Polish Power

Just finished another book in Duane Swierczynski's ouvre, roman noir updated for the post-internet age. It's called Severance Package, to go along with the book I finished last week which was The Blonde, and I've got to say: as trashy, black-hearted fun, I haven't been into an author like this since I "discovered" Andrew Vachss for myself. If that doesn't mean anything to you well, I'm sorry let me break it down. Take a little film noir, a little tragicomedy, and a whole lot of the old ultra-violence. Some of it shreds credulity to bits, but hey I'm not too particular for fun Summer reading.

The Blonde is about a guy who gets poisoned in an airport bar by the titular blonde and then needs to help her stay alive amidst high-tech espionage and non-stop action. Severance Package is about a guy who works for a high-stakes financial firm who gets called in for work one Saturday and finds out that the firm is actually an black-ops intelligence front but that the operation has been closed and all involved have been ordered eliminated. It's high concept, but not high camp, and Swierczynski pulls it off.

Next step for me? I'm reading the Wheelman.