Book Review: Hell & Gone

By Sandy Amazeen Nov 12, 2011, 2:28 GMT

The second of three high-energy thrillers arriving back-to-back from cult crime fiction sensation Duane Swierczynski.Left for dead after an epic shootout that blew the lid off a billion-dollar conspiracy, ex-cop Charlie Hardie quickly realizes that when you\'re dealing with The Accident People, things can get worse. Drugged, bound and transported by strange operatives of unknown origin, Hardie awakens to find himself captive in a secret prison that houses the most ...more

Swierczynski follows Fun & Games with more surprising, action packed adventures of ex-policeman Charlie Hardie who has a propensity for getting hip deep into trouble. After all, who else could survive a shootout only to be captured, drugged and hauled off to a secret facility where he is conscripted to work for a clandestine organization? Dubbed “The Accident People”, the organization oversees the business of quietly cleaning up the assorted embarrassing “messes” of the rich, famous and powerful before the public catches wind. Charlie ends up being held in an ultra secret prison where inmates and guards alike are treated to manipulation by a disembodied voice and everyone has ulterior motives. For his part, Charlie just wants to escape, remember missing parts of his past, protect his family and get revenge. However, his goals prove ever more difficult in this twisting, turning Alice-down-the-rabbit-hole tale that keeps you guessing to the very end.

As good as Fun & Games was, this is even better as Swierczynski grabs the story and takes it through a carnival ride of deception full of unexpected pitfalls and surprises, especially surprises. One cannot help but wonder how the author can possibly top this high octane adventure while waiting on tenterhooks for book three.