Review: Killer Instinct

This is the third corporate espionage thriller from Joe Finder following 'Paranoia', 'Company Man' [aka 'No Hiding Place '] and the only phrase that can sum up 'Killer Instinct' is 'Home Run', because this is without doubt his best to date. This is slick entertainment that makes you squirm in your seat, and grip the pages as if your fingers were coated with adhesive.

Like the best thrillers, the plot of 'Killer Instinct' is simple, but in that simplicity comes duplicity as the tale that takes the basic Faustian story and updates it for the twenty-first century. Jason Steadman is a middle ranking salesman in a Boston- based American electronics giant [Entronics], selling plasma screens that has been acquired by a Japanese conglomerate. His wife Kate wishes he were more ambitious, but Jason was brought up 'blue- collar' and is happy with his lot; that is until he befriends Kurt Semko [an ex-Special Forces Iraq Vet] in a quirky twist of fate. Jason gets Kurt a job in corporate security with Entronics and soon his career starts to take-off but in an unexpected way. Grim things start to happen to people who have been obstructing Jason's career, and at first they appear as luck, or twists of fate, but soon Jason Steadman starts to suspect something more sinister is happening. Something linked to his new buddy Kurt Semko, and something dark and dangerous.

It is well known that psychopaths are often hidden in the corporate world and Finder exploits this premise to great effect. The book has huge slices of laugh-out loud humour, amiable and old fashioned storytelling, but the dark undercurrent behind this book starts to seep and make the reader perspire as we find Steadman fighting for his life. There is an axiom that states that business is war, but 'Killer Instinct' indicates how true this adage can become, because when Semko's true self is revealed, we see a really damaged and evil psychopath at work manipulating Entronics for the benefit of Steadman, but that means body-bags follow.

Using a highly tuned writing voice, and great insights into how a psychopath works as well as how the corporate world ticks, we have a masterful thriller, and one that makes your heart race. With short chapters, Finder does not sacrifice characterisation for the speed of plot, instead he makes caring for the protagonists as crucial as racing through this very fast read. Informative, smart, fast paced and a damned fine read 'Killer Instinct' is without doubt one of best thrillers for 2006, and Finder a unique voice If I were to sum-up 'Killer Instinct' in one word, I'd call it astounding, and as a big reader / reviewer of thrillers, this beat my high-tide mark by a mile. And if Finder is a new name for you, catch up fast because he is the CEO of Thriller writing [I kid you not].

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Ali Karim - RAM

Book Review: Killer Instinct