Smoker by
Greg Rucka
pbk out June 99
(Piatkus)
at £5.99
This series is possibly something of a sleeper but it is starting to
get noticed and I can see why. Chris Petit, in The Guardian, had
given an earlier book in the series, Finder, a good recommendation, which counts for a lot in my book. Reading this one I can see what he meant about movie-lean tales and Rucka's ability to keep it coming. Rucka certainly knows how to write.
This one concerns the attempts of an assassin to kill a whistle blower
in the tobacco industry, someone who is able to give evidence that
cigarettes were made to be addictive and the dangers were suppressed.
What Rucka is good at is putting you right in the killers sights as it
were - a feeling a bit like being on the receiving end of those cross
hairs yourself. He dissects the details of keeping someone alive in
the face of a determined killer skilfully with a plot that delivers
the promised twists and turns.
But there are buts. There is an inordinate amount of off scene relationship stuff which gets woven into the plot in the unlikeliest of ways. Added to this the killer is one of The Ten, a kind of elite group of hit-persons who are help in awe. That this professional killer makes a game of the hit and, added to this, Atticus gets involved with the target and one off his team, well its a wonder they all didn't get together in an encounter group. A wary cynical eyebrow could also be lifted at the anti-smoking content as well. For these reasons a leaner, harder book would have been appreciated.
All in all a bit of a roller coaster of a ride. Great while your on it
but once its finished you get off and go looking else where.
Smoker by
Greg Rucka