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Atticus Kodiak #2
Finder
From a chance encounter with a teenage runaway in a seedy S&M club on Manhattan's lower East Side, Atticus Kodiak--the bodyguard readers met in Keeper--is forced to seek a missing juvenile, an elusive lover, and a fortune in embezzled funds--and to take a look at his own tangled life.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1997
4 people are currently reading
289 people want to read
About the author
Greg Rucka
1,484 books1,913 followersGreg Rucka, is an American comic book writer and novelist, known for his work on such comics as Action Comics, Batwoman: Detective Comics, and the miniseries Superman: World of New Krypton for DC Comics, and for novels such as his Queen & Country series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
August 2, 2009
I can't help wondering if Greg Rucka realized what he was getting himself into with the Atticus Kodiak series. The idea of a protagonist who's a professional bodyguard -- as a opposed to a PI or a cop or an ME or any of the other zillion professions that have been thoroughly *done* in crime fiction -- is certainly intriguing. But the rub is that, in order to have the kind of exciting, action-packed, and uberviolent story that the genre demands, the bodyguard has to fail at his job, again and again. And, having read two books in the series so far, that's basically what I've found. It's not that Atticus is bad at his job; he just keeps going up against impossible odds. Add to that the hero's penchant for making self-destructive personal choices and there's the potential for the stories to be relentless downers. The fact that they aren't -- the fact that I'm currently scrambling to figure out where to get the next book in this series -- is a credit to Rucka being really damn good at telling these kinds of stories. If his characters are frustrating, it's in the way that good and beloved friends are frustrating. (Everybody has those people they love dearly and at the same time want to shake and say 'MY GOD DON'T DO THAT!', right? Well, Greg Rucka excels at creating those kinds of characters.
November 21, 2021
Many times I wonder what would happen if a protagonist in a book could sue their author. Atticus Kodiak might have grounds, as he is still reeling from the personal and professional losses from the first book in which he best friend and teammate died, along with one of the people he was tasked to protect...and then Rucka throws a couple bricks at Atticus (brick meaning covert SAS unit), while making him rehash some personal and professional failings from his recent past. Atticus can't catch a break, but this makes for good page-turning copy as Rucka forces his hero into yet another impossible choice.
The first book was gifted from a friend. This second book was illusive until a recent trip to Moe's in Berkeley...and the third book is available from the library. We'll see when I stumble upon the 4th volume.
--Fun to think about the tech difference from the late 1990s until now. One scene has the team driving in cars watching for suspicious activity. One car is identified as a possible threat, but it's really just "the driver is trying to change the cassette in his deck."
--"I handed the phone back to Yossi, and we got back into his Saab, with me driving. I went carefully, granting right of way, not taking chances. The drivetrain was off on the car, jarred by the collision, probably, and it handled like a drunk cat."
The first book was gifted from a friend. This second book was illusive until a recent trip to Moe's in Berkeley...and the third book is available from the library. We'll see when I stumble upon the 4th volume.
--Fun to think about the tech difference from the late 1990s until now. One scene has the team driving in cars watching for suspicious activity. One car is identified as a possible threat, but it's really just "the driver is trying to change the cassette in his deck."
--"I handed the phone back to Yossi, and we got back into his Saab, with me driving. I went carefully, granting right of way, not taking chances. The drivetrain was off on the car, jarred by the collision, probably, and it handled like a drunk cat."
February 20, 2021
What a well done book! The main character of the story atticus Kodiak is a bodyguard. He hadn't really been working since his best friend died on one of their assignments and so has some unresolved issues character is working through. You don't realise that until after he runs into Erika a teenage daughter of an army colonel that he wants guarded. Throughout the story the past history is woven into what is going on now... It makes the characters more complex, inviting one to have a deeper understanding of them and really care about the characters and their motivations. It also shows there are just some plain shitty people out there.
I found my self happily surprised at some of the terms of the characters that I don't usually run into in books. I love how Atticus thinks and measures his words... his deep look into himself is not always pretty but he works to be truthful to himself and others. The action in the book was also enormously interesting and satisfying and I enjoyed learning of the British SAS and their tactics.
