Man on Fire (novel)

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Man on Fire
Cover of recent film tie-in edition
Author	Philip Nicholson, writing as A. J. Quinnell
Country	United States
Language	English
Genre(s)	Thriller, Novel
Publisher	William Morrow
Publication date	September 1980
Media type	Print (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages	284 pp (first edition, hardback)
ISBN	ISBN 0-688-03743-7 (first edition, hardback)

Man on Fire is a 1980 thriller novel by Philip Nicholson, writing as A. J. Quinnell. The plot features his popular character Creasy, an American-born former member of the French Foreign Legion, in his first appearance.

[edit] Plot

In Italy, wealthy families often hire bodyguards to protect family members from the threat of kidnapping. When Rika Balletto urges her husband Ettore, a wealthy textiles producer living in Milan, to hire a bodyguard for their daughter Pinta, he is doubtful but agrees. After some searching, he finally settles for an American named Creasy.

Marcus Creasy, an American-born veteran of the French Foreign Legion turned mercenary, finds himself in Italy after drifting around for months with no aim in life. On the spur of the moment he visits his only real friend in life, Guido Arrellio, who lives in Naples; here, his friend discovers that his once purposeful and lethal companion has become a burnt out alcoholic. To keep him occupied, Guido suggests Creasy get a job, and offers to set him up as a bodyguard; hence his being hired by the Ballettos, where he meets his charge, Pinta.

Creasy barely tolerates the precocious child and her pestering questions about him and his life. But slowly, she chips away at his seemingly impenetrable exterior, his defenses drop, and he opens up to her. They become friends and he replaces her parents in their absences, giving her advice, guidance and help with her competition running; he is even spurred to give up his drinking and return to his former physical prowess. But Creasy's life is shattered when Pinta is kidnapped by the Mafia, despite his efforts to protect her.

Creasy is wounded during the kidnapping, and as he lies in a hospital bed Guido keeps him informed of the goings on. Soon enough, Guido returns with the news that the exchange went bad, and Pinta was found dead in a car, suffocated on her own vomit. She had also been raped by her captors.

Out of hospital, Creasy returns to Guido's pensione, and outlines his plans for revenge against the men who took away the girl who convinced him it was all right to live again; anyone who was involved, or profited from it, all the way to the top of the Mafia. Told by Guido he can stay with in-laws on the island of Gozo, he accepts the offer, in order to train for his new mission.

While on Gozo, Creasy trains for several months, getting into shape and re-familiarizing himself with weaponry. But, to his surprise, he also discovers he has another reason to live after his suicidal mission against the Mafia; he finds himself accepted by and admiring the Gozitans, and falls in love with Nadia, the daughter of his host.

Soon enough, he is fit and leaves for Marseilles where he stocks up on supplies, weapons and ammunition; from there he travels back to Italy, and then the war between Creasy and the Mafia begins. From low level enforcers to the capos in Milan and Rome, the father of Pinta who allowed her to be kidnapped for the insurance money, and all the way to the head Don in Sicily, Creasy cuts through their organization, murdering anyone who had something even remotely to do with Pinta's kidnapping. Finally, after killing the Don, a severely wounded Creasy is taken to hospital, but pronounced dead; a funeral is held and Creasy is thought to be gone.

But, unknown to all, Creasy was in fact alive, and makes it back to Gozo where he is reunited with Nadia.

[edit] Awards and nominations

• Nominated for the Edgar Award for Best Mystery Novel^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Adaptations

There were two film adaptations made from this novel, one in 1987 and another more recently in 2004. Both took liberties with the novel's story and plot.