Reacher – a brilliant creation – is a superman, Stoner’s not even faintly super.
Stoner is often compared to Jack Reacher. That ability and training does not go away when you change your clothes. As in, someone trained to kill other people. His views about the civilian spook world are defined very much by an understanding that whether wearing a uniform or not, a soldier is always a soldier. The author is a professional with poise and we look forward to reading his next piece.He’s very much a solo operator who works well with a team – provided he’s the leader of the team. Just not in a dark alley.įive stars to First Contract. Stoner is a man you’ll hope to meet again. This is fine writing wrapped cunningly around a totally credible character.
When he meets the enigmatic character named Blesses, his initial reaction is quiet attraction. Stoner is a virtuoso with both his hands and with silenced firearms. The action matches the dialogue in this brief piece of fiction - wildly witty and effortlessly accomplished. ‘Should it help? Should it matter more to me whether I’m drilling holes through a patriotic Arab with sunburn and an impossible language in a hot country, or a paleskin patriotic Paddy who prefers eating sheep to goats and worships his own gods in his own ways in Latin?’ He inspected his fingernails with some care. ‘I don’t care.’ Stoner appeared to be looking at himself. In this excellent short story by standout author Frank Westworth, human life is cheap and the principal player waxes philosophically about the killing for which he’s just been recruited: His punishment? He becomes a civilian black ops assassin under the direction of an urbane but totally ruthless handler called, simply, The Hard Man. Stoner has just brutally executed five Iraquis in retaliation for an attack on one of his men.
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