HONOR AMONG THIEVES (Jeffrey Archer) - December 22/12

For one thing, I'm fairly positive I read this book before. At first, I didn't mind, since the first half is pretty decent and contains a number of good twists and plot developments (it is, after all, about a plot to kill Saddam AND a plot to steal the Declaration of Independence). I also enjoyed the weird romance between two characters, and was surprised when Archer seemingly killed one off (he wasn't really dead, natch). The second half of the book, devoted to the long effort at retrieving the Declaration, doesn't fare nearly as well, as there seems to be one lackluster set piece after another - including a long stretch in which several characters attempt to flee Iraq and an entirely anticlimactic final stretch revolving around an attempt at stealing the Declaration back from a notorious mob guy. It's readable, I guess, but somewhat half-baked and disappointing. **1/2 out of ****