Customer Reviews

Chris Bunch's The Gangster Conspiracy: A Star Risk, Ltd., Novel

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Sometimes when an author (or authors) takes on the responsibility of continuing a series that a deceased author has started, the results can be problematic. Actually they can be gawdawful. Some of the Austen, Conan Doyle and Sayers continuations leap to mind (and are quickly repressed). I was particularly concerned since even though Star Risk is an old friend of mine, I had recently discovered and read all the Sten novels. As a result I was very familiar with Chris Bunch's style and deft touch.
But I needn't have worried (and neither should you) since the Perrys deliver magnificently. The characterizations, the wry humor, the plot line and the action sequences were all handled beautifully. I feel that two points are key to the authors' excellent work. First is that the whole book seamlessly blended in with the previous Star Risk novels so you got the idea that the Perrys had actually sat down and read Chris Bunch's work. This book is not some kind of cheap clone, it is more like the Perrys are skilled and experienced authors who can enter into the spirit of the series without stomping all over it. Secondly is the ending. There is one. Not that there isn't room for further Star Risk adventures, it is just that so many continuations use a hackneyed, breathless cliff-hanger as an ending. I am never quite sure whether this is because the author just doesn't have the expertise to know when the story ends or (more likely) they want to insure you buy the next book.
Overall, this is a dandy space yarn that pays tribute to the originator of the series and is well worth singing the "I don't care if it is 0200 I just have to finish the book" morning after blues.

The bottom line has improved considerably at Star Risk, an interstellar security service firm, but the company still remains in some trouble. Thus, when Josiah Williams wants to hire them, the company does not care what he needs; they will do almost anything for the right price.

Williams' client, a confederation of labor unions, is in the middle of difficult acrimonious negotiations. He will pay a fortune for Star Risk to employ a mercenary force to blockade a remote system that will force management to its knees begging for a settlement favorable to the union alliance. Preventing exporting of products is an easy job for Star Risk so they accept especially since the terms include a hefty sum for the firm. However, sometimes the simple turns out more dangerous and complex as Williams has only provided an iota of what is going on. The Star Risk squad all think the same thought that those who inherit their portion of the credit fee will thank them posthumously for making them such easy money.

Paying homage to the late Chris Bunch, who created the Star Risk mercenary science fiction thrillers, Steve and Dal Perry provide a terrific entry in the outer space saga. The story line is action-packed, but it is the conspiracy that makes for a fine time as the crew believes once again they feel like THE DOG FROM HELL as victims of THE DOUBLECROSS PROGRAM. Fans will enjoy this smooth well written interpretation of Chris Bunch' military mercenaries in space.

Harriet Klausner

While you can see where the authors diverged from the original series they still kept good old Star Risk in top form allowing for some characters to truly shine in their own right. That being said however not much development was done beyond what was already set down in the series which is understandable given that they are picking up where C. Bunch left off.

Still, overall you can see that this may be meant to be the final chapter and allow closure to a great series. Personally I would like to see them keep going but if not then that's ok as it's been a heck of a ride from a great series.

Though well written and exciting sequal. It is not nearly as exciting as Chris Bunch would of made it.
For starters none of the main characters would be sitting around a table mopping. There would be small plots going on at the same time as the main story. Interaction between others and the main player would have a more impact on how each character reacts.
Though I enjoyed the book and the authors maintain the semblance Risk Inc. atmosphere there was some thing lacking. It did not keep me on the edge of my seat to see how it would turn out.

I have loved this series from the very first page. Bunch's space rogues did battle with wit and grace. So it is sad that this is the end of the series. The ending is so final that it would be hard to bring these characters back. I can tell you that I was upset after the final page and I waited to write this to cool off. Now that I have, I can see that this wasn't the ending that I wanted. The story is thin like the others, but what is missing is the heart and soul of the characters. There was forced humor not humor that flowed from the characters. Goodnight and Grok didn't quite mesh with their banter. Half way through the book you can tell that Bunch's deft touch of humor and character is missing. That is not the fault of the Perrys. These characters are not their characters. They didn't create them and it shows. If I hadn't read the other novels then this book would have been better for me, but I did and I sorry that my friends went out with out the fanfare they deserved.

A quick read that was entertaining and it was nice to read Star Risk in action again.

However, I thought the characterization was a little off. Another review nailed it. The thing that bothered me the most was Jasmine. She was some kind of professional knife fighter/super spy that was an expert in explosives. It has been a while since I read the last book but when did this happen?

