Most helpful customer reviews
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Happy to Discover John R. Maxim, April 22 2002
"The Bannerman Solution" is an awesome novel that is truly a "page turner." A group of former contract agents (assassins, interrogation specialists, electronics specialists, etc.) decide to retire in an affluent town in Connecticut, but agents in the government have other plans. Paul Bannerman is the de facto leader of this group of people, and he ensures that they stay one step ahead of their nemesis, the seriously paranoid Palmer Reid. In this book, Paul falls in love with reporter Susan Lesko, the daughter of a former NYPD policeman, Raymond Lesko. Palmer Reid's suspicious and paranoid mind makes connections between Raymond, Paul, Susan, and a former Cocaine Queen that do not exist, and he begins to hatch a plan to hasten their demise. John R. Maxim does a terrific job of developing his characters. Paul and his crew are described in detail, and by describing how they interact with each other, Maxim helps the reader gain insight to their personalities - quirky or otherwise. Susan and her father Raymond are likeable - Ray's "dream sequences" are funny, yet haunting. Palmer Reid and his cronies are easy to dislike, and Palmer's paranoia borders on comedy. Great characters, exotic locales, and lots of action make this book a winner. I could not put the book down, and read it into the wee hours of the night.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Spectacular, Jan 15 2002
By A Customer
I love this book. I picked it up to read on a flight, thank goodness the weather at my destination was bad, because I did not want to put this book down. The pace was amazing, but not confusing and the characters were tremendous. The heroes were terrific and the villians were eminantly hateable. The ability of Maxim to break up a dark moment with one line of levity, usually from Billy McHugh, has made me an addict to his work. Since reading Solution, I have gone on to read everything else in the Bannerman Saga and have just ordered his newest, Whistler's Angel.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
A FANTASTIC READ THAT LEAVES YOU WANTING MORE!, May 7 2001
When I ran across THE BANNERMAN SOLUTION a few weeks ago, its premise of a group of government assassins retiring to a small Connecticut town and trying to live in peace sounded rather intriguing. I read the reviews on it and then made the decision to give Mr. Maxim a shot. I'm happy to say that I found myself hooked in the first couple of pages and that the novel proved to be one of the most original and best spy thrillers that I've read during the past year. The story begins by introducing the reader to retired NYPD cop, Raymond Lesko, who's being visited in his dreams by the ghost of his former partner (David Katz). It seems that Katz was ripping off a certain group of drug dealers and was later murdered by them to set an example. Lesko, perhaps the toughest cop on the NYC police force, got revenge by shooting the two men who killed his partner while they were at a meeting with Elena, a beautiful, aristocratic woman who ordered the actual hit on Katz. For some strange reason that Lesko couldn't explain, even to himself, he allowed Elena to live. It wasn't long before rumors started to spread that it was Lesko who took out the two drug dealers and that he allowed Elena to walk away because she bought him off. The rumors eventually forced Lesko to seek an early retirement and to take a job as a security consultant for a local hotel firm. Now, what does all of this have to do with Paul Bannerman and his group of retired government operatives? Well, when Lesko's daughter, Susan, who happens to be a newspaper reporter, decides to investigate the unusually high number of deaths in Westport, Connecticut, she comes to the attention of Bannerman while visiting the town. Since his people are behind most of the deaths that have occurred, he makes it a point to meet Susan in order to find out exactly how much she knows. One thing gradually leads to another, and the two of them begin what will soon become a serious relationship, much to the dismay of Paul's friends. This wouldn't be so bad, except that when Bannerman refuses to work for Palmer Reid, a high-ranking member of the CIA, it's decided that Bannerman and his people are too dangerous to be left alive. Once Reid discovers that Bannerman is involved with Lesko's daughter, he sees a connection that could tie Bannerman to Elena and the South American drug cartel, giving him the excuse needed to take everyone out. Bannerman and his highly skilled team of operatives aren't going to be easy to kill, especially when Lesko joins them in an attempt to keep his daughter alive, but Palmer Reid has the resources of the Agency behind him and is a very determined man. THE BANNERMAN SOLUTION is definitely an original masterpiece in the "spy" genre. Filled with drama, action, and a mixture of humor, it explores an area that has seldom been touched on in fiction. What does happen to government assassins when they reach the retirement age? Does the DIA and the CIA take care of its own, or do they try to eliminate the men and women who have served their country so well? What would happen if a small group of top operatives decided it was time to quit and wanted to live the rest of their lives in relative peace, but our government wouldn't let them? John R. Maxim's novel delves into these areas and what it would be like for these bringers of death to try and settle down into a normal life. I found the novel to not only be suspenseful, packed with a tremendous amount of action, and fun to read, but also fascinating in its concept. Bannerman, as well as each of his team members, were carefully drawn with their own unique personality and area of expertise. These characters are killers, and they came alive for me in ways I'd never have expected. I have to add that Raymond Lesko, while only a retired cop, proved to be a match for Bannerman and quickly earned his respect. The bad guys are also interesting, especially some of the agents working under Reid who actually feel a sense of hero worship for Bannerman and his crew because they are legends in the intelligence community. Mr. Maxim has a profound way of weaving complex scenarios and then tying up each one neatly by the end of the book, leaving the reader feeling satisfied with the final solutions, and I should also point out the his style of writing is a pure pleasure to read, adding to the enjoyment of the novel. I liked THE BANNERMAN SOLUTION so much, that I've already purchased the other three novels in the series. For fans of the "spy" genre, this is a must-read book!!! Buy it, savor the reading experience, then rush out and buy the other "Bannerman" novels.
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