Book Review: Broken Wings

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Broken Wings     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
John E. Douglas , Mark Olshaker
Class/Genre:   Mystery
Pocket, Nov 1999, $24.00, 324 pp.

The FBI considers him to be one of its most spectacular manhunters, but this profiler wishes he were somewhere else than where he is. The FBI has laid siege to the compound of the militia group the Wyoming Defenders. The agent in charge decides to attack over the vociferous objection of his on-site profiler Jake, who believes this will become Waco II. Jake is right, as many lives are lost. However, Jake takes the fall for the incident and the FBI Director, the Honorable Judge Thomas Jefferson Boyd “retires” a distraught Jake.

However, one day after his enforced retirement, Quantico recalls Jake to help with an internal crisis. Thomas apparently committed suicide and the acting director wants Jake to investigate the incident independent of the agency so no one can claim cover-up. Jake thinks his former boss is a murder victim. With the backing of wealthy Millicent De Vries, Jake gathers together a cadre of “retired” agents to form the Broken Wings squadron. Their missions are to investigate Thomas’ death and to stop Napoleon, an international criminal who took over Millicent’s family business. They soon learn that people in high government places needed Thomas out of the way so that Napoleon could play.

Any one who wants to understand profiling in terms of how an expert can get inside the mind of a psychopath needs to read BROKEN WINGS. That is expected from any work that includes John Douglas as a co-author since he is one of the pioneers of the program. The complex investigation is fascinating as readers find themselves needing to complete the plot in one sitting to learn what really happened. BROKEN WINGS is an entertaining winner.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner