: he has basically no spelled out characterization, no inner world, no motivations besides money, no backstory, barely even a consistent physical appearance, and yet just off the strength of the professionalism and ruthlessness of his actions he remains a compelling lead/villain all throughout.

I would recommend reading in big chunks, even though the pace slows down drastically from time to time. During long breaks it's easy to forget details and characters that pay off nicely otherwise.

My first Frederick Forsyth read, but certainly not my last. Impeccable pacing and very detailed descriptions :D so a super fun read. Also written in a somewhat lyrical style (for a thriller), which I thoroughly enjoyed.

sadly not a 5 star read because for the time being the ending has me disappointed