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The Eiger Sanction was one of two books on the floor of my husbands car when we parked in the Seattle airport on our way to Vegas for our tenth wedding anniversary.  Having left my novel at home I knew I would not cope well with my fear of flying without something to occupy my mind on the two and a half hour flight.  Neither of the novels looked like it was “my kind of book” but my husband recommended the Eiger Sanction so I stuck it in my bag and we headed to our flight.  We had about forty minutes in the waiting lounge and my husband had his head in a book but I couldn’t bring myself to start mine.  The cover stated it was “The Bestseller by Trevanian” and “Now and explosive film starring Clint Eastwood”.  This was not going to be a easy Sophie Kinsella book!  I finally opened it as we started to take off.  I was pleasantly surprised by the humour on the first page, the character Wormwood was written with such clarity that I couldn’t help but laugh aloud.  “His reflection  rippled along a dark shop window and he was not displeased with what he saw.  The confident glance and determined stride more than compensated for the sloping shoulders and balding head.  Wormwood twisted his palms outward to correct his shoulder slump because someone once told him that the best way to achieve a manly posture was to walk with the palms forward.  It was most uncomfortable, and it made him walk rather like a penguin, but he did it whenever he thought of it.”  I found the character descriptions wonderful to read and so eccentric, my favourite being the gardener “you stupid weeds!  Always screwing up!  If you ain’t brown and scruffy, you’re too green!  Well, this’ll fix you!’ Snip!”  I always looked forward to scenes with the gardener.  The premise of the book is that an assassin, Jonathan Hemlock must complete a “sanction” during a climbing expedition on the Eiger.  The excitement comes from the fact he has no idea who the target is. The Eiger Sanction is a well written, exciting read…lots of action, sex and humour!  Although I never would have thought to read a novel such as this I was pleasantly engrossed and I’m eager to find the film with Clint Eastwood.  If you are looking for a novel that both you and your husband might enjoy…this one is a great choice.  Would I choose it over a Sophie Kinsella novel, no, but it was a good read in it’s own right.