Echo Of War [Paperback]

An Echo of War continues the adventures of Briggs Tanner, the dashing but gallant protagonist of his previous volumes, The End of Enemies and Wall of Night. Tanner is no cardboard cutout of a hero, but a three-dimensional man of his times whose courage, ingenuity and physical prowess are balanced with a sharp wit and consistent moral center. Tanner's compatriots and enemies are complex characters as well.

Blackwood's world is fully realized, leavening espionage, action and politics with humor, familial concerns, and the odd touch of romance. Most worthy of praise is the fact that he manages to provide enough detail about the necessary trappings of such matters as geography, weapons, and both military and quasi-military procedures to give the reader a clear understanding of what's hapeening without ever drowning the reader in minutae or appearing to simply be showing off (yes, I'm looking at you, Tom Clancy!).

There is more mystery and suspense here than in Blackwood's previous efforts, and An Echo of War really benefits. Blackwood deftly weaves the acts of diverse characters and seemingly unrelated events spread across time and earth into a swirling plot that packs twists and turns to the end but never veers into artifice or strained coincidence.

Great stuff, and I can't wait for the next one! Do yourself a favor -- make Grant Blackwood the new writer you discover this year.

In the prologue, one can only bow to the acumen of the chief raider, who, in 1918, hears german voices belt the first four lines of "Lili Marlene", a song which was eventually composed in 1938!

All this foolishness, and I skipped through the juicier examples, is not really german... drat... germane to the plot although it becomes a tad annoying by chapter 45, but it casts a shadow of doubt over the content of what is really a fair thriller.

Mr. Blackwood and his editor, or whatever alias the latter uses, should cling as closely as possible to the english language, apparently a challenge in itself, and not force asinine foreign dialogue on his protagonists. At least someone had the grace to include an english translation after most of the abuses,

On a positive note, I will probably read more of Mr, ,Blackwood's prose, with one proviso. The whole plot will have to take place in an english speaking environment and within 5 years of publication!

From the back cover:
Dinaric Alps, Bosnian region of the Austrian Hungarian Empire, 1918. Four allied soldiers stumble across a biological weapon that could wreak devastation on the world - and take a vow to keep it from falling into the wrong hands. Ever since, the deadly substance, code-named Kestrel, has been guarded by the descendents of those four brave men - each with the mission of keeping its existence a secret.

Chesapeake Bay, August 2003. The wife of former CIA director Jonathon Root has been kidnapped - and no one except Root himself knows who carried out the crime or why. His grandfather had been one of the soldiers responsible for stealing Kestrel - and now a group of Bosnian terrorists are trying to force Root to hand it over.

Enter agent Briggs Tanner. His mission follow a trail through the alps, to the heart of where it all began - before millions of lives are lost.

A few reasons why I think Blackwood's An Echo of War is the best thriller I'll read this year: 1) Great plotting. Blackwood weaves a story like no one else, taking seemingly unrelated events and threads and winding them together in a exciting plot that makes the pages fly by. 2) Great hero. Briggs Tanner is my new favorite fiction hero. Resourceful and tenacious; sympathetic and human; larger-than-life and daring without being "superhuman". 3) Great characters. I loved the good guys, hated the bad guys. All the key players have a history and motivation all their own, so you feel like these a real people, doing real things that matter to them and the world.

I loved An Echo of War. It's a great suspense-thriller with heavy doses of espionage, intrigue, adventure, and mystery.