The Contractor

by Charles Holdefer, Judith Shepard (Editor)

The Contractor is the first novel to address the issue of American secret prisons in the war on terrorism. George Young, its narrator is a devoted family man and Gulf War veteran, who, when a hometown business venture flops, accepts work as a contracted civilian interrogator for the U.S. government. Soon he's overseas at a secret holding facility for suspected terrorists, a place called Omega.

The work pays well, but his personal life is crumbling. His wife with whom he is forbidden to talk about the work he does is becoming more and more enamoured of gin and tonic. Worse, a detainee dies in George's hands during a "routine" interrogation. Frightened and confused, the detainee repeatedly asks, "Who are you?" just before dying of an apparent heart attack. These words echo throughout the novel and send George on a painful journey of self-interrogation and discovery. In order to defend his country and his family, must George betray his humanity?

Weaving George's personal life into his professional work deepens this exploration of both mind and soul; of alienations that are startling, maddening, and saddening. Its power lies in the inevitable ways reasonable people can be led to do unreasonable things.

The denouement is both chilling and unforgettable. It puts a human face on depravity and the consequences felt by inquisitors as well as those they interrogate.

200 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2007

About the author

Charles Holdefer is the author of five novels, including the forthcoming Bring Me the Head of Mr. Boots. His novel, The Contractor, was an American Booksellers' Association 'Book Sense Pick' and his hybrid collection Magic Even You Can Do was an SPD Handpicked selection.

His short fiction and essays have appeared in the New England Review, Chicago Quarterly Review, Los Angeles Review and Slice. His story "The Raptor" was selected for the 2017 Pushcart Prize anthology.

Charles grew up in Iowa and now teaches at the University of Poitiers, France.

Reviews

[Kat Jenkins · Rating 1 out of 5]

I listened as an audiobook. I kept waiting for it to get good...or to even have a point. Neither happened. Ray Porter does a good job as narrator (as he always does) but this book is a hot mess.

[Nicole]

"The Contractor, while about a private contractor performing interrogations for the US government, is far from simply a novel about the current war. George Young, a veteran-turned-private-interrogator, narrates a fascinating story just as much about the inner life of a middle aged husband and father as about terrorists and secret detention facilities.[return][return]Young makes great money and his family can live with him on an unidentified tropical island, but that hardly makes life easy. His job has put a strain on his marriage and stressed his wife enough to make her at least a borderline alcoholic. And he still has to deal with all the typical worries of a father: is his young son possibly gay; how can he navigate Christmas with super-religious in-laws; how should he deal with a brother who betrayed his trust? And on top of it all, he's got a pretty emotionally draining day job.[return][return]Young's first-person narration is excellent. Every thought, tangent, flashback, and chain of logic felt just right, and I was impressed by how comprehensible I found a person so superficially different from myself. I was fascinated by him and raced through the book. Those who would normally avoid fiction about current events, or violence, should not be put off by the subject matter. This is very much a novel of family life, introspection, and self-examination, and written in excellent prose, too."

[Permanent Press]

"George Young is a freelance interrogator working for the U.S. government at a top-secret island prison. His assignment: question suspected terrorists and find out whatever he can. And when a prisoner dies during interrogation, after repeatedly asking the question, “Who are you?” George realizes that, somewhere along the way, he has indeed lost sight of who he is and what sort of person he is supposed to be. By placing this familiar theme in a new (and very timely) setting, Holdefer gives us additional layers of emotional depth: George isn’t just trying to figure out who he is; he is trying to figure out what his country is, and whether he is a good guy or just another terrorist wearing a different suit of clothes. A compelling mix of thriller, psychodrama, and, yes, political commentary." -Booklist

[Corey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclaimer: The author was kind enough to send me a copy.

Although the narrative starts out slow, it picks up steam about a quarter of the way into the book and doesn't drop until the final page. The protagonist, George Young, is an average American guy who stumbles into the veiled, dangerous world of private contracting. Contrary to what readers might expect, there are no graphic, perverse scenes of torture. Rather, the book takes a more psychological tack and investigates the mental toll Young's work takes on him over a relatively short period of time. Much of the book is set away from the unnamed island prison where Young works, and these scenes--apart from the final climax in the book's closing pages--are the most thoughtful and convincing.

[courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

the humor is handled brilliantly in this book, i really loved a lot about it DESPITE the fact that i couldn't get all that excited or interested in the narrator. the pace of the book is great, and as i mentioned, the humor is effective... i wish i was more into tough guy fiction.

[Earl · Rating 3 out of 5]

People who torture for a living should not be searching their souls.

[Barbara · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldn't even get to the third page. Just not worth my time. Boring and not well written.