Sunday, June 25, 2006
Live Wire
Jay MacLarty writes a great series about a courier named Simon Leonidovich. Now this isn't the bike messenger kind of courier. Simon travels internationally delivering packages. His basic rate is $10,000 plus expenses so the packages tend to be really important.
In the first book, The Courier, the package was information about a new pharmaceutical drug that was killing people. Simon was up against the company who had invested heavily and desperately wanted to keep that quiet.
The second book, Bagman, had Simon delivering ransom money for the kidnapped daughter of a Las Vegas casino owner. Things got complicated by an unknown insider providing intel to the kidnapper.
This third installment is a political thriller. Simon is set up with faked evidence that will "prove" the President of the United States is supporting a faction that is trying to reunify Korea. He is then sent to North Korea where he is supposed to get left holding the documents and be too dead to refute the evidence.
I liked that we weren't any more certain of the players than Simon. When Simon is asked to trust someone, we aren't sure if he should any more than he is. Knowing who is in on it and understanding why they are doing it doesn't completely clear it up until the very end when it all comes to a climax and everything is revealed.
Simon is assisted by his sister, Lara Quinn, the office manager of their high tech business. He also has a friend who specializes in encryption at the NSA. She uses her conscience to draw the line on what she can and can't do to help Simon when he gets in a sticky situation. Some characters from previous books make repeat appearances.
MacLarty keeps the tension high in all three books. Live Wire will be on my award nomination list for 2006.
Each of these books probably could stand nicely on it's own or be read out of order as no huge spoilers are given away.
In the first book, The Courier, the package was information about a new pharmaceutical drug that was killing people. Simon was up against the company who had invested heavily and desperately wanted to keep that quiet.
The second book, Bagman, had Simon delivering ransom money for the kidnapped daughter of a Las Vegas casino owner. Things got complicated by an unknown insider providing intel to the kidnapper.
This third installment is a political thriller. Simon is set up with faked evidence that will "prove" the President of the United States is supporting a faction that is trying to reunify Korea. He is then sent to North Korea where he is supposed to get left holding the documents and be too dead to refute the evidence.
I liked that we weren't any more certain of the players than Simon. When Simon is asked to trust someone, we aren't sure if he should any more than he is. Knowing who is in on it and understanding why they are doing it doesn't completely clear it up until the very end when it all comes to a climax and everything is revealed.
Simon is assisted by his sister, Lara Quinn, the office manager of their high tech business. He also has a friend who specializes in encryption at the NSA. She uses her conscience to draw the line on what she can and can't do to help Simon when he gets in a sticky situation. Some characters from previous books make repeat appearances.
MacLarty keeps the tension high in all three books. Live Wire will be on my award nomination list for 2006.
Each of these books probably could stand nicely on it's own or be read out of order as no huge spoilers are given away.
# posted by Kim Reis @ 6:45 PM 
