I've been trying to carry out this kind of thread more frequently: wherein I draw attention to an unusual, obscure thriller I happen to know about and commend it to you.
Norman Hartley is not a well-known name in thriller fiction (he may be deceased by now, I haven't checked) and maybe he only penned one truly uncommon thriller novel.
But I've read it, and I'm a fan. I like his writing style even though I've only experienced it in one novel. It's simply a corker of a read: The Viking Process.
Do try to find a copy of the original Avon paperback with the copper cover and orange page ends. Hold it in your hands and turn the pages.
I've reviewed the work on Goodreads, but don't seek out my review. Just plunge in, take a gamble, try the book itself.
The hero of the tale is an "everyman" --an ordinary joe. He has some kind of job in information security. He has something casual in his head which makes him valuable in some way. It puts him at risk, which he doesn't realize in time. He is kidnapped by a terrorist group and forced to cooperate with their aims. That's just for starters.
The 'initial hook' is not so really very unusual --Ambler did the same thing in 'Topkapi'. What is different about this work is: setting and characters. An extraordinarily motley crew of oddballs and zanies.
The story is set in a spooky-yet-familiar, not-too-distant future which is kinda almost here today. That's the really nifty thing. Hartley had vision. This is a "thinking-man's" thriller. It's intellectual and sexual; ideological; and thick with almost non-stop action.
Hartley accurately predicts the cold, impersonal, semi-computerized world we live in today. Not in detail; it's just the background vibe of the whole story.
If you do discover my review of the book, you'll see my ire raised against its critics. This is because this novel's critics are like critics all over Goodreads. Obsessed with 'presentism'. Gee, are today's automobiles smaller? Yes, some are --but what exactly is the difference between a Cadillac and an SUV? Do people today wear their hair shorter? Yes, some do and some don't. There are still plenty of long-hairs. Don't split those hairs.
Reason for this recommendation: the 'copycat' quality of today's thrillers. Every contemporary hero seems to be an ex-SEAL.
Instead of all this militarism, "Viking Process" --a work of techno-terrorism; even sociology --is refreshing and unique. The writing is supple and mature.
The plot takes place in Canada and Britain ...I always wondered where exactly Hartley came from? He came outta nowhere and promptly disappeared. His works aren't being reprinted, as far as I can tell.
'Viking Process' is a disturbing look at the principles of violence, conflict, class, and capitalism. Still fresh, still original. Worth the interest of any jaded thriller reader today.
Norman Hartley is not a well-known name in thriller fiction (he may be deceased by now, I haven't checked) and maybe he only penned one truly uncommon thriller novel.
But I've read it, and I'm a fan. I like his writing style even though I've only experienced it in one novel. It's simply a corker of a read: The Viking Process.
Do try to find a copy of the original Avon paperback with the copper cover and orange page ends. Hold it in your hands and turn the pages.
I've reviewed the work on Goodreads, but don't seek out my review. Just plunge in, take a gamble, try the book itself.
The hero of the tale is an "everyman" --an ordinary joe. He has some kind of job in information security. He has something casual in his head which makes him valuable in some way. It puts him at risk, which he doesn't realize in time. He is kidnapped by a terrorist group and forced to cooperate with their aims. That's just for starters.
The 'initial hook' is not so really very unusual --Ambler did the same thing in 'Topkapi'. What is different about this work is: setting and characters. An extraordinarily motley crew of oddballs and zanies.
The story is set in a spooky-yet-familiar, not-too-distant future which is kinda almost here today. That's the really nifty thing. Hartley had vision. This is a "thinking-man's" thriller. It's intellectual and sexual; ideological; and thick with almost non-stop action.
Hartley accurately predicts the cold, impersonal, semi-computerized world we live in today. Not in detail; it's just the background vibe of the whole story.
If you do discover my review of the book, you'll see my ire raised against its critics. This is because this novel's critics are like critics all over Goodreads. Obsessed with 'presentism'. Gee, are today's automobiles smaller? Yes, some are --but what exactly is the difference between a Cadillac and an SUV? Do people today wear their hair shorter? Yes, some do and some don't. There are still plenty of long-hairs. Don't split those hairs.
Reason for this recommendation: the 'copycat' quality of today's thrillers. Every contemporary hero seems to be an ex-SEAL.
Instead of all this militarism, "Viking Process" --a work of techno-terrorism; even sociology --is refreshing and unique. The writing is supple and mature.
The plot takes place in Canada and Britain ...I always wondered where exactly Hartley came from? He came outta nowhere and promptly disappeared. His works aren't being reprinted, as far as I can tell.
'Viking Process' is a disturbing look at the principles of violence, conflict, class, and capitalism. Still fresh, still original. Worth the interest of any jaded thriller reader today.