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If a reader new to the work of Chris Ryan were in any doubt as to the author's previous occupation, even a single chapter of one of Ryan's books, such as THE WATCHMAN or THE HIT LIST, would impart the interesting knowledge that he is ex-SAS. Fortunately, the former war hero is capable of turning his lethal hands to less bloodthirsty work than previously and must, by now, have amassed a small fortune with the gore of his prior incarnation transferred to the pages of his thrillers. The prologue of Ryan's THE INCREMENT is set in Bosnia in 1999. Matt Browning of (of course) the SAS has the opportunity of a lifetime -- or of a military career. He has been selected to work in the elite Increment, a hush hush super-elite fragment of the creme de la creme of the regiment. Browning is taken to a cell and instructed to execute the prisoner there. He concludes his mission to the reluctant approval of his superior, Jack Matram. On his next Increment excursion, Browning is told he must sustain a bullet wound to the leg in order to prove that there was a fair fight in which an opponent was killed. Matt thinks such an action would be pointless so refuses. Matram accuses him of cowardice and threatens to meet Matt on a 'different battlefield' to exact retribution. Two years later, Browning is happily ensconced in his own bar, the Last Trumpet, in Spain. He is to be married soon to Gill. After the incident with his aborted entry into the Increment, Matt knew he could never advance in the SAS, so called it quits. He has never had cause to regret that decision. At the same time, Jack Matram is directing his loyal Increment in a series of assassinations involving civilians -- former soldiers -- and occasionally members of their families. Matt is approached by Guy Abbott. a member of The Firm, the fond nickname given to MI5. He is told that if he doesn't perform a small favour for his former employers, both Matt and his fiancée, Gill, will be thrown into jail on a charge of murder. The Firm has also effectively rendered Matt penniless, a condition that will pertain unless Matt obeys orders. Reluctantly, Matt accedes -- and Gill breaks their engagement. Meanwhile, a friend of Matt's, also a former soldier, has gone berserk and killed members of his family as well as members of the public, then attempted suicide. He is in hospital but is dead by the time Matt is able to try to find him. Matt speaks to Eleanor Blackman, sister of the unlikely mass murderer, and together they ponder the possible reason for the incident. Matt is sent by Abbott to Russia where he must blow up a drug factory at the behest of a French millionaire. He is teamed with a ruthless Russian woman, Orlena, whose orders he is instructed to obey unquestioningly. As Matt, accompanied by a former PIRA explosives expert, Ivan Rowe, goes about his bloody business, Matram and his Increment continue the annihilation of former soldiers. The purpose of the murders becomes clear to Matt who sets himself against one-time comrades. Once again, Chris Ryan proves he is capable of writing a thriller replete with devious plotting. Wisely, he has not concentrated on creating scenes that would display his weaknesses, namely, his inability to understand more tender and sentimental action. He is expert in things military, including weapons and strategy. Characterisation is another of his failings but the reader must be prepared to trade off such things in exchange for breath-stealing action. The violence in the story is enough to make most readers wince but it goes along with the general tenor of being a calloused military man. Surprises in the plot pop up at almost every turn and the author appears to be quite heartless in disposing of the friends of his protagonist. For those accustomed to Ryan's style of writing, this is yet another accomplished thriller; for those more ignorant of his style, perhaps it will come as a rude shock. Still, as an adventure containing more authenticity than some of the thoughtless Boy's Own fantasies proliferating on the bookstalls at present, it succeeds.
Reviewed by Denise Pickles, June 2004
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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