Dick Wolf

The backstory: The Execution is the second novel in Dick Wolf's Jeremy Fisk series, after The Intercept. This review, like the book itself, contains spoilers if you have not read The Intercept.

The basics: Shortly after the Mexican presidential election, twenty-three beheaded bodies are found beheaded on the U.S. border. Mexican intelligence officer Cecilia Garza recognizes it as the work of Chuparosa, a man she's been chasing for years. Meanwhile in New York City, it's United Nations Week, show more and NYPD terrorism detective Jeremy Fisk must keep numerous world leaders, including the newly elected Mexican president, safe.

My thoughts: After being surprised by how much I liked The Intercept, I was eager to see what The Execution had in store for Jeremy Fisk and the United States. Fisk is still reeling from the events of The Intercept, and Wolf doesn't shy away from revealing plot details. The Execution is clearly not intended to double as a standalone, and that's a good thing for Fisk's character development. Fisk is a dynamic character, and I particularly enjoy his antihero tendencies. He's a good guy, but he doesn't always play the rules.

Fisk shared the spotlight with another well-drawn character, Cecelia Garza. Her backstory is as fascinating as her present, and she demonstrates Wolf's ability to craft strong characters besides Fisk. The pacing in The Execution never feels frantic, but one of the reasons it's such a thrilling read is the sense that no one is truly safe. Wolf is a bold plotter, and I hope that continues in his thrillers. As a reader, I like to think of even beloved characters in true peril, as it mimics the realities of life so well.

Favorite passage: "Life. So strange the paths we take. I think that to meet anyone on a crowded city street, even for an appointment, is a small miracle. But for us, for our lives, to intersect again like this, twenty years after leaving the incubator of the university...it is not mere fate, it is something richer. Not necessarily fraught with meaning..but profound nonetheless."

The verdict: While not quite as compelling as The Intercept, The Execution is a tightly plotted, well-crafted thriller. The action is intense, but thankfully it slows down from time to time to offer some poignant moments with its well-developed characters. show less

The backstory: Dick Wolf, perhaps most famous for creating all of the Law & Order series, as well as my beloved Chicago Fire. The Intercept is his first novel, presumably of a series, given the subtitle: a Jeremy Fisk novel.

The basics: Jeremy Fisk is an NYPD officer who works in the Intelligence Division to combat terrorism. When a terror attempt on a commercial flight is disrupted days before July 4, when One World Trade Center is set to be dedicated, Fisk and partner Krina Gersten work to show more figure out who was behind the attack and what they might be planning next.

My thoughts: As much as I adore all things Law & Order (and Chicago Fire), I was somewhat skeptical about this novel. Does Wolf have novel-writing chops? Having brilliant ideas for television shows isn't easy, but it's also not necessarily the same skill set as writing a well-crafted terrorism thriller. My fears were soon put to rest, as Wolf skillfully developed characters and mixed it with a compelling and smart terrorism plot. The Intercept succeeds initially because it is so close to reality. Osama bin Laden is a character, and Wolf pulls the traditional "ripped from the headlines" stories you'd expect from the Law & Orders. The more you already know about these current events will likely heighten your enjoyment of this novel. Things are shocking and provocative, but they're logical, which makes it even more frightening:
"For every terror plot that arose organically, which is to say without domestic law enforcement interference--the underwear bomber in a jetliner over Detroit, or the planned attack on Fort Dix, New Jersey--two others originated with the prodding of undercover federal agents. Not unlike actual terror cell leaders, they radicalized vulnerable Muslim suspects by fomenting anti-American dissent and supplying the conspirators with dummy materials, such as fake C-4 explosive or harmless blasting caps. These paper conspiracies were then passed off as major law enforcement victories, vanquished threats to say that the FBI had instigated more terror plots in the United States since 9/11 than Al-Qaida."
Wolf also manages to write from the point of view of terrorists eerily: "They must be made to believe we repeat ourselves out of a desperation to act." My biggest problem Andre Dubus III's Garden of Last Days was that the voice of the terrorist wasn't believable. Wolf manages to bring understanding, if not quite empathy, to the mind of a terrorist. I said to more than one friend who pondered "who could do this?" after the Boston Marathon bombing: read The Intercept. It may not fully answer the question, but it gets quite close.

Favorite passage: "I have not lost God, Miss. What I have lost is the idea that I can ever know what God is. That is why religion has become a curse on the earth. Nobody can know. But everybody presumes. Many are willing to kill without knowing. Without even thinking."

The verdict: The Intercept is a confidant, smart, and thrilling debut. Jeremy Fisk is a fascinating and flawed character, and I eagerly await his next adventure. show less

I rate books according to the genre and what I expect to get out of that genre. The Intercept is a classic thriller. When I read a thriller, I expect a quick, gripping read that leaves me a little bit disturbed with an uneasy 'this could really happen' feeling. I don't expect a lot of in-depth character development, scenery, or pretty words. In that respect, I would rate this book 4.5 stars because that is what it delivered. It took me perhaps 5 hours to read, I learned a few things I didn't show more know, it had a plausible jihadist plot, and my husband came down bleary-eyed at 3:30 a.m. to ask why I hadn't come to bed yet and I waved him off until I finished.

My only complaint was the protagonist could have been more fleshed out. My other complaint is that, when it's so easy to villify Islamicists with current world events, I wish there had been more insight into the motivations behind the villains and perhaps more HELPFUL followers of Islam who had more moderate views.

Thank you, Mr. Wolf, for this enjoyable Goodreads First-Reads Giveaway. show less

It is not surprising that Mr. Wolf is in the television industry as this book reads like a well written script. The story centers on a terrorist hijacking of a plane in which six unlikely heroes capture the terrorist before any damage is done. It appears that all is well until the protagonists do some additional research into the passengers on board the plane. It was truly only the tip of the iceberg. What I really like about the book is its fast pace and the skillful Mr. Wolf builds the show more tension to a very satisfying conclusion. I can see the Jeremy Fisk series being regulars on best seller lists over time. show less