The Contractor

Colin MacKinnon is a tremendous writer. Like his previous "Morning Spy, Evening Spy", this novel is not so much a can't-put-it-down, as it is a don't-want-to-put-it-down. MacKinnon's tells the tale of an independent Northern Virginia businessman who is also contract asset for the CIA. The storyline smoothly combines the foibles of The Contractor's personal life with those at the behest of Langley in an effrot to stop the smuggling of nuclear material. This is a well-paced story replete with Agency overseers, Pakistani purveyors of loose nukes and Russian mafia types, has a ring of authenticity to it. The only time MacKinnon hits a detectable false note is when his protagonist - armed with a clandestinely provided Glock 26 pistol - states that "I ease off the safety on my Glock." Sorry - no such thing as an external safety on a Glock. A minor error to be sure. I hope that he's working on the next one now.

Rick Behringer may manage Global Reach Technologies, but he uses the communications designs firm as a front to hide his covert operations as CIA contractor. The agency uses Rick when it needs sensitive retrieval. As a "foreign materiel acquisition" expert, Rick purchases weapons from black markets and rogue nations that he delivers to the CIA. In Pakistan, Rick learns that Ahmed "the Engineer" Sajid is offering plenty of money for nuclear material. The Engineer hopes to entice a Russian Mafiosi to steal the nuclear material and sell it to him. His plan is to create a nuclear weapon. Rick reports the market place rumors to his handlers who outsource to him the investigation. The key to this superb spy thriller is the extrapolation of the Bush outsourcing of the Iraq War by contracting out to the private sector espionage covert activities; those who prefer ultra small government will especially appreciate the concept of a CIA with a few Contracting Officer Representatives. Rick is not a CIA civil servant, but instead a contractor hired intermittently as needed as an expert in his case retriever. Fast-paced and exciting, sub-genre fans will relish this terrific stolen nuke thriller. Harriet Klausner

Colin MacKinnon's "The Contractor" is an amazing read. In his first novel, "Finding Hussein," MacKinnon showed his knowledge of the Middle East, based on his Peace Corps experience in Iran, his Ph. D. in Persian, and his journalism work on Middle Eastern Economics. Just over a year ago, he added a second title to his list, "Morning Spy, Evening Spy," which broadened the scope of his talent with a seemingly very intimate and knowledgeable look at CIA operations. "The Contractor" not only puts the best of these earlier novels into play but manages also a host of fully fledged characters from around the world. The novel swings effortlessly from the halls of the CIA and DC suburbs like Tyson's corners to Athens to Istanbul to former Russian satellite countries, and Dubai--among others! It is an adventure story on that level alone. The main character, Rick Behringer, is contracted by the CIA to acquire "foreign materials," meaning basically military and communications hardware or the manuals and specs that detail them. In the past, he's had some major coups in that realm, but in the time frame of this novel he shakes up the CIA with a DVD he "purchases" for them that suggests highly enriched uranium is going up for bid in the world underground and one of the seriously interested buyers is a jihadist. What gives this novel additional heart, however, is the look we get at Rick's personal world--ex-wife, two daughters, lover, his family, his Midwestern past. There is not an aspect of this novel that is not fulfilling. This guy is good! Five stars.

The Contractor is an excellent read. The foreign intrigue plot is fast paced with an admirable depth of detail and verisimilitude. The well explicated threat of nuclear material in the hands of jihadi fanatics taps effectively into our worst nightmares. The global action is believable and the numerous characters are convincing. Mackinnon's dialogue in particular reveals a good ear for language. The hero, Rick Behringer, is quirky, smart, engaging, and, though flawed, is the antithesis of the much criticised Blackwater contractors. The subplots of his divorce and the puzzling suicide of his father are interwoven into the main plot effectively, giving the novel a sense of intimacy and a welcome level of character development.