Review: Wonderfully Executed (no pun intended--well, actually, maybe a little)
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 23, 2011
I was lucky enough to have a chance to serve as a Beta reader for "To Faithfully Execute," the third book in Gordon Ryan's ongoing Pug Connor series. I expected it to be good, based on the successes of "State of Rebellion" and "Uncivil Liberties." I must admit, however, to being a little surprised that "State of Rebellion" is my favorite story to date. The series keeps getting stronger, which is an impressive--and rarely achieved--feat in literature, film and television.Without giving too much of the plot away, I will share a few things I really liked (or found interesting):1.) The role of assassination (political and otherwise) is explored in this novel. While it certainly makes for some great action scenes, it also provokes thought about current U.S. policy with regard to assassination.2.) Carlos Castro, Pug's right-hand man, continues to grow as a character and has emerged as my favorite. I believe I mentioned in a previous review that it's tough to keep characters interesting over a long period of time. Ryan has no such problems, however, and in this book did a wonderful job painting a vivid back story for Retired Marine Sgt. Major Carlos Castro.3.) I also liked the continued development of the Western States of America secession storyline. It gets especially interesting in this book as the Western States are confronted with costly tragedies that require a strong central government to spend money it doesn't have--two things that helped fuel secession-mania in the first place.As usual, Ryan's work makes the reader think about current affairs in the U.S. and abroad. I can't say enough to recommend this book and the series--and I eagerly await the next installment!