Rating: 
Summary: Winter in Kandahar will be remembered for a long, long time!
Review: Wilson's novel is an exciting, action packed mystery/adventure tale set in some of the most fascinating places in the world, ranging from Venice to Amsterdam, Seattle and Vancouver. It is, however, for its central locale, Afghanistan, that this work will be remembered for a long, long time.The plot involves bio-terrorism, the CIA, and the ongoing war. You feel as if you are reading current headlines with Taliban, al-Qaida, Mujaheddin, and other organizations racing through the pages in the non-stop action as the search for the ultimate weapon reaches across the world. The author weaves three love stories into his exciting plot. He even makes us believe (successfully) that an isolated cave, sealed and hidden in some of the most forlorn mountains of our planet can be a tremendously romantic hide-away for a pair of star-crossed lover. His descriptions of places are exciting and factually right on the mark. He takes us into these exotic worlds and we can almost taste the bread and the lamb stew; see the unusually decorated windows in Amsterdam; and sail the waters of Puget Sound. But it is his detailing of the characters, primary and secondary, that leaves an indelible mark on the page turning reader. He describes the motivations, the ancient histories still influencing these people as they love and kill across the pages. This is truly a window into a world that is almost every day in the newspaper headlines, as even in Iraq, some of these influences are still extremely powerful. On a personal note, when I left Afghanistan earlier this year, I carried a lot of baggage of conflicting, sometimes horrible, images back with me. Images of a fifteen year old boy struggling to walk on his hands down a crowded street as both his legs were amputated; of smiling little girls begging for their parents; of soldiers inviting me to play soccer and laughing with me; of people who had nothing and yet were generous; of a little girl who, with tears in her eyes answered my question about her parent's fate under the unbelievably cruel Taliban. Dr Wilson's book places a perspective on these and other memories burned into me and for this I am grateful for his work. He takes us behind the headlines and into the minds of the people, whether they are Tajiks, Pashtuns, Pakistanis, or CIA. You will long remember and use this novel as a reference as our violent century unfolds around us. And, without giving away the ending, he performs an incredible sleight of hand at the end.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't Bother
Review: Winter in Kandahar fell short. This was pure escape/adventure fiction, which is fine, but when I read this sort of book, I want to be drawn in by a compelling plot and characters that are well developed. Steven Wilson provides neither.
The main story line of the book is the conflict between the Tajik and Pashtun people of Afghanistan. Yet Wilson never explains either the difference between the two cultures or why they are quarrelling.
There are several sub plots, each of which has the potential to be exciting, but none of which is well developed. Each gets to a point where Wilson hits a dead end and gives up. He seems to lose direction and rather than putting in the extra effort to make it work, instead he makes up some implausible twist of fate and jumps to something else.
Being a doctor, it is not surprising that the author goes into detail about all things medical. But the detail is excruciating, has little to do with the plot and wastes time. And then there is this bit about Assistant CIA Director Richards constantly chewing on a cigar - I found this constant reminder particularly annoying.
The characters are utterly lacking in definition. There is really no protagonist. Ahmed Jan is the main character by default, but only because he receives more page coverage than anyone else. Yet at times I am wondering if the story is instead about Ahmed's guide Mustafa, Shane, the biochemist, or Stone, the young CIA agent. I am never quite sure who the good guys are. There is really nothing that distinguishes them as good or bad.
Some examples of the poor character development: Ahmed Jan has suffered an injury that resulted in his left hand being mangled. Wilson describes or references the hand several times, making this seem to be an important detail. However he never quite explains how the injury occurred. Was it an accident? A battle injury? A result of some earlier torture? Similarly, Jan is captured at one point and we are given some clues that he is tortured, though details are sketchy at best. Whatever happened apparently had some lasting effects and he begins taking some kind of drugs, presumably to relieve his mental anguish. But again, the references are intermittent and we don't know what the drugs are or if they were prescribed or if he acquires them illegally.
Stone is the only one still in the picture at the end of the story, so I'm guessing that Wilson intends to continue to use him in future books as his main character. This seems to be patterned after Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan, but Wilson's writing lacks the power and imagination of Clancy. Stone is little more than a yes-man for his handlers who fails to demonstrate the slightest inkling of independent thinking and is never placed in harm's way.
The book reads like a screenplay, with each "chapter" lasting only a few pages. Sort of like People Magazine -- great for those who like to finish a chunk of something while sitting on the can.
It was not a "bad" read, which I define as something I need to put down before it's over. However the book was not one that I would read again or recommend to others.
Rating:
Summary: I couldn't put it down.
Review: Winter in Kandahar is one of the best books I've ever read....it was time to make supper and I couldn't put it down. I loved the characters. Even though some of it was very sad, I really think this is a great book and highly recommend it to anyone interested in a fictional account related to current events.
Rating: 
Summary: Story 4, Writing 1
Review: You will enjoy this book if you can get past the elementary school level of writing. Mr Wilson spins a good yarn, but needs some work on building compund sentences and getting better flow. Take some proceeds from this book and take some college level writing classes. Oh, and maybe get an effective editor.
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