Yes I will be reading another Atticus Kodiak novel! Thanks Greg Rucka for such an interesting set of characters! 👍😊📖
I found my self happily surprised at some of the terms of the characters that I don't usually run into in books. I love how Atticus thinks and measures his words... his deep look into himself is not always pretty but he works to be truthful to himself and others. The action in the book was also enormously interesting and satisfying and I enjoyed learning of the British SAS and their tactics.
Yes I will be reading another Atticus Kodiak novel! Thanks Greg Rucka for such an interesting set of characters! 👍😊📖
November 15, 2020
The hero of the series, Atticus Kodiak, finds himself a bit traumatized after the events of the first book. He even stepped away from being a bodyguard and wound up working as a nightclub bouncer.
While on the job he spies the daughter of a commanding officer from his days in the Army right before she gets accosted by a man with a knife.
That's the spark that gets him back into the bodyguard business by protecting her. He's just not prepared for who he is protecting her from after discovering members and former members of the SAS are involved in a bizarre custody battle amongst her parents.
While on the job he spies the daughter of a commanding officer from his days in the Army right before she gets accosted by a man with a knife.
That's the spark that gets him back into the bodyguard business by protecting her. He's just not prepared for who he is protecting her from after discovering members and former members of the SAS are involved in a bizarre custody battle amongst her parents.
August 3, 2021
My first book of Greg Rucka's and I look forward to reading more. Atticus Kodiak, former soldier, provides body guarding services and works as a bouncer when times are lean. After receiving a call from his former boss, a truly vile man, he agrees to protect the man's daughter from a threat that is not explicitly explained to him. Well, that's obviously a dumb decision, as the rest of the book goes on to show, when Atticus and the girl, Erika, are attacked by an SAS group (Britain's special forces). Very good and fast reading!
August 9, 2023
Rucka does just the most terrible things to his protagonist, punishing him both physically and mentally, and for some reason it results in some of the most powerful, compelling writing I've ever encountered.
Rereading this second Atticus Kodiak novel, knowing where the character goes from here, it's impossible not to recognize the choices he makes here that continue him on his dark path. The worst / best part is that none of what follows is inevitable.
I love it.
Rereading this second Atticus Kodiak novel, knowing where the character goes from here, it's impossible not to recognize the choices he makes here that continue him on his dark path. The worst / best part is that none of what follows is inevitable.
I love it.
September 8, 2025
Tras el violento desenlace que deja su primera entrega, la segunda aventura del guardaespaldas Atticus Kodiak pone a prueba su temple al encararlo con cicatrices de su pasado, deudas morales impagas y operativos SAS donde muestra una franca desventaja conjunta. Un peldaño abajo respecto a su historia inicial - quizá por algunas decisiones argumentales forzadas -, sigue entreteniendo gracias al tono y ritmo.
November 6, 2017
Another excellently written book from Rucka, although this series is very grim and depressing. I recognize that it's somewhat of a noir (action noir?), but it still becomes a little overpowering, which doesn't make it bad, but I'm not sure its for me. I also think elements of it are a little soap-operaish, which is not what I'm looking for in a book like this.
October 8, 2020
I hated this book and can’t believe it has a higher rating than Keeper. The premise isn’t engaging or well developed, which makes it hard to believe. The characters have little depth and the story only highlights their negative relationships and characteristics. And the sexist way Rucka described females in the first book turned into aggressive judgement and name calling in this book.
June 28, 2019
3* Enjoyed it, but not as much as the first novel in the series.
August 16, 2020
Става, но има твърде много оръжие, ритници и подобни. Твърде малко от всичко останало.
April 10, 2023
This was just not that good. I really love most of Greg Rucka’s stuff but this was just sort of…boring. The plot was fairly straightforward and the motivations were all messed up.
September 20, 2012
Somehow even more engaging than "Keeper", Greg Rucka's second installment in the Atticus Kodiak series is a model for how to do a cross-genre thriller. It's not a detective story, though the elements are there, nor is it a straight up action thriller. What we get instead is what Rucka does best, a character study set within the bounds of genre fiction.
Atticus Kodiak is a great character. He's young in a way that allows him to make mistakes that a character a few years older would avoid. Except in the case of Kodiak, we get the sense that his personality would dictate that though he had identified the misstep, he may very well go through with it anyway. There is an element of inexorable self-harm to Kodiak that truly comes out in this installment. I think it was with this book that Rucka really figured out who he wanted Kodiak to be. In "Keeper" his identity as a bodyguard was established but the internal machinations of the character were kept locked down in order for the story to move forward. I feel that the reverse is true with "Finder" as Kodiak's actions in his personal life affect the plot more severely. We really get to see how at odds his decisions within the sphere of his personal life reflect on his work.
