FICTION

Skinner

by Charlie Huston
Mulholland: Little, Brown. Jul. 2013. 400p. ISBN 9780316133722. $25.99; ebk. ISBN 9780316202411. F
COPY ISBN
Huston's (Sleepless; The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death) new stand-alone thriller is scary in its timeliness. Skinner is a hired gun whose sole job is to protect his "asset." His maxim is "the only true way to secure an asset is to ensure that the cost of acquiring it is greater than its value," and he is willing to die for it. His current assignment is Jae, a young robotocist who can see the patterns in anything and everything. She once worked for Kestrel, a private contracting firm, but left when she was betrayed. Now she's been asked by her former handler, Terrence, to take on a new assignment from Kestrel. Along with the assignment comes Skinner. A man who will do anything—and already has—to get the job done.
VERDICT To say much more about the plot would ruin it for readers. In order to enjoy the suspense, Huston's careful layering of the story should be read without much foreknowledge. Suffice it to say, the recent revelations about data mining are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what is going on in the world of spying. Add in missing nukes, hacking, drones, terrorists, and a host of other threats, and readers may come away from this novel a bit more paranoid: it's all just too plausible. This is a must for fans of John le Carré and Olen Steinhauer.
Reviewed by Jane Jorgenson, Madison P.L., WI , Jul 05, 2013
Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.

RELATED 

FICTION

The Emperor
by Orcel, Makenzy
FICTION

Real Americans
by Khong, Rachel
FICTION

The 7-10 Split: A Romantic Comedy
by Lee, Karmen
FICTION

Swan Song
by Hilderbrand, Elin
FICTION

The Sword Unbound
by Hanrahan, Gareth
FICTION

Out of Office
by Cunningham, A.H.
More
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?