Monday, November 9, 2009

Crime Fiction Alphabet: Fault Line by Barry Eisler


The Last thing Richard Hilzoy thought before the bullet entered his brain was, Things are really looking up.

Title: Fault Line
Author: Barry Eisler
ISBN: 9780345505088
Publisher: Ballantine Books/March 2009
Pages: 302

Alex Treven, a top shot laywer is scared to wits when two of his associates are murdered and his house is burgled. All of them are in one way or other, involved in the invention of encryption application and patent for it is pending. Alex has no family, as they are all dead, except for an enstranged older brother Ben, who has not been in the vicinity for the last seven years, not since their mother died.

Alex, after much thought turns to Ben, who is an undercover agent, who is currently in Istanbul, having the dirty job of eliminating terrorists. Or find, fix and finish, as he calls it. Although Ben resents Alex contacting him, he nevertheless arrives to save Alex. Another lawyer Sarah Hosseini, who too knows all about the encryption, has to be taken into confidence. Although Alex trusts her, Ben does not. And he has reasons not too. All the while the resentment the brothers have for each other, boils over and almost escalates into one killing the other.

It has lots of actions, twists and turns of events, the bonding between the brothers, although both don't know it nor show it. Both are likeable in their own quirky ways. One can't write more without revealing the plot and that is not done for crime fiction.

As with most thrillers, it too is unputdownable. One really likes the unhurried, detailed way Ben goes about his work. He knows he has to clean the world and he goes about it in a clinical manner. Barry Eisler is a writer worth checking out.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I liked this one. I was just contacted to review the second one next month. I'm looking forward to more of the Traven brothers!

Kerrie said...

What a startling hook for the opening lines! Thanks for participating in Crime Fiction Alphabet Gautami

Anonymous said...

Gautami - Thanks for sharing this novel! I agree with Kerrie that the opening line is quite a hook! I like novels where there are undercurrents and sub-plots, and this one seems to have an interesting layer of suspense in the relationship between Alex and Ben. Really interesting choice!

Anonymous said...

Sounds like the brothers' relationship does add an interesting layer to the story.

Dorte H said...

Thank you for sharing this review, and I also think the first like is a great hook!