"Finder" is a book that manages to escalate the threat facing Atticus while at the same time narrowing the focus and allowing for a more personal connection to his principle. Whereas "Keeper" built the connection to Atticus and Co.'s protectee through the course of the book and plot twists therein, it is arguable that at the end of the day his relationship with the person he was protecting was simply a business decision even if his thoughts on the matter changed. With "Finder" Rucka is able to justify many of Atticus' actions because there is no way for Atticus to sever the personal connection to his principle and the business side of the transaction. They are one and the same in this instance and the fact that the forces working against him are so above his level make the threat of failure very real as well as compelling to the reader on a dramatic level.
To put it bluntly, Rucka hits his stride here in a way very few writers ever do. This is the kind of book that makes you glad there are more installments waiting down the line, even if you know that what you are going to read may twist your guts and make you a little uncomfortable. Good guys get hurt and nice people make bad decisions and the empathy you feel toward those characters may make it hard to turn the page but the writing is so good you soldier on anyway.
Atticus Kodiak is a great character. He's young in a way that allows him to make mistakes that a character a few years older would avoid. Except in the case of Kodiak, we get the sense that his personality would dictate that though he had identified the misstep, he may very well go through with it anyway. There is an element of inexorable self-harm to Kodiak that truly comes out in this installment. I think it was with this book that Rucka really figured out who he wanted Kodiak to be. In "Keeper" his identity as a bodyguard was established but the internal machinations of the character were kept locked down in order for the story to move forward. I feel that the reverse is true with "Finder" as Kodiak's actions in his personal life affect the plot more severely. We really get to see how at odds his decisions within the sphere of his personal life reflect on his work.
"Finder" is a book that manages to escalate the threat facing Atticus while at the same time narrowing the focus and allowing for a more personal connection to his principle. Whereas "Keeper" built the connection to Atticus and Co.'s protectee through the course of the book and plot twists therein, it is arguable that at the end of the day his relationship with the person he was protecting was simply a business decision even if his thoughts on the matter changed. With "Finder" Rucka is able to justify many of Atticus' actions because there is no way for Atticus to sever the personal connection to his principle and the business side of the transaction. They are one and the same in this instance and the fact that the forces working against him are so above his level make the threat of failure very real as well as compelling to the reader on a dramatic level.
To put it bluntly, Rucka hits his stride here in a way very few writers ever do. This is the kind of book that makes you glad there are more installments waiting down the line, even if you know that what you are going to read may twist your guts and make you a little uncomfortable. Good guys get hurt and nice people make bad decisions and the empathy you feel toward those characters may make it hard to turn the page but the writing is so good you soldier on anyway.
April 15, 2019
Edición española, Colección Brainstorming núm. 12. Segunda novela ¿y última publicada en castellano? de Atticus Kodiak.
July 4, 2012
The second Atticus Kodiak book does what Keeper did so well, and that is make the characters, situations and events feel real. I sometimes think Rucka was a better writer at the start of his career, or maybe he has a better handle on Kodiak's world than Tara Chace (his other novel series). The time Rucka spent researching the SAS, private security, and the New York bondage scene pays off story wise.
The reason this book had stayed in my TBR pile for awhile was because I wasn't ready to see how far down Kodiak had sunk since Keeper. Finally, I just decided to give in and go with it. Since his best friend's death at the end of Keeper, former bodyguard Kodiak is now working as a bouncer at a New York bondage club. Then one night the daughter of a colonel he guarded when he was Army security walks into the club, and a man wielding a knife attempts to grab her and take out of there.
We get more of Kodiak's Army background, and Moore, one of the SAS is given some decent space to develop as a character. Kodiak fails at pulling himself up completely from the depths, and he screws up his personal life even more than it was.
A flawed main character, well paced, and believeable. Give it a try.
