P.E.A.C.E.: A Novel of Police Terror

by Guy Holmes

The New York City of the not-too-distant future is a surveillance state. Thousands of video cameras are mounted on street corners and in subways, and a special corps of elite NYPD officers roam the city undercover with high-tech tranq-guns. It's the era of "PEACE," an acronym for "Police Enforced Anti-Crime Environment," and it's turned New York into a city where no crime -- from petty vandalism to first-degree murder -- goes undetected. Enter Mac Wells, a cop whose legendary cool reserve masks a fierce loyalty to his colleagues and his city. As one of New York's elite undercover agents, he is part of a flagship anti-crime experiment that everyone wants to work. And at first glance, it seems to be doing just that -- crime is down; the citizens are happy. But strange and random acts of violence persist, in a pattern that no one can decipher. And when Mac accidentally tranqs his partner during a subway crime, he unwittingly stumbles upon a conspiracy that reaches to the highest echelons of the police department...and the government. Now Mac is forced to choose between his loyalty to his colleagues and his sense of justice -- and to figure out whom to trust before he becomes the next casualty of a tragic "accident." P.E.A.C.E. is a heart-pounding thrill ride that signals the debut of a potent new voice in the thriller genre. Breathlessly original, P.E.A.C.E. launches the dazzling career of a writer destined to rank alongside Ed McBain and David Baldacci.

320 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 5, 2000

Reviews

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story overall was good. It follows Mac, a police officer of high caliper as he gets wrapped up in a conspiracy involving his agency and people in higher powers. It shows how surveillance can be good or bad depending on who holds the reins.

The story was fast paced and is definitely a quick read. The frustrating part is that the parts of the story you really want to know and understand never really get explained.

[Colleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

New York City is stomping out crime, once and for all. How? A system called P.E.A.C.E.(Police Enforced Anti-Crime Environment). Cameras on every corner, undercover police all over the place who have the authority to use tranquilizers at will, etc. In my mind, I saw 'Gattaca' or 'The Minority Report' - that sort of imagery - only people still used pay phones and rode around in taxi cabs. *shrugs*
Luckily, there are still a few good cops and one of them decides the new system isn't all it's cracked up to be. A rather predictable plot without a whole lot of interesting characters. Somehow I still found it mildly enjoyable.

[Erik · Rating 2 out of 5]

A thriller that doesn't quite live up to its potential, though it did keep my interest throughout.