The Works of Frederick Forsyth Quiz

Answer: Day of the Jackal

In 1973 it was made into a very enjoyable movie staring Edward Fox. There was also a remake made in 1998 starring Bruce Willis and Richard Gere which I haven't seen yet.

Answer: All of them

During the Cold War, Germany had been split into two countries since the end of World War Two, West Germany and East Germany, the latter pretty much ruled from Moscow.

Answer: The Art of the Matter

I LOVED this story! Young Benny worked for an art gallery and discovered an old painting submitted by a member of the public (for analysis and auction) was actually an old master. But a not-so-honest director of the gallery saw it first, secretly obtained and sold it, and framed poor Benny who in turn got the sack.
Benny and his girlfriend visited the former owner of the painting (the out-of-work actor) and they combined Benny's knowledge of art with his girlfriend's hacking skills and the actor's unheralded acting skills to get their revenge (and hopefully their money too).

Answer: Five

Every second story in this book was set in Ireland, I assume that was intentional. Story #2 was about snakes in Ireland, then #4 was about a bungled hijacking in Ireland, and so on.

Answer: All of them

This is an interesting story about a man who secretly rights wrongs or injustices that the law cannot remedy. Chronologically it starts in the Vietnam war when the man is first trained as a soldier, but Frederick Forsyth's books are not always written chronologically so we first see The Avenger in 2001 when he is in his 50s.

Answer: False

It was in fact the son of Reagan's fictitious successor John Cormack. The poor boy was eventually released, but then murdered. It turned out later the kidnappers' employers had intended to murder young Simon Cormack all along (and take the ransom money anyway).

Answer: False

The informant was actually the new girlfriend of one of the senior men. She who passed on everything he told her to The Jackal. His phoneline was later bugged and his lover exposed. He was so embarrassed about being taken in by her for so long that he resigned on the spot.
Everyone asked the chief detective "How did you know whose phone to bug?" Claude Lepel replied "I didn't. So I bugged everyone's."

Answer: Whispering Wind

When you read this story, beware, for not all is as it seems!

Answer: The Deceiver

I'm guessing Frederick Forsyth's last remark "Those were the days..." is also a reference to the Mary Hopkins' song with the same name (which a Soviet Defector in CIA custody listens to at one point).

Answer: A rich womaniser wants to kill the husband of the woman he loves.

The rich man hired an assassin to sneak into the husband's beach house in Spain and shoot him there. The plan actually works and the assassin is back in England, boasting to his employer that there will be "no comebacks". In addition, the victim's wife walked in at the last moment and the assassin killed her too!

Answer: Nutkin - the blackmailed protagonist

Poor Mr Nutkin was one of the many businessmen who found himself blackmailed after spending a lunch break with a woman who'd advertised in the "Personals". But unlike the others, he had been a bomb-expert during World War Two.

Answer: No

It was in fact set in the 1960s (just after John F. Kennedy was shot) but did feature Hitler's old thugs hidden away under new names, plus the eye-witness account of an old concentration camp survivor.

Answer: The Biafra Story

Written in 1969, this book was set in the Biafran War (Nigeria going to war to prevent its eastern province seceding).

Answer: Sheep

In 1957 an RAF pilot is returning from Germany to England. Then suddenly, over the North Sea fog begins to close in, radio contact ceases, and the compass goes haywire. Without these navigational aids - a crash is imminent. Luckily another plane soon appears to "shepherd" him through the fog to the nearest runway, and he lands safely.

However, when the pilot is relaxing in the airport's hanger, he sees a photo of a young pilot who died during World War Two. The very same man who just shepherded him!

Answer: False

All through the story the readers (not to mention the poor English and French police) are convinced that the missing English and disgraced former Caribbean arms dealer, Calthrop, is the very same assassin they're after now. But after The Jackal dies in Paris, the police are astonished to see the real Calthrop turn up in his London flat and demand to know why Constables and Scotland Yard are searching it.