Finder: An Atticus Kodiac Novel

Rating:
Summary: Another strong outing for Kodiak
Review: Picking up three months after the events in KEEPER, Rucka combines another fast-paced plot with some welcome fleshing out of his main protagonist, Atticus Kodiak. Kodiak has issues and I still think he's implausibly young for what he does but this time that actually plays into the story somewhat as his relative inexperience is highlighted when he comes up against the SAS - not to mention his immaturity in dealing with relationships - in what is basically an extremely over-the-top custody battle. Like Lawrence Block's Matthew Scudder series, Rucka earns a suspension of disbelief because he's so good at developing his characters. If there's one flaw, it's the same problem KEEPER had, with New York City feeling a little too sterile. The names and places are all correct but there's a certain something missing, that something that Block does so well in making the City a living, breathing character as opposed to simply a backdrop. All in all, another strong outing and I look forward to reading the next installment in the series.

Rating:
Summary: Builds you up to a big fizzle
Review: The book itself is alright, if you dont mind the author's bland, verbose, and tedious writing. But be prepared for a big letdown because the ending of the book is one of the worst I've ever read. I wish someone had warned me, so I'm warning others. I like the characters, but the book doesnt flow fast at all and it really fizzles in the end with no climax, and it was a big dissappointment.

Rating:
Summary: Overall, I look favorably on this novel.
Review: While I feel that his action pacing needs some work,the very human dimension to Kodiak's character is refreshing. The story was not written as a handbook for VIP protection and this shows, however, as a story with a security specialist as the protagonist it works well. Mr. Rucka's writing style took some time to get used to but I found myself caring about Atticus Kodiak. The stress on quasi "realistic" action is okay but some cinematic stuff would be entertaining as well.This is especially so in a novel that does take dramatic license with the close protection field. Mr. Rucka has definitely created a cast of characters that I want to read about again as it is their personal journey that is the true heart of the stories.