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Traitor
A stunning terror bombing strikes a research facility in France, a much-admired African-American general is killed in a hit-and-run accident, and Pentagon staff officer John Reynolds finds an old friend--now an influential lobbyist--drunk and fearful. In short order, Reynolds must face a car bombing at his front door, his girlfriend's murder, and the wrath of a retired Green Beret general as scarred as he is inexplicably wealthy. Struggling to behave honorably--and to resist a beauty as corrupt as any human being on earth--Reynolds finds himself at the center of an international plot to sell the Pentagon the most expensive fighter aircraft in history . . . even though the weapon may not work. In an homage to the great noir fiction of Hammett, Chandler, and Cain, Ralph Peters has written the most rapid-fire, hard-hitting novel of his career--a story of Washington corruption that could have been lifted from today's headlines.
Paperback
First published April 1, 1999
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About the author
Ralph Peters
77 books225 followersRalph Peters is a novelist, an essayist, a former career soldier, and an adventurer in the 19th-century sense. He is the author of a dozen critically acclaimed novels, two influential works on strategy, "Beyond Terror" and "Fighting for the Future".
Mr. Peters' works can also be found under the pen name "Owen Parry." He also appears frequently as a commentator on television and radio networks.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/ralphp...
Mr. Peters' works can also be found under the pen name "Owen Parry." He also appears frequently as a commentator on television and radio networks.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/ralphp...
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 29, 2018
I'm fascinated by how an author's Intent and Self-Belief permeates their writing. Intent beyond the scope of the writing content. An author's personal beliefs relating to value-of-product, the larger deeper frame-of-perspective and connection to what they're undertaking, their deeper beliefs of purpose and justification. Traitor is an enjoyable read, well written, better written than the overall impression conveys, a good story on a great topic, and yet...
All through the book, I enjoyed, but felt constantly a missing, an abscence of a something. The various elements for a great book are present, yet such levels aren't attained. Why? Technically, the book ought be more, as the story is not only enjoyable, but memorable, even impactful, a tale which affects us and leaves us changed, but, but this does not happen. For no good reason readily perceived. Why?
My read happened to be spread out over a number of weeks, thus opportunity to ponder these ineffable missing elements was ample.
I felt the book was missing soul. A peculiar perception for a thriller one might say. Perhaps it's simply my perception of a seriousness of intent and belief in the work which isn't forthcoming from the author. I puzzled over what the writer might have added to leverage his work, to add the essential salt of fullness to an otherwise fine recipe. Only when I came to the author's note at the very end did this mystery of writing resolve.
The author right near apologised for his book, his story, his efforts, expressing as a disclaimer how the rationale for the book was a personal perception of the importance of certain issues. In addition he communicated a lack of confidence in his own work, a not-believing in its excellence. He also, despite specifically stating how the overall topic was one of importance, did not seem to feel his efforts had much by way of serious affect for the reader. (Yes, grammar checker, I mean affect.)
To me, that missing element throughout the work, which could have elevated this book to truly excellent, is the overall underlying lack of belief of the author in his endeavours. All the work is done, all the efforts of craft are present, all the elements of good story are presented, but that key ingredient of the author's deep energy of belief and intent as to the excellence of their work is missing. The author does not seem to feel their product is *justified* as a book.
The author's note is an attempt as such a justification. If the reason for the story's existence has to be explained it's not in the story. If not in the story, it's not in the author. A powerful reminder to me how our entire being, and the More-of-Us, affects what we do. If we're not fully 'into' our efforts, we dilute them. Modesty and Humility have to be balanced by Belief-of-Self, which, along with Impeccability-of-Effort, make for Excellence.
All through the book, I enjoyed, but felt constantly a missing, an abscence of a something. The various elements for a great book are present, yet such levels aren't attained. Why? Technically, the book ought be more, as the story is not only enjoyable, but memorable, even impactful, a tale which affects us and leaves us changed, but, but this does not happen. For no good reason readily perceived. Why?
My read happened to be spread out over a number of weeks, thus opportunity to ponder these ineffable missing elements was ample.
I felt the book was missing soul. A peculiar perception for a thriller one might say. Perhaps it's simply my perception of a seriousness of intent and belief in the work which isn't forthcoming from the author. I puzzled over what the writer might have added to leverage his work, to add the essential salt of fullness to an otherwise fine recipe. Only when I came to the author's note at the very end did this mystery of writing resolve.
The author right near apologised for his book, his story, his efforts, expressing as a disclaimer how the rationale for the book was a personal perception of the importance of certain issues. In addition he communicated a lack of confidence in his own work, a not-believing in its excellence. He also, despite specifically stating how the overall topic was one of importance, did not seem to feel his efforts had much by way of serious affect for the reader. (Yes, grammar checker, I mean affect.)
