Tag Archives: Greg Rucka

Book review: Smoker by Greg Rucka

Posted on by
Reply

SmokerSmoker by Greg Rucka

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“Smoker” is the third book in the Atticus Kodiak series by Greg Rucka. The author has become my favorite author in the thriller genre for his clever plots, well-rounded characters, and lack of overly gratuitous violence (although violence there is–it is the thriller genre, after all).
This book has the cleverest plot of the series, so far. Atticus Kodiak is hired to protect someone with a stalker girlfriend, and through some clever twists and turns, it turns out that that is the least of Atticus’s challenges.
Intertwined with Atticus’s professional bodyguard challenges are his personal challenges with a friend that he’s sleeping with and a love interest that he’s not sleeping with. (Like I said, it’s complicated.) The secondary characters are well-written and interesting. On the other hand, the overall plot stretches credulity a bit, and I’m not a huge fan of making tobacco companies the bad guys, as happens here. But these are minor quibbles, and “Smoker” is a fast and fun read.

View all my reviews

Book review: Finder by Greg Rucka

Posted on by
Reply

FinderFinder by Greg Rucka

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It always (pleasantly) surprises me when I find an author in the thriller genre who develops three dimensional and flawed characters. Greg Rucka is one of those unicorns. The main character in this series, Atticus Kodiak, is an ex-Army professional bodyguard. He suffers a tragic personal loss in the first book (“Keeper”) and is trying to cope with that loss in this, the second book of the series. Let’s just say he doesn’t exactly deserve an A for his coping mechanisms.
There is a mystery/adventure wrapped around the grief as well. And the ending is well-paced and surprisingly ambivalent. For those of you who like clear cut endings (and I’m one of them), the ending works surprisingly well and is fitting.
I like the fact that the main character articulates his faults, rather than just acts like the strong and silent and flawed type. And I also really like the fact that Atticus wears glasses. It adds a significant human touch to his character and the books that he always has to figure out where he put them or worry that they’ve been lost or broken.
I’ve really enjoyed every single book of the author’s that I’ve read. I look forward to reading the third book of this series!

View all my reviews

Book review: Keeper by Greg Rucka

Posted on by
Reply

KeeperKeeper by Greg Rucka

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am reading the work of Greg Rucka backwards, having started with his Queen and Country series, “Alpha” (the first book in his new Jad Bell series) and now back to his initial series with Atticus Kodiak in “Keeper.” As I’ve mentioned in a previous review, the author is rapidly becoming my favorite thriller genre author, with his fast-paced and interesting plots and low amounts of graphic violence. “Keeper” is the debut of Atticus Kodiak, who is a private bodyguard, and his attempts to keep safe an abortion doctor who is the target of death threats by radical pro-life proponents. The topic is incendiary, but Rucka keeps the politicizing to a minimum and focuses instead on the difficulty of keeping someone safe when people are willing to sacrifice their lives to harm that person. (This is the Secret Service’s worst nightmare, too.)
The book is not as polished as some of the author’s later efforts, but all the hallmarks of his writing are there–well drawn secondary characters, terse but eloquent descriptions, interesting plot, and well-paced action. There are also deftly written scenes with the daughter of the target, who has Down’s Syndrome.
All in all, Greg Rucka continues to be my favorite author in this genre, and I will certainly be reading “Finder,” the next book in the series.

View all my reviews

Book review: Alpha by Greg Rucka

Posted on by
Reply

AlphaAlpha by Greg Rucka

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My current favorite thriller genre authors are Greg Rucka, Brad Thor, and Lee Child (Tom Clancy’s earlier works are also favorites). Having just finished “Alpha,” the start of Greg Rucka’s new series, I have decided that he is my favorite of the three. His Queen and Country series, reviewed earlier, is excellent, with the added twist of having a compelling female heroine (unusual in this genre).
In this series, Jad Bell is a Delta Force operative who, along with his team, is trying to track down a dirty bomb/terrorist thread in what is a thinly disguised Disneyworld. The twist is that his ex-wife and deaf daughter are visiting the amusement park as part of a school tour. And as you can imagine, things start to go wrong. The book covers not only the terrorist events but also the path of a sleeper agent, and the plight of a deaf child. It is very well done.
What I like about the author’s books is that they have intriguing plots, fast pacing, and interesting characters. What distinguishes these books from Brad Thor’s or Lee Child’s is Greg Rucka’s lack of gratuitous violence. Violence there is, of course–it is a thriller, after all. But the violence has its place, and the author refrains from using it as shock value. In other words, I don’t get queasy reading his books. This is a huge plus for my reading pleasure.
If you haven’t read any of Greg Rucka’s books and are a fan of the thriller genre, I highly recommend his books.

View all my reviews

Book review: The Last Run by Greg Rucka

Posted on by
Reply

Queen and Country: The Last RunQueen and Country: The Last Run by Greg Rucka

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Last Run is the final book in the Queen and Country trilogy (A Gentleman’s Game and Private Wars are the two others). The main character in the trilogy is a female secret agent, Tara Chace. In The Last Run, Tara has elected to retire but is sent on one final mission before her retirement.
I’ve enjoyed all three books in the trilogy, but this one is perhaps my favorite. The characters are well developed by this final installment, and the plot is both complicated and filled with unexpected twists and turns. The pacing is fast and intense. And the ending is satisfying and a worthy concluding book to this trilogy.
While each book can be read as a standalone, it’s best to read the books in order. For a worthy addition to the thriller genre, I highly recommend this trilogy. And I look forward to reading the author’s other books!

View all my reviews