The second new author I’ve read in 2016 has already hooked
me in. Gilstrap’s hero is Jonathan ‘Digger’ Grave, a guy with a military
background, not to mention an awkward family situation, but since retiring from
active service, has been finding work as a hostage rescue specialist.
Basically, for huge sums of money, Grave goes in, often
working with his partner ‘Boxers’ and supported by a technical wizard, Venice,
back in a small coastal Virginian town, to rescue people who’re being held to
ransom. They’re so good they can get in and get out, leaving nothing that can
be traced back to them.
Except when Grave and Boxers extricate a young hostage in
rural Indiana. Hot on their trail is a very keen sheriff, Gail Bonneville, who,
ignoring multiple warnings from the FBI to not pursue the case, is determined
to find out who Grave is, and arrest him – despite her knowledge that the guys
he’s killing are bad people. The sheriff doesn’t believe in vigilante justice,
and wants to make an example of Grave.
That somewhat-botched operation in Indiana draws Grave and
his friends into a wider conspiracy – violent murders, environment warriors,
shady former special operations types, government cover-ups and chemical
weaponry – that strikes deep at the heart of his family when Grave’s ex-wife is
murdered. That makes it personal for Grave, who exhibits a very definite moral
trajectory throughout (as is evidenced by his friendship with both a priest and
a local police chief) and he sets out to get to the bottom of a confusing
situation, whilst seeking to stay one step ahead of Indiana law enforcement,
who want to lock him out.
Gilstrap writes with great urgency, and there’s plenty of
intrigue and action. What I loved most in No
Mercy is the angle of Grave being a guy who operates completely outside of
government control. Not like some thriller characters – Vince Flynn’s Mitch
Rapp being the perfect example – who are sanctioned by the government but
operate in the shadows, Grave really is a lone wolf, though it becomes
increasingly clear he has help from some pretty lofty places within the
government.
No Mercy was a
great debut, and I’m looking forward to reading more of Jonathan Grave’s
adventures. Another tip of the cap to Goodreads. Their recommendations based on
books and authors I’ve already read haven’t let me down yet!
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