I read a book approximately 15 years ago. It was about a man who was
called "the owl" I think his name in the book was al l'hibeaux or the
authors name was something like that. The name is supposedly the
french word for "owl" The book was about a hitman or an assassin who
was either an insomniac or who else did not need to sleep. I would
like to know if this book still exist and if so where I might buy a
copy.

Hello.

I have a hunch that your book was "Natural History" (1988) by Joan
(Juan) Perucho.

Four reasons point to this being the correct book:

(1) A main character is known as "The Owl."
(2) "The Owl" is a guerilla leader/assassin (i.e.,  he has committed a
mysterious series of murders).
(3) "The Owl" is also a vampire, a condition that would possibly cause
some insomnia issues and/or explain why the character did not need to
sleep.
(4) The book was published in 1988, which was 15 years ago.

"Young aristocrat Antoni de Montpalau, a passionate scientist,
progressive and liberal, having deduced scientifically that a vampire
has committed a mysterious series of murders, is drawn into pursuit of
the creature, which has assumed the aspect of a Carlist guerrilla
leader known as the Owl."
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0394570588/

Used & new copies from Half.com:
http://half.ebay.com/cat/buy/prod.cgi?cpid=3040962

Used & new copies from Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/offering/list/-/0394570588/all/

search strategy:
"known as the owl," novel

I hope that this is the correct book. If it's not, please use the
"request clarification" feature to let me know.  I will gladly resume
my search at that point.  Thanks.

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Request for Answer Clarification by jethro88-ga on 21 Sep 2003 05:16 PDT

Thank you for a very prompt reply, unfortunately this is not the book
I had in mind. The main character was not a vampire, of this I am very
sure. I have some more recollections about the book. The main
character was definately an insominiac whose modus operandi involved
the use of an air pistol which shot both tranquiliser and fatal
venomous darts. He also used an old fashioned colt "peacemaker"
reveolver. I also remember that the author spent a lot of time
continually describing the main character wearing a certain form of
body armour which included a kevlar "skull" protector which he wore
below a baseball cap. I trust this will help any further research you
might care to make.

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Clarification of Answer by juggler-ga on 21 Sep 2003 06:01 PDT

Hi.

Well, I'll be darned.  It seems then that more than one author had the
idea for a books about assassins named "the Owl."


Without a doubt then, your book must have been either "The Owl" by
Robert D. Forward or "The Owl 2: Scarlet Serenade" by the same author.
 
"FORWARD, ROBERT D(odson) (1958- )
    * * _The Owl (NEL 0-450-51572-9, Dec ’89, £3.50, 247pp, pb) [Owl]
Reprint (Pinnacle 1984) thriller, with a hint of the supernatural,
about a ‘hit-man’ who never sleeps, by the son of Robert L. Forward.
Recommended. (PSP) [First U.K. edition]
    * * *The Owl 2: Scarlet Serenade (NEL 0-450-53215-1, Sep ’90,
£3.50, 207pp, pb) [Owl] Thriller with minor supernatural elements.
Recommended."
http://www.locusmag.com/index/b174.html

Buy from Abebooks:
http://dogbert.abebooks.com/abe/BookDetails?bi=223433076
Or half.com:
http://half.ebay.com/cat/buy/prod.cgi?domain_id=1856&cpid=3580761&ad=1781
Or Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/offering/list/-/052342194X/

---

Clarification of Answer by juggler-ga on 21 Sep 2003 06:07 PDT

Dealers from Owl 2: Scarlet Serenade:

Abebooks:
http://dogbert.abebooks.com/abe/BookDetails?bi=150861396
Biblio.com:
http://www.biblio.com/details.php?dcx=3454031


According to this newsgroup discussion thread, there was also a
made-for-television film:
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&threadm=19990809015338.10029.00008532%40ng-fk1.aol.com&rnum=4&prev=/groups%3Fq%3D%2522the%2Bowl%2522%2B%2522robert%2Bforward%2522%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26selm%3D19990809015338.10029.00008532%2540ng-fk1.aol.com%26rnum%3D4

---

Clarification of Answer by juggler-ga on 21 Sep 2003 06:16 PDT

More information about the 1991 made-for-tv movie (pilot):
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102618/

Very prompt and thorough replies to both the original question as well
as the request for clarification. I have now ordered the book and
trust it is the book I had in mind, though I cannot see how it will
not be. A sincere thankyou and well done are in order.

Oh, yes, it's definitely the book that you had in mind.

That last imdb.com link doesn't seem to be working, but other
descriptions of the TV adaptation of the book mention the same name
that you remember (i.e., Alex L'Hiboux).  See:
http://www.celebrity-fansites.com/celebrity_links/adrian_paul_111.html