Sometimes an author comes up with what appears to be on the book jacket to be a great premise. The jacket tells an intriguing tale that sounds like it could be a really good book. Then, somewhere around the halfway point, you slowly realize that the execution of the great idea is flawed. Not just flawed, but screaming down the hill on fire and the book should never have been published. There is a reason for the old saying about judging a book by its cover and this convoluted effort is a prime example.

Twelve years ago, Tuck Nyland was supposed to bring a defector from Saddam’s inner circle out of Iraq. This defector was supposed to be smuggled out just hours before the attack led by coalition forces was to begin. Unfortunately, for Tuck, the operation failed and he was blamed before being kicked out of the CIA. One of the reasons for his inability to salvage his career was because his superior, Jon Cross, was nowhere around to clear him of the charges against him. Tuck was booted from the CIA and was lucky to only be fired.

Twelve years later, Jon Cross resurfaces and wants Tuck as part of his secret team within the CIA. Task Force Seven has been formed to generate intelligence on the Chinese Ministry of State Security (the Chinese version of the CIA) and the ultimate goal is to place an agent with the agency. What Cross’ superiors don’t know is that there is an agent already within the Chinese agency and she wants out of China now.

What they also don’t know, but some have begun to suspect, is that there is a Chinese agent working in the White House. As Cross send Tuck on his mission to bring out the agent known as Kingfisher, the Chinese using their assets in this country and abroad to stop him. At the same time, other individuals become involved as political gain, campaign funds, and an attempted Chinese Coup by a rogue General all play their roles.

While this novel has plenty of action, there are gaping holes in plot logic coupled with stereotypical characters. The anguish the reader is supposed to feel over events that haunt Tuck’s life falls by the wayside early on in the work. Instead, the reader is treated to some macho character from a B movie, but in this case, it just does not work. But, like many a B movie, while fleeing for their lives, our hero manages to have intimate companionship with several of the female charters, including at least once in the back of a produce truck on a road somewhere in China. My ability to suspend disbelief shattered at that moment, but maybe it is because I hang out with the wrong people.

Though it does have plenty of action, this novel is full of stereotypical characters, convoluted plot twists and holes in logic and ludicrous as well as gratuitous sex scenes. It also commits the cardinal sin of having an amazingly stupid fight scene at the end between the chief villain (there are several) and Tuck. Of course, both must throw down their fully functioning automatic weapons and fight with knives in some sort of martial arts ritual. Kirk did it better on Vulcan, by the way. So, put this one back on the shelf and back away and no one will get hurt.

The Kingfisher’s Call
By John Reed
2002 Release
Sourcebooks Landmark
Hardback
ISBN # 1-57071-796-6

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Personal note: Two days left and this challenge is coming down to the wire between Books and Movies. For more details take a look at Sleeper54’s challenge at: http://www.epinions.com/content_3600982148







Recommended: No