The Consignment

Rating:
Summary: The Consignment - Moved to Slow
Review: Moved to slow for me. Plot idea was interesting and writing sytle ok. I just ran out of patience with this one.

Rating:
Summary: i have to give up when the story became so contrite
Review: Read the book this week and the inaccuracy of the details reveal a basic lack of understanding of the American Military. These flaws make an otherwise "OK" book plotwise almost painful to read. I think Mr. Sutherland wrote the book to reflect a British Officer and some publishing wizard (rolleyes) convinced him to re-write it was an eye towards the American market. If more (any?) research was conducted, this would be a decent read. If accuracy isn't an issue with the reader get it. If having F16s become carrier borne and officers hopping on and off active duty while working at West Point as a "Weapons Instructor" isn't a bother, enjoy.

Rating:
Summary: not a bad writing. the plot also good enough to read on
Review: the writing is very good. flow smoothly. don't have to be bothered by f-16 fighters or westpoint instructor. the writing is very smooth, better than maybe 90% of other writers who ever got their books published. the feelings of ned, his wife, his son and others are quite well delivered as any real person might feel and face. the tempo of the story maybe a bit too slow but since the writing is so smooth, you can just read along without any second thought. i'm going to seek out his books to learn some good english. thanks mr. sutherland.

Rating:
Summary: i have to give up when the story became so contrite
Review: this novel looked so promising at first, then it became like a dog chasing his own tail, round and round, and going nowhere. i don't know, maybe this author is a foreigner and has tried to write a book about america and americans, about army, arms sales, covert operation, u.s. customs, i.r.s., etc., etc., but he seemed to get too deep while trying very hard not to be too shallow. the tempo is too slow to call it a thriller, except "ned" suddenly awoke in the mid night, found one of the window shades fluffed and thought there was somebody in the house...then some car started not far away....that's thriller, but what else we got?
i lost my patience....this author's english writing is very good, besides that, i really don't know what else we got here.

Rating:
Summary: eye opening cautionary tale
Review: US Ranger Ned Rourke wanted to be the best he could be when he served in the Gulf War and took a bullet in Africa. With pressure from his wife to come home, Ned leaves the military he loves to accept a civilian sales representative job for Haplon Systems, a firm that sells military merchandise, mostly arms, to terrorists and mercenaries.

Ned obtains a big sale at a trade show at about the same time someone kills his competitor and former West Point roommate Dmitri Spandos. Although the police think it is a freak accident from a misfired range bullet, Ned thinks Dmitri was assassinated due to his role as a covert Pentagon operative tracking illegal arms exports to enemy powers and terrorists. Angry with himself for being one of those peddlers and seeking revenge for his buddy, Ned goes after the smugglers because honor is at stake even at the possible cost of losing Fiona.

Setting the stage is critical for this expose undercover tale, but that also leads to a slower pace. Those readers who get over the shock of the crisp foreign sales (ever wonder where the weapons come from?) will become engrossed in a deep condemnation of a corrupt system. The warning story line works because Ned displays the best of the army adhering to the values though he knows the price could be all else he cherishes. The action picks up towards the middle when the novel switches gear into more of an action thriller. Fans will appreciate Grant Sutherland's eye opening cautionary tale even while sales continue to put the troops in jeopardy.

Harriet Klausner