Tom Clancy has done just that with his latest book Against All Enemies (Penguin), written in association with Peter Telep.
Parts of this book are brutal, to say the least. It will not spoil the plot to alert readers to a couple of particularly savage beheadings by axe.
But the really good writing is spoiled with the over-written details which I suppose will interest some.
For instance, just as the plot is really winding up to full speed, we learn that the hero had chosen a Glock 17 for the ensuing battle.
"The pistol was equipped with maritime spring cups for use in water environments. The cups were placed within the firing-pin assembly to ensure that water passed by the firing pin within the firing-pin channel. This prevented the creation of a hydraulic force that could slow the firing pin and cause light primer strikes. The Nato spec ammo Moore used had waterproof sealed primers and case mouths, which of course further increased the weapon's reliability." Really?
Earlier, a character introduced only to save the day was driving "a black Ford F-230 FX4 pickup truck with six-inch lift kit and BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM2 tires".
Sometimes, too much is too much.
This is a big read and one I took on holiday. It has two plots running side by side. Although readers are aware of both, the various United States government agencies are working independently of each other.
The plots are a good twist and are so obvious it is surprising someone else has not thought of them. However, Clancy makes a meal of it.
South American drug cartels, Afghanistan terrorists, Pakistan military and police corruption, along with Mexican drug lords all lend to a substantial read of nearly 800 pages. I found it easier to skip over the details of the firepower held by the heroes to keep the plot flowing. Sometimes I went back just to look in awe at the sorts of information Clancy can inject into a book. His fans will love this book and it is worth $60.
The second book consumed on holiday was Hanging Hill (Random House) by Mo Hayder, which was difficult to put down. Two estranged sisters are the main characters in the book who, with their respective partners, reveal some interesting traits as the book develops.
The book revolves around the death of a teenage girl, the complicated issues around teenage love and betrayal and the unrealistic but wonderfully written murder of a super-rich purveyor of porn.
Be prepared for a scary ending, one it took this reader two goes at unravelling. I know I get too involved in books but I had to slam this one shut on the last words and say "Oh no".
The interlocking of characters, the agony of teenage years as seen through the eyes of the estranged sisters and the various offspring becomes so real and vivid through the words of Hayder. This is the first time I have read a book written by her but hopefully, it will not be the last.
The writing style is fresh and urgent. As a parent, I could relate to some of the angst that spread through the two generations of the families involved.
This book is highly recommended.
This is a difficult book to get involved in. The trainee journalist, Annika Bengtzon, does cut a familiar figure for anyone associated with newsrooms, as do the attitudes of more senior staff. Bengtzon stumbles across a murder through the newspaper tip-line and by accident, it seems, she pieces together the details of the young woman's life.
The plot is dark, like all recent books released from Sweden.
Bengtzon has some hang-ups, which sometimes distract from the flow of the book.
Like the Clancy book, Exposed goes into a lot of detail but in this case, it can be read without having to do a double take. Marklund has a flowing style and she develops her characters in great depth.
The book is best read in short spurts rather than a long session in the sun with a glass of shiraz.
• Dene Mackenzie is a Dunedin journalist.