To me, that missing element throughout the work, which could have elevated this book to truly excellent, is the overall underlying lack of belief of the author in his endeavours. All the work is done, all the efforts of craft are present, all the elements of good story are presented, but that key ingredient of the author's deep energy of belief and intent as to the excellence of their work is missing. The author does not seem to feel their product is *justified* as a book.
The author's note is an attempt as such a justification. If the reason for the story's existence has to be explained it's not in the story. If not in the story, it's not in the author. A powerful reminder to me how our entire being, and the More-of-Us, affects what we do. If we're not fully 'into' our efforts, we dilute them. Modesty and Humility have to be balanced by Belief-of-Self, which, along with Impeccability-of-Effort, make for Excellence.
May 25, 2009
I read way too many curse words by the time I got to chapter 3 to finish it.
September 25, 2023
An interesting story with a more realistic hero, who is not an indestructible super hero for once.
February 26, 2013
Peters' series of Civil War mysteries (written under the name "Owen Parry") are unique and fascinating, combining vivid historical detail with fully drawn, idiosyncratic characters in complex and tense situations. By contrast, Traitor is set in late '90s Washington, D.C., where a Pentagon-based colonel discovers a massively corrupt and bloody defense contracting scandal. Peters' protagonist is not your average square-jawed hero: he has mixed feelings about the second-tier rock musician he's dating, and his quiet, understated manner has left him unappreciated by the higher brass and short of close friends. By the end of the third chapter, his girlfriend has been made a target and he himself is temporarily held by strangely emotional French (!) torturers after mysterious computer disks. He's got just a few short days to find out what he's mixed up in, deliver the disks, and save a loved one's life while constantly battling the Frenchmen, corrupt military brass, and incompetent D.C. cops. The violence is extreme and the plot dizzying.
The book is an homage to the noir paperbacks Peters read as a teenager and young man: the evil is pure, the conspiracy is elaborate but believable, and Raymond Chandler's model hero describes Peters' quite well (" Down these mean streets a man must go who is not himself mean... He must be a complete man and a common man and yet an unusual man"). The book does not quite match the high standards of a Chandler novel—the hero is so confused and afraid that living in his shoes as a reader can be a bit miserable, and he has too few triumphs along the way to ease the misery. Nevertheless, it is a page-turner that kept me up several hours later than I otherwise would have remained awake. I would recommend it to those who don't object to their escapism being disturbingly realistic, gritty, and at times gory.
The book is an homage to the noir paperbacks Peters read as a teenager and young man: the evil is pure, the conspiracy is elaborate but believable, and Raymond Chandler's model hero describes Peters' quite well (" Down these mean streets a man must go who is not himself mean... He must be a complete man and a common man and yet an unusual man"). The book does not quite match the high standards of a Chandler novel—the hero is so confused and afraid that living in his shoes as a reader can be a bit miserable, and he has too few triumphs along the way to ease the misery. Nevertheless, it is a page-turner that kept me up several hours later than I otherwise would have remained awake. I would recommend it to those who don't object to their escapism being disturbingly realistic, gritty, and at times gory.
January 8, 2012
What I really loved about this book is the off the cuff humor. John Reyolds gets roughed up by two commandos in one chapter only to go on a mission with them three chapters later, asking them to provide a lifetime hideaway for him and his girl once the mission is succesfully completed. It's one of those books where the hero faces incredible odds, plenty of blood is spilled and the poor guy doesn't sleep for an entire month. 'Traitor' is an extreme condemnation of the greed and the 'fast and lose on the rules' aspect of the military industrial complex. The author is well read and well travelled, having written exhaustively on the realpolitique of military intrique.
June 24, 2015
Overwhelming Corrruption
There are many in the Military who represent the main Hero of this fast paced novel. When viewing the top brass one can only hope the top NCOs , as they have traditionally done,can keep the Military show on the road until a man of character can be installed as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs.
There are many in the Military who represent the main Hero of this fast paced novel. When viewing the top brass one can only hope the top NCOs , as they have traditionally done,can keep the Military show on the road until a man of character can be installed as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs.
March 27, 2015
Great read
An excellent page turner, as the story progresses it becomes harder and harder to put it down. It has a little bit of everything. Good insight into government corruption.
An excellent page turner, as the story progresses it becomes harder and harder to put it down. It has a little bit of everything. Good insight into government corruption.
April 3, 2012
It's a good early thriller, but Peters would get better.
February 5, 2016
A little slow to develop
February 5, 2016
Very plodding with way too much verbiage and philosophizing.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews