Richard Turner's "Goliath" is a fast-paced adventure novel that echoes some of Clive Cussler's books. It, like Cussler's books, has the same global reach though his characters don't rely on quite as many gadgets. Both authors, however, have intriguing heroes, villainous villains and plots that are just a shade away from tomorrow's headlines. In "Goliath" we have an oil baron seeking immense power and though that's certainly not unusual - especially these days - his plan for obtaining that power is, while a little far-fetched, certainly within the realm of possibility. I won't spoil the story by telling you what it is but suffice it to say it helps give Turner's book an edgy feel.
Like Cussler and other writers in this genre, Turner's heroes are just short of superhuman. That is to say they can sustain a few broken bones and the occasional gunshot wound yet still manage to carry out their missions. That doesn't trouble me: If you pick up a book in this genre you expect the heroes to be, well, heroic in that classical sense and his are that. Like ancient Greek heroes - not to mention modern cinematic ones - they must undergo severe challenges that would flatten ordinary people and still come out on top. That, after all, is what makes them heroes.
In the waning days of World War II, a man lies injured in a London hospital, shrouded in mystery and confusion. He is an American serviceman, stripped of his identity and memories, save for the name John, and plagued by vivid visions of battles that
Share
Save
