Like No Other

I'm not an avid reader of this genre; I bought the book because the author's name jumped out at me. He can't possibly remember me, but I used to sell him computer equipment long ago. I remembered him as a pleasant gentleman, so I decided to give his book a go. I'm glad I did. _Like No Other_ makes no significant effort (beyond name changes) to disguise the political figures of the Second Gulf War's opening days. There is no single protagonist; the action cycles through a series of diverse locations to focus on equally diverse characters as they react to the outbreak of war. Mr. Mercer Nairne shows skill at capturing ethnic and economic outlook in character development. In the case of political leaders one may easily recognize, he's justly lampooning them, especially the 'make the decision then find a reason' cart-before-the-horse methods of the Bush administration. This is not chauvinism on his part; he shows no favouritism to the Blair government. He is also not afraid to portray a decent, intelligent character favouring the war. One thing I found most refreshing was Mr. Mercer Nairne's deviance from the most tired plot in thriller fiction: the intrepid journalist or attorney (someone whose job conveniently lets them move about the book) who must uncover a plot to destroy the world, or at least a chunk of it. While there is a threat in the plot, it's a credible one, and the only journalists we get are a pair of tabloid jockeys cynically publishing opposing papers from adjoining offices. The challenge when satirizing people or situations is not to become so bitter and caustic that the tone alienates the reader. In this Mr. Mercer Nairne has done a fine job. I recognized in the text the basic good humour and pleasant manner of the author as I remembered him, and was reminded that authors generally reveal more of themselves in their works than they might intend. In Mr. Mercer Nairne's case, that's all to the positive. (By the way, should he read this, I can no longer recommend HP computers. The industry has reached a lamentable state, I'm afraid.)