"Your timing is off," Marsh said.
Modern readers have been equally enthusiastic. Many single out "The Emperor" as the collection's finest piece, praising its transformation of a downtrodden everyman into something close to Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea , but with a distinctly Forsythian twist. Others praise "Money With Menaces" for its darkly comic subversion of expectations—what happens when a blackmailer picks on the wrong meek accountant. On review aggregators, the collection regularly receives high marks, with several readers noting that each story feels complete and satisfying, never overstaying its welcome. No Comebacks Frederick Forsyth.pdf
| # | Story Title | Core Plot Summary | Notable Features | | -- | -------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------- | | 1 | | A bored millionaire, Mark Sanderson, falls for a married woman and hires a hitman to kill her husband. A freak rainstorm leads the hitman to kill both the husband and the wife, ensuring "no comebacks." | Dramatic irony; darkly comic ending | | 2 | There Are No Snakes in Ireland | A Punjabi medical student, mistreated by a racist demolition crew, exacts a complex revenge by planting cobras at their work site. | Edgar Award winner; theme of bigotry | | 3 | The Emperor | An ordinary, middle-aged banker battles a giant blue marlin in a fishing duel, gaining a new sense of identity and self-worth. | Homage to Hemingway; transformation story | | 4 | There Are Some Days... | A bumbling group of Irish hijackers steal a truck they think is loaded with expensive brandy, only to discover it is filled with foul rose fertilizer. | Dark comedy; classic case of irony | | 5 | Money with Menaces | A mild-mannered insurance executive is blackmailed over a single sexual transgression from his past, leading to a violent resolution. | Study of psychological pressure | | 6 | Used in Evidence | A man defends his condemned house from eviction. When the body of his long-missing wife is found bricked up behind the fireplace, he refuses to explain. | Gothic atmosphere; silent protagonist | | 7 | Privilege | A businessman is libeled by a careless journalist, but discovers there is little legal recourse, so he takes matters into his own hands. | Theme of power and accountability | | 8 | Duty | A dedicated public official faces a moral dilemma that pits his professional duty against a personal tragedy. | Ethical conflict | | 9 | A Careful Man | A man's extreme meticulousness in life dictates the final revenge he exacts upon his enemies from beyond the grave. | Delayed revenge; legacy of obsession | |10 | Sharp Practice | On a train journey in Ireland, a poker game between strangers becomes a psychological battle where the stakes are far higher than money. | Taut, suspenseful card game | "Your timing is off," Marsh said
Several official, paid platforms offer the book in modern digital formats, which are often superior in quality to unauthorized PDF scans: Others praise "Money With Menaces" for its darkly
No Comebacks Frederick Forsyth.pdf
: The tension often arises from a protagonist's perfect preparation, which is eventually undone by human frailty, coincidence, or a "no comebacks" twist of fate. Key Story Analyses No comebacks by Frederick Forsyth - Open Library