The Killer Trees (Book) - 1/13/2013 11:27:05 PM
“The Killer Trees” by David E. Manuel is the third in his Richard Paladin series and the third I read within the space of just a few weeks. After thoroughly having enjoyed the first two instalments I was curious where it might be going since the second book was so different to the first. This time Manuel moves his hero once more into a new and quite different setting: the world of forestry and tree huggers in Oregon.
I am not a regular crime fiction reader and with that in mind I was hoping to find fault with this book so I could spare more time to the more serious and work related reading of mine but I found that this instalment of the series was even better than the two previous ones. The main character Richard Paladin, an undercover contract killer working for the US government posing as a civil servant, has now come in to his own and in my opinion could probably carry off a much thinner plot than Manuel would be capable of writing without problems. Paladin’s politically incorrect opinions, the gentle side underneath his rough exterior, his sharp mind, his wit and his unpredictable interactions with the rest of the world are hugely entertaining and easy to read.
The side characters are once again well thought out and developed and provide Paladin with a lot of challenges to figure out what is going on in the woods where a series of fatal ‘accidents’ cause concern for the authorities. None of the people he meets seem to be straight forward to figure out or clear of suspicion. There are enough surprises and twists to keep you turning those pages.
This book is easily the most confident and effortless of the three as it is able to build on the solid ground the previous ones have established. I am amazed at the ideas Manuel has and the courage to move away from the safe option of a more repetitive and formulaic series-concept to a character-driven and genre-challenging style of writing. This has given him the opportunity to move Paladin freely to a huge range of future adventures and avenues closed to more pedestrian series writers.
Killer Protocols (Book) - 1/8/2013 7:47:13 AM
“Killer Protocols” by David E. Manuel is a very competent and professional piece of work and a gripping read. I discovered the book on an indie review website and decided to give it a try on the basis that I had not read any crime fiction or thriller for some time.
I was pleasantly surprised right away when I found myself not being pushed into an action packed and fast paced adrenalin rush of a story but to be presented with a solid set up of the main character, Richard Paladin, an undercover agent working for the U.S. government as killing machine: A likeable if somewhat cranky and at times opinionated and testosterone filled hero. As the reader knows who does the killing the story is not an ordinary whodunit but a more complex mystery about why our man is ordered to kill these people and just how legitimate his ‘employers’ are.
The supporting characters are another asset to the book, they are well portrayed and given enough colour and flesh to make them more than just décor, in fact, Manuel has an outstanding talent for description and setting up scenes without rushing. There is also a lot of wit and humour in Paladin’s perception of his surroundings, making for an easily flowing and enjoyable reading experience.
The writing style reminded me at times of Andy McNab, another great author who slowly and carefully establishes the story before picking up pace. Once various strands of the story suddenly come together I could not put the book down until I finished it in one sitting.
I am not sure if all hard-core fans of the genre will appreciate the initial slow pacing but I would urge you to give it a try, the build-up pays off perfectly later on in the book, bringing more depth to the characters and making the plot richer and believable.
I am not a massive thriller fan but “Killer Protocols” reminded me just how exciting a good suspense read can be. This book being the first in a series has done a great job at getting me hooked and looking forward to more. I have tried but failed to find a fault with this book and I will recommend it warmly to others.
5 out of 5
Clean Coal Killers (Book) - 1/8/2013 7:46:13 AM
"Clean Coal Killers" by David E. Manuel is a rewarding 'sequel' to the first Richard Paladin book "Killer Protocols". Instead of serving us the same dish twice with nothing more than a variation of the approved formula (and nothing would have been wrong with that may I hasten to add) we get treated to a development of the character and his professional career from serial killer to undercover government agent and detective.
The plot is cleverly set up and developed, complex and unpredictable, leaving us in the dark about everyone's motives and keeping the suspense until the last minute. Yet the book is very entertaining and uses a lot of humour that lightens the description of the criminal investigation which in so many books ends up being dry and wooden. Richard Paladin has a somewhat foul mouth and comes out with a lot of politically incorrect opinions but in this case that makes him actually more likeable. See for yourself.
I am more than impressed by this second instalment in the series which continues to give importance to character development and detail to the narrative.
Manuel is a talented writer of whom we will no doubt see a lot more.
