Keeper 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.