The reason this book had stayed in my TBR pile for awhile was because I wasn't ready to see how far down Kodiak had sunk since Keeper. Finally, I just decided to give in and go with it. Since his best friend's death at the end of Keeper, former bodyguard Kodiak is now working as a bouncer at a New York bondage club. Then one night the daughter of a colonel he guarded when he was Army security walks into the club, and a man wielding a knife attempts to grab her and take out of there.
We get more of Kodiak's Army background, and Moore, one of the SAS is given some decent space to develop as a character. Kodiak fails at pulling himself up completely from the depths, and he screws up his personal life even more than it was.
A flawed main character, well paced, and believeable. Give it a try.
October 27, 2014
It always (pleasantly) surprises me when I find an author in the thriller genre who develops three dimensional and flawed characters. Greg Rucka is one of those unicorns. The main character in this series, Atticus Kodiak, is an ex-Army professional bodyguard. He suffers a tragic personal loss in the first book ("Keeper") and is trying to cope with that loss in this, the second book of the series. Let's just say he doesn't exactly deserve an A for his coping mechanisms.
There is a mystery/adventure wrapped around the grief as well. And the ending is well-paced and surprisingly ambivalent. For those of you who like clear cut endings (and I'm one of them), the ending works surprisingly well and is fitting.
I like the fact that the main character articulates his faults, rather than just acts like the strong and silent and flawed type. And I also really like the fact that Atticus wears glasses. It adds a significant human touch to his character and the books that he always has to figure out where he put them or worry that they've been lost or broken.
I've really enjoyed every single book of the author's that I've read. I look forward to reading the third book of this series!
There is a mystery/adventure wrapped around the grief as well. And the ending is well-paced and surprisingly ambivalent. For those of you who like clear cut endings (and I'm one of them), the ending works surprisingly well and is fitting.
I like the fact that the main character articulates his faults, rather than just acts like the strong and silent and flawed type. And I also really like the fact that Atticus wears glasses. It adds a significant human touch to his character and the books that he always has to figure out where he put them or worry that they've been lost or broken.
I've really enjoyed every single book of the author's that I've read. I look forward to reading the third book of this series!
February 20, 2012
The second of the Atticus Kodiak novels. This one opens with a blast from the hero’s past: back when he was in the Army, Atticus watched over a Colonel. Atticus had an affair with the Colonel’s wife and befriended her daughter Erika. Now, the Colonel, though he hates Atticus, hires him to watch Erika, while he and his wife each send rogue SAS teams after one another.
Okay, when you put it like that, it sounds preposterous. But as a thriller, it’s damn good --- the tension between the characters is palpable, and the action is riveting and almost real: Atticus gets beaten, shot and stunned quite a bit; he’s tough, but no superhero he. The subplot of a romantic triangle between the bodyguard, Bridgett and Natalie only adds to the dramatic weight of the book.
Okay, when you put it like that, it sounds preposterous. But as a thriller, it’s damn good --- the tension between the characters is palpable, and the action is riveting and almost real: Atticus gets beaten, shot and stunned quite a bit; he’s tough, but no superhero he. The subplot of a romantic triangle between the bodyguard, Bridgett and Natalie only adds to the dramatic weight of the book.
March 14, 2012
No sophomore slump here and I'm eager to move on to the next book in the series. Kodiak is an interesting character and Rucka explores a lot more of his backstory in this book as well as continuing to develop the relationships between Kodiak and the other members of the team.
Rucka has found a great niche with an action thriller that doesn't fall strictly into the crime genre and doesn't involve a cop or a PI, but it's hard to imagine just how far he can take a series about a bodyguard who, by virtue of the need to come up with a novel-length thriller, has to fail at his job. Which isn't to suggest that I won't keep reading.
Rucka has found a great niche with an action thriller that doesn't fall strictly into the crime genre and doesn't involve a cop or a PI, but it's hard to imagine just how far he can take a series about a bodyguard who, by virtue of the need to come up with a novel-length thriller, has to fail at his job. Which isn't to suggest that I won't keep reading.
November 3, 2011
I often hear this described as a detective series, which is completely inaccurate. Atticus Kodiak is, at least for the first few books, a professional bodyguard, not a detective. While the book does share some aspects with the crime genre, it is primarily concerned with the world of close protection and bodyguarding - something that I found both unique and fascinating. Rucka's lead character is largely appealing and sympathetic, if something of a blank slate. While the plot moves quickly and is moderately entertaining, its not really the appeal of the book, in my opinion, but rather the unique perspective that the story is told from.
