Avenging Angel (Jake Strait) [Mass Market Paperback]

Frank Rich (Author)

Book Description

Series: Jake Strait | Publication Date: January 9, 2007

In the deadly inner city of the year 2031, modern-day bounty hunter Jake Strait is drawn into a lethal political plot that promises to destroy the city.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 348 pages
• Publisher: Gold Eagle (January 9, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0373632614
• ISBN-13: 978-0373632619
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #928,474 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Far exceeded expectations, March 18, 2007

By 

Frater J (IL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Avenging Angel (Jake Strait) (Mass Market Paperback)

I'll be quite honest, when I picked this book up I wasn't expecting much. I had an hour to kill before the bank opened, and I grabbed it at K Mart, which is not where I usually think I will find many decent books.

And I was pleasantly surprised. The book originally published in 93 is a "not-too-distant-future" ala Shadowrun (but without the magic and that sort of thing).

The protagonist, Jake Strait, is a "Private Enforcer" (also known as a Bogeyman), which is essentially an independent contractor providing servies as a hitman on subjects wanted by the government. Sort of a bounty hunter meets private detective, in a post-apocolyptic setting under a single world government. He is tough and witty, and has some excellent dialogue. It is as if someone melted Robert Crais's Elvis Cole and Joe Pike into a single character, and is done quite efficiently.

The setting of the story, with the single political party, and the class systems in place, are that of fantasy, but are not unbeliveable. The world Rich has put together is part Blade Runner, part Soylent Green, part cyberpunk, and part Mad Max style, and is quite interesting.

The thing that really caught my eye was the fact that the author, is actually a good writer. The way Frank Rich describes things from fist fights, to passionate lovemaking with such profound understanding of the human psyche and poetic style, really took me by surprise. He is so skilled that I am genuinely surprised he has not written more.

I seriously recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Neo-Noir, Cyberpunk, Hard-Boiled detectives, or just sci-fi in general.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Jake is one Strait Up Read!!, January 24, 2007

By 

Apollo Reader (Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Avenging Angel (Jake Strait) (Mass Market Paperback)

Frank Rich's debut novel of this resusitated series is much more than what me and my wife thought it would be. Much more.

I don't know why we didn't catch this back in it's debut year, (sometime in the early 90's), the new revision is richer in cover design, something along the lines of Punisher-meets-Deathlands. Or Punisher-meets-Micky Spillane-in postholocaust world. It is truly unique and original.

Frank Rich's prose sometimes was humorous, dark and gritty, but lyrical at times that would take these readers aback with surprise. Never dull with rich characterization and high-octane action/adventure, Jake Strait is a colorful character that grows as the novel progresses.

Book #1 here starts out in the year 2031 where America has been taken over by a new regime called - The Party. This dark new world order is covert, attempting to shape the states to their own dark designs. Jake Stait is something between a detective and a mercenary, and much more. The kids are scared of him and call his kind bogeymen. He takes on eveything except for political jobs. But in this novel, Jake slowly becomes embroiled within a plot that twists and turns until the very end - and Jake unwittingly finds himself becoming a leader of a resistance group.

If you like your novels filled with action and intrigue, mixed with various rich characters and a dark mystery, then this fantastic newly-arisen series is for you. My wife and I are new fans of this wonderful author, and look very much forward to Book #2: The Devil Knocks coming in April.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent work!, July 12, 2007

By 

J. Jones "TPRJones" (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Avenging Angel (Jake Strait Book #1) (Jake Strait Bogeyman) (Paperback)

PLEASE NOTE: The prior 2-star review from Gemma "bookworm" is about the wrong book! That's about the western novel Avenging Angel, which this is certainly not.

Taking place in a very grim near-future, this story about Jake Strait - a wise-cracking alcoholic ex-military bounty hunter - is very well written with snappy dialogue and an engrossing setting. When he is tricked into doing a political hit, finding out who and why has him stepping on some very important toes. Setting things right and living through it is going to be nearly impossible, but that doesn't stop him from trying.