A review by ssindc
The Contractors by Harry Hunsicker
3.0
I couldn't resist a novel featuring private military contractors (or PMC's), but, while I hate to disappoint, that's not this book. That's not to suggest this isn't a fast, fun, surprisingly interesting read, but it has little if anything to do with the politics, policy, economics, or mechanics of outsourcing (of law enforcement, violence, or governance). But, again, that didn't make it any less entertaining. So, let me start again.
The basics include a mind-numbing-ly high body count, unlimited quantities of mayhem, violence, vice (all the basic food groups: drugs, alcohol, prostitution, theft, lying, oh, and have I mentioned violence frequently enough?).... If I had to distill a spoiler into a three-word phrase, it would have to be either trust no one or everyone is rotten. But forget the title. All of the contractors, the feds (DEA, FBI, Secret Service, Senate, Justice Department), local law enforcement (police, sheriffs, deputies, etc.), and the civilian population you meet in this book are either rotten, dishonest, deceitful, damaged, stupid, or, well, dead. Oh, and many fit into multiple categories. Also, remember that you have no privacy (in your car, on your phone, in your financial dealings, in your travels, etc.) - the government can find you wherever you are, no matter what you're doing - and as intrusive as you think surveillance may be, it's worse (or so Hunsicker would have you believe)....
Despite all of this, the book works, and, frankly, works surprisingly well. I was skeptical when I started, but I struggled to put it down through 500 full-sized pages of mayhem, misery, and misconduct.
What's disorienting is that - periodically, Hunsicker displays a startlingly adept hand at lyrical prose, often when he sets the scene in a new chapter. But don't worry, it won't distract from the story line, the momentum, or the suspense (and, did I mention the violence?)....
The basics include a mind-numbing-ly high body count, unlimited quantities of mayhem, violence, vice (all the basic food groups: drugs, alcohol, prostitution, theft, lying, oh, and have I mentioned violence frequently enough?).... If I had to distill a spoiler into a three-word phrase, it would have to be either trust no one or everyone is rotten. But forget the title. All of the contractors, the feds (DEA, FBI, Secret Service, Senate, Justice Department), local law enforcement (police, sheriffs, deputies, etc.), and the civilian population you meet in this book are either rotten, dishonest, deceitful, damaged, stupid, or, well, dead. Oh, and many fit into multiple categories. Also, remember that you have no privacy (in your car, on your phone, in your financial dealings, in your travels, etc.) - the government can find you wherever you are, no matter what you're doing - and as intrusive as you think surveillance may be, it's worse (or so Hunsicker would have you believe)....
Despite all of this, the book works, and, frankly, works surprisingly well. I was skeptical when I started, but I struggled to put it down through 500 full-sized pages of mayhem, misery, and misconduct.
What's disorienting is that - periodically, Hunsicker displays a startlingly adept hand at lyrical prose, often when he sets the scene in a new chapter. But don't worry, it won't distract from the story line, the momentum, or the suspense (and, did I mention the violence?)....