Smoker

One the things I like the most about bodyguard Atticus Kodiak is the way I can completely admire his moral point of view, and still look at a lot of the problems he has with people and think, "Idiot." He's not a paragon of virtue, and he's not a complete loser. He's just a guy who gets more stuff right than he does wrong, which is pretty much how I strive to live my life.While Greg Rucka's terse yet evocative prose is always effective, I find myself particularly emotionally involved when he describes his characters at work, protecting a client. When I read those passages, and see how much the danger is disrupting these people's lives, I can't help but feel sad for them. Mr. Rucka manages to create characters so real that I genuinely feel sorry for them, and wish they could lead normal lives, instead of having to hide out in safe houses and crouch down in the back seats of bulletproof cars.Having read the first three books in this series, Smoker is perhaps my favorite story. It isn't perfect--I prefered the more morally ambiguous stance that Keeper took on abortion to Smoker's fairly clear anti smoking/big tobacco story, and I miss Bridgett Logan, though she gets her own solo story in Shooting at Midnight--but it's an improvement over the over-the-top events in Finder. And while Bridgett doesn't put in an on-stage appearance here, Erika, Kodiak's 17-year-old ward, makes an adequate substitute.What really makes this story work, though, are all the details about the bodyguarding profession. Mr. Rucka manages to mix drama and humor very effectively, and completely draws the reader in.

I am a GR fan from book one. A good series with a compelling protagonist ususally gets better with time (see Cornwell's 'Scarpetta' or Kellerman's 'Decker'/'Delaware' series). Same with Attikus Kodiak. Great plots, good relationships, fantastic action sequences and a complex psyche of our leading characters (all of them: Kodiak, Trends, Emma...) This third bood in the series manages to combine all the elements that make a good serial thriller. I ripped through it within 36 hours.

great, truly the best book ever, Rucka is the Shakespear of the 90'

This book made me sweat. I couldn't stop reading. And the conclusion totally surprised and wasted me. If you are looking for a great new writer to start reading, start with Greg Rucka.

If you are looking for something truly different and genuinely exciting, buy this book. Fresh and original in concept, and full of great characters, SMOKER gets my vote for best suspense novel of 1998. Rucka is a master of thriller writing, and this is his best book yet. His plots are superior and they really make you think. Once this one takes off, there are so many exciting twists and turns, and so much well-written action, that it is literally hard to put down. This author is someone to follow. I look forward to the next Atticus Kodiak novel and I hope it is coming soon.