The Forsaken

Sitting down to read THE FORSAKEN (late to the party as usual), wasn't at all sure what to expect. The blurb explains that for ten years, Logan Booth, served as a contract killer for the CIA, never knowing that was what he was doing. Finding out he wasn't a rogue hitman for a band of vigilantes, but rather a means by which governments of the USA furthered their own interests is .. well it's a lot. Starting out reading a book about somebody who is fine with the killing bit, but very particular about the motivation element is something to think about.

Although to be honest, thinking about motivations, morals, rights and wrongs, became somewhat secondary to the wild, bare-knuckle, no holds barred, violent, extreme and, uncomfortably horribly train wreck that became an equally uncomfortably enjoyable crazy ride, that is Logan Booth, and just about everybody who comes into contact with him.

Don't get me wrong - this is NOT a novel for the squeamish, or violence intolerant. It's also not a novel that's necessarily going to drag readers into deep contemplation of human nature and the choices we make. Only, it kind of is that latter bit. You can "get" how it would be that somebody who thought they were a lone-wolf, vigilante killer with a "reason" for the job, might be more than a bit miffed to discover that a government was pulling the strings. Grey, faceless, suit wearing, desk sitting behind men who were simply powering through anybody or anything that they felt was in the road of their aims and machinations. It's easy to see how that would screw up your head just a little, and acceptance of that is helped by Logan Booth being a great character. Superhuman freaky violent, dangerous, utterly controlled and clear headed about what he's doing, he's also oblivious to pain, mad, bad, and more than a bit crazy, alcoholic and suicidal, and he's had a lot going on. So he's not at all pleased when people won't just bugger off and leave him alone. Then, they murder his oldest, only really, friend and the switch from despair to fury saves him, although it makes life very short for a lot of other people.

Picking up a most unexpected ally along the way in the person of homeless, crack addict, Alice Mason, Booth starts out avenging his friend's death, making sure that whoever killed him doesn't get Alice as well, and generally dishing out a bit of vengeance and justice for everybody and everything, before he finds himself chasing corruption, money, influence and rotten power into a lot of dark corners. All while facing the same sort of demons he's insisting Alice front up to as well.

As weird as this sounds, this was a thoroughly enjoyable, absolutely engaging, enthralling, extremely violent, over the top thriller with great characters and a core of humanity in amongst the blood, sweat, flying teeth, gunshots, broken bones, flying bodies, falling bodies, tripped over bodies, and corruption. As always it comes down to corruption and the pursuit of money.