March 25, 2013
An easy, highly entertaining read, Finder reads something like an spy/detective novel, though this profession allows for some free time, so despite the poor name choice, Atticus Kodiak has a bit more personality (read: hang-ups) than crime-novel protagonists. Because of this, Finder doesn't have many lulls (save for the ridiculous amount of commas), and the result is a book that reads like a movie.
So, for me, Finder served its purpose of being something I could burn through casually before moving on to something bigger. I'd recommend it to anyone, of pretty much any reading level (it's easy stuff), who's looking for an exciting, fast-paced read.
So, for me, Finder served its purpose of being something I could burn through casually before moving on to something bigger. I'd recommend it to anyone, of pretty much any reading level (it's easy stuff), who's looking for an exciting, fast-paced read.
April 2, 2011
I know Greg Rucka from his work on comics, mostly his spy series Queen & Country, his DC work, the pseudo-spy Checkmate, and a run on Batman in Detective. Finder is the second novel to feature professional bodyguard Atticus Kodiak (is that a great character name or what?). I liked it as much as the first novel. I won’t say much about the plot, but Rucka’s writing style carries the book along at a breakneck pace, even in the “slower” moments. This was a really quick read for me, and one I really enjoyed.
August 13, 2010
Salvation through guns and violence. Good guys and bad guys. International intrigue, mercenaries, and big money. I prefer a smaller scale kind of story, ordinary people thrown into ordinary dangers and dilemmas. All the relationship stuff that filled in the long stretches between action scenes kept me reading but didn't suck me in, enthrall me. Overall, it was alright, kept me reading, but it'll be awhile before I pull Smoker off my shelf.
September 24, 2007
TITLE/AUTHOR: FINDER by Greg Rucka
RATING: 3/C
GENRE/PUB DATE/# OF PGS: Suspense, 1997, 352 pgs
TIME/PLACE: 1990's NYC
CHARACTERS: Atticus Kodiak/bodyguard
COMMENTS: #2 in Atticus Kodiak series. Characters did not
engage me. Heavy handed on the fighting/action scenes. Atticus is hired to protect the teenaged daughter of an Army Colonel he used to work for.
RATING: 3/C
GENRE/PUB DATE/# OF PGS: Suspense, 1997, 352 pgs
TIME/PLACE: 1990's NYC
CHARACTERS: Atticus Kodiak/bodyguard
COMMENTS: #2 in Atticus Kodiak series. Characters did not
engage me. Heavy handed on the fighting/action scenes. Atticus is hired to protect the teenaged daughter of an Army Colonel he used to work for.
October 28, 2009
Kodiak #2. In Finder, Atticus protects the daughter of a retired army General named Erika Wyatt (A general Atticus protected during his time in the Army). Finder picks up right after Keeper with Atticus and friends still dealing with the dramatic events at the end of Keeper. Finder provides suspense and cinematic action sequences, a page turner from beginning to end.
March 10, 2010
Another winner by Rucka. Bodyguard Atticus Kodiak see the teenage daughter of Colonel Wyatt, one of his former protection cases while in the service, in a bondage club in NYC. Kodiak removes the girl from the club only to be attacked by a SAS agent. Lot's of questions, why is the SAS involved, where is the ex-wife of Wyatt and who does the girl need protection from? Lots of twists and turns.
May 17, 2016
I read this as an audiobook from my library. I was put off a little bit by the beginning. I don't have any issues with alt lifestyles (after all, aren't they all?) but I don't need that much detail. Got past it in the story was quite engaging with well-developed characters that you can both like and hate.
November 19, 2007
A decent thriller book in the vein of Tom Clancy by a good writer, Greg Rucka. Also the author of great comics, 52, Gotham Central, Checkmate, Whiteout. I think I like his comics more than his prose.
September 26, 2010
The second in the Atticus Kodiak series, this book is as amazing as the first. The ending, much like the last one, isn't your traditional happy ending yet it is not as deeply hard-hitting as the first but still is emotional and tugs at the heart strings.
May 1, 2007
Great.
March 23, 2009
I love Greg Rucka's writing, and Finder is no exception. That being said, this is pretty bleak stuff - and I say that as somebody who has a very, very high tolerance for bleak.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews