Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Short Summary
Alistair MacLean has written so many bestsellers later on in his career, it is easy to forget he had some earlier novels too which are well worth a read despite being flying under the radar, a prime example being Fear is the Key. Turned into a movie approximately ten years after its publication, the novel tells the story of multiple parties chasing after a mysteriously-sunken treasure, but not without their own nefarious hidden agendas.
Table of contents
Alistair MacLean Sinks a Fortune
Most of us are raised with the idea that a fortune can be amassed through a lot of hard work and, of course, not to mention a fistful of good luck and favourable circumstances. The allure of getting one’s hands on a fortune without enduring a lifelong struggle for it is quite difficult to pass up for many people, even those who are already blessed with all the advantages, as is the case in Alistair MacLean‘s Fear is the Key.
Just to open things up, if you’re already familiar with the author and his works, then you’re well aware that he is best-known for writing “mission impossible”-style stories, focusing on military exploits behind enemy lines. Fear is the Key is one of his earlier novels and diverges from what most of us are used to seeing from him, but don’t let it distract you, he is quite good at stepping outside of his comfort zone.
In any case, at the centre of the novel lies a very simple premise: a crashed DC-3 plane is lying on the floor of the Caribbean, and its cargo is nothing to be scoffed at. It contains a grand total of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars’ worth of gold, diamonds and emeralds, and is guarded by the dead bodies of two men, one woman, and a boy.
At first however, we are introduced to John Talbot, a man with less to lose than most: as he was being on trial for bank robbery, he took a hostage in the courtroom and managed to escape, only to be tracked down by a private detective, Herman Jablonski. Instead of turning him over to the police, Jablonski gives him to oil millionaire General Ruthven, and his three business associates. They hire Talbot for an unspecified mission.
What nobody suspects however, is that Talbot orchestrated this whole preamble for one single reason: the people at the bottom of the Caribbean are his, and he will have his revenge for them, even if it’s the last thing he’ll do. The certainty of his survival diminishes as he dives deeper and deeper into the web of conspiracy and betrayal leading to the plane crash, but nothing will stop him from reaching the truth, no matter how low it may lie.
Playing the Long Con in Fear is the Key
One of the main criticisms I have in regards to many modern espionage and thriller books is that they are either bland and predictable while following the same old patterns, or their authors try a little too hard to stray from the beaten path, creating ultra-complex patterns none can follow. If there is one thing Alistair MacLean’s books have never been, it’s either of those two things.
If you’re familiar with his work, then you know just how well he can weave together a complex web of deception and intrigue. If you’re wondering whether or not you’ll find that in here, you’ll be glad to know he was already quite capable of doing it even at earlier stages of his career, Fear is the Key being the case in point.
Even though we think we get to know Talbot pretty well from the start and he doesn’t really leave our sight, he always finds new ways of surprising the reader, of adding surprising yet credible plot twists which successfully change our perspective of everything that’s happening. There are many more layers to him than initially meets the eye.
Most importantly, this creates a rather curious play on power dynamics between Talbot and his captors. Even though he is placed in a position of submission in relation to them, the more the story goes, the more I couldn’t shake the feeling that he might actually be the one in control, that his captors are, in fact, the captured themselves.
On a personal level, I would have to say that watching all the different phases of Talbot’s plan unfolding was probably my favourite part about this novel. No development ever felt too complex nor too far out of my comprehension’s reach. Even if it was a little convoluted, all made complete sense in the end, with no glaring plot holes I could manage to spot. Perhaps most important of all, it remained unpredictable.
Explosions, Diamonds and Oil Rigs
Many people make the mistake of thinking the further you go back in time, the more tame and subdued novels were, having to adhere to conventions of politeness and restricted thinking. While this may have been true for some places, I would argue that the thrillers in the latter half of the 20th century, at least ones in the same vein as Fear is the Key, have very much set a standard many are still failing to reach today.
Even if we take into account the fact that the introduction feels like it has very little to do with the rest of the book, we’re thrown into the heart of mayhem from the get-go and are seldom given any time for breathers. The pacing really does go at a breakneck speed, and considering this fact, it’s all the more commendable that Alistair MacLean managed to narrate it all in a way which prevented me from feeling lost.
Now, this does mean that the focus is deviated from the characters themselves, and we don’t get to as close with them as we do with some of the characters in the author’s more celebrated novels. Nevertheless, he gives them just enough life and uniqueness for them to fulfill their intended roles, no more and no less. Ultimately, it’s not a complex character study, but an espionage thriller.
As a matter of fact, in a time when most authors probably weren’t really even considering it much, MacLean was already writing his stories to be easily adaptable as movies; whether it was a coincidence or not, I cannot say. The whole thing is quite easy to imagine, action scenes included, and it shouldn’t be a surprise it was made into a well-received silver screen hit down the line.
Finally, I’d just like to say that while the setting of an oil rig sounded like it heralded something boring to me, the author really used it to its full advantage, bringing every metallic inch of it to life and depicting it as the sea-bound steel jungle it really is. With every corner of it screaming murder and chaos, I can safely say it was one of the most surprisingly-effective settings I’ve had the pleasure of imagining myself in recently.
| PAGES | PUBLISHER | PUB. DATE | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| 384 | HarperCollins | Aug. 8 2019 | 978-0008337421 |
The Final Verdict
Fear is the Key by Alistair MacLean had every reason to become one of the most prominent bestsellers of the 60s. A non-stop espionage action and mystery thriller with a convincingly layered plot and recurring pandemonium, it’s easily one of the most exciting novels I’ve had the pleasure of reading this year.
If you’re a fan of MacLean and are curious to see his earlier works, or are simply in search of an exciting adventure to keep yourself entertained for a little while, I would highly recommend you give this little hidden gem the chance to shine it deserves.
Alister Stuart MacLean
(April 21, 1922 – February 2, 1987)
Alistair Stuart MacLean was a Scottish novelist who published many thrillers and adventure stories over the course of his lifetime, in addition to also being a screenwriter and producer. Among his many works are the classics Guns of Navarone and Where Eagles Dare, both of which were turned into widely-acclaimed movies in the 1960s.
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