Reign In Hell by William Diehl

Description

Bibliographic Details

• Author: William Diehl
• Title: Reign In Hell (A Martin Vail Novel)
• Publisher: ‎ Ballantine Books; First Edition (September 23, 1997)
• Language: ‎ English
• Format: Hardcover ‏- 400 pages
• ISBN-10: ‎ 0345411447
• ISBN-13: ‎ 978-0345411440
• Item Weight: ‎ 1.25 pounds
• Dimensions: ‎ 6.3 x 1.2 x 8.5 inches
• Book Condition: Used – Good (shows discoloration on pages / page edges)
• Dust Jacket Condition: Acceptable (shows some shelf / handling wear on spine and edges)

Synopsis:

William Diehl stunned readers with Primal Fear and Show of Evil, the national bestsellers featuring Chicago lawyer Martin Vail. Now, in his gripping new novel of suspense, Diehl enters uncharted territory, pushing Vail and the legal system he represents to the brink of destruction.

The nation is seized by fear. A terrorist attack on a military convoy leaves scores of soldiers dead as truckloads of highly volatile weapons fall into the hands of an ultra right-wing militia. A fanatic, snake-handling preacher known only as Brother Transgressor joins forces with this radical group, adding fuel to the fire. No one knows who this mysterious figure is or where he came from, but few can resist his ardent convictions–or see that his persuasive ways conceal his own dark secrets and sinister agenda.

Having just won a landmark conviction, Martin Vail–now Illinois attorney general–has risen to national prominence. His bravado and cunning reputation catch the attention of the Oval Office. The President demands swift legal action against the militia and turns to Vail, naming him an assistant attorney general of the United States. His job: nail the terrorists in their tracks. Still hungry as ever to make up for the fatal mistakes he made years ago, Vail plunges into his new, near-impossible mission, one that soon explodes into a personal nightmare, as his most chilling adversary, Aaron Stampler, returns–seemingly from the dead–to enact a vengeance that might bring Vail to his knees.

 

About the Author:

William Diehl (December 4, 1924 – November 24, 2006) was an American novelist and photojournalist.

During World War II, Diehl lied about his age to join the U.S. Army Air Corps at 17, serving as a ball turret gunner on a B-24 Liberator where he flew 24 missions over Germany. He was the recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Purple Heart and the Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters. Diehl often cited his experiences during the war as a strong influence on his fiction.

Diehl was also a successful photographer and journalist, when he began his novel-writing career at 50. His first novel, Sharky's Machine, was made into the 1981 film of the same name, directed by and starring Burt Reynolds. Diehl saw it being shot on location in and around his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia. Its cast included Vittorio Gassman, Brian Keith, Charles Durning, Earl Holliman, Rachel Ward, Bernie Casey, Henry Silva, and Richard Libertini. It was the most successful box-office release of a film directed by Reynolds.

Diehl relocated to St. Simons Island, Georgia, in the early 1980s, and lived there for the next 15 years before returning to Atlanta. While living on St. Simons, he completed eight other novels, including Primal Fear, which was adapted into the 1996 film of the same name.

Diehl died of an aortic aneurysm at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta on November 24, 2006, while working on his 10th novel. He was survived by five children, four (Cathy, Bill, Stan, and Melissa) from his first marriage, and one (Temple) from his second marriage.