re:mote voices

Title: Critical Space
Author: Greg Rucka
Publisher:Piatkus Books

Critical Space is the 5th novel by Greg Rucka, the 4th in which Atticus Kodiak is the main character. Of course, typical in the way these things go, the only previous novel by Rucka was Shooting At Midnight, which featured Atticus' girlfriend Bridget Logan. Though in saying that, I am more familiar with Rucka's work since he started writing comics, being the man behind one of the best ongoing series of the moment - Queen And Country - an espionage series set with in the covert world of the British Secret Service.

As the latest novel following a set of characters there are certain references to previous events, having not read the previous novels it is perhaps difficult to determine how much of the text is a recap, and how much is fresh, filling in a past for the benefit of this novel. Regardless, Atticus is one of four members of a small protection company, who made their name from an attempt on the life of a visiting member of the British Royal family. Since then the company has become successful, though Atticus is getting bored, being a status symbol for celebrities really isn't why he got into the game. When Lady Antonia returns for another trip to America it looks like a chance to do some real work as well as catching up on old friends. Unfortunately Atticus is also the only man to have stood against the professional assassin only known as Drama and survive. So just when he thinks things are looking up Drama appears on the scene and kidnaps the Lady Antonia.

This leads us through the three sections of the book, where the real threat of Drama is established - the idea of just how much the bodyguards really fear this woman, and how lucky they were to survive the last time they met. From here we have a conspiracy, such that the appearance of Drama on the scene isn't quite what it seems. Especially with Drama being just one of the group called The Ten, an elite group, with another of the Ten looking as though he is also going to appear on the scene.

The character of Kodiak, and his relationships with those around him is well delivered. The sections where he goes through extensive re-training in order that he might stand any chance at all against a member of The Ten, comes across as something which is classically cinematic – thinking Rocky, the Eye of The Tiger – a seriously intense training designed to bring out the highest potential of one man.

Obviously with the different character focus between Shooting At Midnight and Critical Space, the two come across in a different manner, illustrating an ability to work within the same character environment, while changing point of view. Through the course of this book Rucka pretty much dismantles the life of Kodiak, changing every relationship he has by the end of the book. Which really does open up the question of when Rucka will return to Kodiak and how he will possibly live with these events.