By itself was a good book and I am still happy that I got to read one more even though it wasn't Bunch.

I think this book was meant to be a closure for the series. I don't anticipate another one. Maybe Perry will do a spin-off

This is a great finale (I think) to the Star Risk series. As usual our heroes end up in all sorts of trouble. I will miss the Star Risk gang.

Basically, I found this sadly lacking when comparing it to the 97 steps series, Mushashi Flex, omega cage, digital effect, forever drug, trinity vector, etc. It's not even as good as the Stellar Rangers series, and I thought that was the worst thing he'd written.

The key problem is lack of character exposition. You don't really get to know these people; typically, in previous works, Perry took the time to give you background on each character, made them interact and so forth.

In this book, that is absent - not lesser, but actually absent. Since this book was written with his son, I'm going to presume that this was a consequence of the son's input to the process. All action, no exposition worth talking about.

What you get instead is action. Lots of it, but without ever really getting into the underlying rationale for what is going on except in the very broadest strokes.

I won't be buying any further Perry father/son books unless I see some real encouragement from other reviewers. I have liked, in the past, pretty much everything I have run into that Steve Perry himself wrote. But it is not at all clear to me that the addition of the son to the process has been of benefit.

What I'm hoping for is more books in the 97 steps series. Or maybe a sequel to the trinity vector, which really has some possibilities left hanging!

I really don't understand those people complaining that the authors did not do these characters justice. I found the original series at a used book store (a buck each) and tried really hard to like them. While the works were not awful, it would be a stretch to call them more than mediocre in any way. In steps the Perry's (the only reason I bought this book). Now, it is a long established rule that, when taking over a series, ghostwriting, or otherwise contributing to another author's universe, you attempt to emulate their style, theme, character development, etc. So, again, reading some of these reviews, I have to wonder, "What did people expect?" The new authors were given shallow characters and a history of two dimensional plots, and continued with that formula. They toned the ethics down a bit, took some characters off center stage, and added a bit more action (which helped), but otherwise continued in the "spirit" of the series. Perry also brought his martial arts experience to the pages, and, while some people complained that the crew became experts fairly quickly (I will grant them that), I would much prefer an author write a fight scene with authority and experience, rather then have everyone throwing "haymakers", or just skipping over the details.

All in all, this was not a great series, and this book does not make it so. What this book does is continue in the spirit of the original story, and attempt to add closure to the main character's lives. To be honest, Perry is never at his best when writing within the constraints of another author's vision (I don't know any author who is). If you really want to see what this author is capable of, pick up the Matadora series (starting with, the Man Who Never Missed). The entire first trilogy isn't even 600 pages, total, yet tells a far more complete and rich saga than most authors can manage in 4 times the space. And, if you are looking for a complex (and depraved) "space opera" style series, try reading Donaldson's sci-fi (grin); I loved it, but I don't envy his shrink. If you thought Thomas was bad, wait 'til you meet Angus.

The problem with this entire series is that it is a rehash of the Stainless Steel Rat series by Harry Harrison except with more protagonists involved. Initially, the flippant tone is fun but after the third novel, it begins to pale. We're told that M'chel Riss and Jasmine King are gorgeous as well as competent at their jobs and skills but the constant re-emphasis just got to be a real drag: All right, already--we got the picture. Quit harping on it, okay? For a guy, nothing's going to beat a foldout picture so don't even try! Then the stories became very formulaic: Bad guys threaten good guys; good guys get help; bad guys get trounced. Then the last book in the series got a new tweak: Bad guys threaten good guys, good guys get help; good guys turn out to be just as bad as bad guys; both sides get trounced. Okay, neat. But where do you go from there? How many more variations on the theme can you do before you wear a hole in the rug? Somehow, Harry Harrison fleshed out his character of the Stainless Steel Rat much better than Chris Bunch did. And when the Perrys took over, after having read the excellent stuff that Steve Perry has come out with (especially the Matador series), it felt like he was slumming. Even his addition of the technology so common in his rather bleak Matador universe felt fake in this context. Cross-pollination just didn't work because Chris Bunch's original tone was so flippant that the juxtaposition was absolutely jarring to anybody who had ever followed Steve Perry's Matador series and suddenly found themselves in a "Matador Lite" or "Saturday Night Live, Matador-style" book.