The Bricklayer (Steve Vail Novels)

I was attracted to this book after reading the initial reviews--and I wasn't disappointed. This is a very good thriller, packed with cleverly-planned danger, amusing dialogue, an impossibly effective and smart protagonist, an appealing romantic interest (if you know what I mean and I'm guessing you do), and a pretty good 'sense of place', wherever the story takes us (an important element for me). It was hard to put this down once I started; a scenario that happens too infrequently with most contemporary action/thrillers. For those familiar with the Lee Child Jack Reacher series, this is very similar in many ways. (Those who aren't familiar with the Jack Reacher series, why on Earth not?) I've seen some reviewers complain about the impossibility of the entire plot, but truthfully, has anyone read a really good action/thriller that didn't have a wildly implausible plot? If you like action, interesting characters, a healthy description of place --read this book.

Ex-FBI agent, serial-killer hunter and pseudonymous author Boyd introduces ex-FBI loner Steve Vail in this non-stop thriller. We meet Vail - now a Chicago bricklayer - in a bank where he takes down two armed, hostage-taking robbers and then fades away into the crowd before anyone can thank him. In the next scene a young FBI agent prepares to take ransom money to a killer in what the FBI hope will be a sting. The self-proclaimed Rubaco Pentad claims to have killed a Hollywood reporter who wrote an FBI exposé, and promises to continue killing prominent people who have in some way targeted the FBI until their demands for money are met. The site they have chosen for the money drop is a defunct naval prison on an island shipyard in Portsmouth NH. Delivering the money bag involves the agent in a nighttime scuba-swim across the cold Piscataqua River, and an obstacle course through the prison's dank stone innards that culminates in the young agent's death. Not until another agent disappears with $2 million, and a few more famous people are dead, does Deputy Assistant Director Kate Bannon persuade Vail to come in on the case. Sparks fly between Vail and Bannon, who supports Vail's ingenious and unorthodox methods against Bureau recalcitrance and rules. Vail's numerous escapes are wonderfully over-the-top and Boyd's FBI background authoritatively fleshes out the story's intricacies. Boyd's page-turning debut has the distinctive ring of authenticity.

Bottom line: If you like action/adventure thrillers, you should definitely read this book. And even if you aren't particularly crazy about them but enjoy a good story with interesting characters, I think you should give this a chance. I really enjoyed it. This book is so much more than it could have been and for that reason I think readers should give it a chance even if the action/thriller genre is not their favorite genre. Steve Vail is a former FBI agent who was fired because he'd rather save a case than give up information against his boss to the internal review people. Now he's working as a bricklayer. But when the FBI is on the receiving end of a murder/extortion scheme, they go to Steve Vail to track down the killers. If you enjoy a book full of action, this would be a great book to read. There is plenty of action from beginning to end. (Yes, you'll have to suspend disbelief a few times as the hero escapes certain death, but that's part of the fun of the book.) I could very much imagine this book being made into a movie. But it is more than just an action thriller. There are a number of books with this general theme: the "lone wolf" who can't work within the organization is brought in to take care of problems. And it would have been very easy for the author to let this become almost a cartoon with nothing but action and the occasional interaction where the hero shows why he can't work well with others. Instead, the author gives us a book with more depth. The first sign that this book has more to offer comes in the opening chapter. A bank robber whose part in the book is done after only a few pages gets a little back story and some introspection. Several other "throw-away" characters receive the same treatment. The author could have written the book without making these disposable characters more than quick sketches but it wouldn't be as good. That same care makes the two main characters, Steve Vail and his main FBI "handler" Kate Bannon, very likeable. Kate plays almost as large a role in the book as Steve does, which I think makes the book more appealing to women. This is a book that both men and women will enjoy. I'm definitely looking forward to the next one in the series.

The Bricklayer is the outstanding debut novel of Noah Boyd. Steve Vail aka the Bricklayer is a former FBI agent, who had a problem with bureaucracy and chose to be fired than let a cop killer go free. Although his present occupation is that of a brick layer, he is soon called upon when the FBI has exhausted it's resources on a case. It's been a while since I have read anything closely related to a crime novel. I gave up on them a few years ago because it seemed like they were all the same. So, when I got a chance to review this book, I almost passed because it was about crime and the FBI. I'm sure glad I decided to give it a chance. Steve Vail, the bad boy of the book is a really enjoyable guy, as long as you enjoy someone who has no respect for authority, and does things his own way. I found the character of Steve to be enjoyable. He's the type of guy you can have a beer and watch a game with. The relationship between Steve and Kate, his temporary FBI handler is one of mutual respect and admiration, as well as sexual overtones. The author provides an excellent storyline to showcase Steve's special character traits. The story is fun, exciting, and nonstop from the very beginning. I read the book within a few days, and found it hard to put down. I can't even comment on the literary skills of the author because the story was so good I didn't pay much attention to things like punctuation. The Bricklayer has made me a fan of Noah Boyd, and I look forward to reading a lot more about Steve Vail in future books.

Noah Boyd's thrilling 390-page novel "The Brick Layer" is spellbinding and destined to be a best seller. After reading just a few pages I was hooked and could not put it down. I found myself completely enthralled, flipping pages and hypnotized by this fast paced superbly written novel. No doubt, Steve Vail is a new character that will be the center of many more exciting suspense novels to come. An ex-FBI agent turned bricklayer, his reputation for being able to find anyone is second only to his legendary inability to trust authority. Someone naming their self or selves Rubaco Pentrad -maybe 5 domestic terrorists connected with the FBI's involvement with the Ruby Ridge and Waco incidents--who seem to have both an affinity and aversion to the FBI is killing well-known people in California, Utah, Pennsylvania and demanding cash while warning the FBI that any disclosure on their part of the activities will result in more murders and greater cash demands. The person or group may be getting inside information from the FBI or be the work of a rogue agent or worse. At wits end, the FBI uses newly promoted, attractive and persuasive Assistant Deputy Director Kate Bannon to seek out the services of rebellious Steve Vail and his unique abilities. Reluctantly accepting Kate's offer Steve Vail puts his talents in motion as the plot twists, turns and thickens while millions of dollars exchange hands and the body counts mount. This author's skill at keeping the reader on the edge of the chair furiously flipping action packed pages is worthy of far greater than 5 stars. It is a rare find that I thoroughly enjoyed and recommend.