Customer Reviews

A Gentleman's Game: A Queen & Country Novel

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Greg Rucka is spinning a series of novels off his Oni Press comic-book series about adventure, personal lives, and office politics in the British secret service. His first effort, A Gentleman's Game, promises well for the venture, and it is interesting to see how the characters translate from the graphic format to the prose novel.

Rucka's great strength is in creating flawed yet highly compelling characters. His protagonist, the intense and deadly Tara Chace, made a terrific spy in the comics and easily carries the lesser burden she shoulders in the novel, where one of the villains -- a British citizen turned terrorist, equally compelling -- gets nearly equal time. The novel also follows Tara's bitter, hostile, chain-smoking, gold-hearted boss, the great Paul Crocker, as he does his best to navigate the treacherous shoals of intelligence office politics to clear the way for his agents. New characters, like an amusing pair of Israeli spymasters, and old favorites from the comics like Tom Wallace and the stolid Poole, are equally interesting and welcome.

Rucka has a deep knowledge of his subject, and while his descriptions of weapons can become tiresome (he's the kind of guy who knows, and thinks we have to know, how many foot-pounds of pressure people put on triggers and the brand name every gun anyone has), his acronym-laden spy jargon is convincing and adds flavor to the text.

Rucka may always be a better comic book writer than novelist because he seems weakest when he describes places, people, and action -- things an artist can easily cover him on. But even at his weakest, he is perfectly adequate, and much of this book finds him at his best. There may have been one fight too many towards the end (another possible holdover from a comic-book sensibility), but any weaknesses in this book are minor compared to its strengths. Chace and Crocker are terrific characters, the setting and plot are convincing, and the story is gripping. I picked up A Gentleman's Game right after work and I didn't even put it down to cook and eat. It's intelligent entertainment; I can't wait for the next one.

Greg Rucka has been making a name for himself in the suspense genre for several years with his series of novels involving the enigmatic Atticus Kodiak. Rucka, however, is arguably best known to readers of sequential art collections (that would be comic books to you, fan boy!). He has been toiling mightily in that area for some years now, working on such A-list characters as Superman, Batman, Grendel, Wolverine and Wonder Woman. He has made what is arguably his greatest contribution to that genre with his own creation, a series of graphic novels titled QUEEN & COUNTRY, which involve the inner workings of a branch of a British intelligence agency. It is from the latter that A GENTLEMAN'S GAME, Rucka's latest novel, is drawn.

The focus of A GENTLEMAN'S GAME is Tara Chace, Minder One for The Division of Operations. She is, in less polite terms, an assassin, who is very good at what she does, which is to take out the bad guys --- the terrorists, who have the destruction of Great Britain on their minds and in their hearts. Chace does her job well and finds herself being offered up as a sacrificial lamb by the very agency, and country, to which she has sworn loyalty. Rucka deftly guides his reader through a complex plot, where agents are considered to be expendable commodities.

One of the more fascinating characters here, as in the QUEEN & COUNTRY books, is Paul Crocker, Director of Operations and Chace's superior officer. Crocker is a political animal who somehow maintains a balancing act between protecting the interests of Great Britain and those of his agents, even while one goal is at odds with the other. While one may occasionally differ with Rucka's worldview, he has a canny vision with respect to the manner in which the world ultimately works. While Rucka is quick to give credit to others when it comes to his insight, he is ultimately the channel through which this vision is communicated, and in such a riveting manner.

A GENTLEMAN'S GAME can only increase the width and depth of Rucka's readership. For those unfamiliar with his novels, there are the Atticus Kodiak books (among others) to explore. For those unfamiliar with his sequential art stories, QUEEN AND COUNTRY graphic novels await. And if you've been fortunate enough to read all of Rucka's work to date, you have the pleasure of anticipating his next novel. Recommended.

--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

Besides being known as a comic writer, Greg Rucka also has a career as a novelist, best known for his Atticus Kodiak thrillers. So it makes a certain amount of sense for him to combine his two worlds by writing a novel based on his creator-owned Queen & Country series. This presents us then with two questions: How does A Gentleman's Game work as a spy thriller, and how does it work as an extension of the comic book?

As a spy thriller, it works very well indeed. As the main protagonist, Tara Chase is a great character, highly competant but flawed. The plot is a doozy: following a terrorist attack on the London subway system, Tara's SIS section is called upon to retaliate against the terrorists. I won't spoil the plot any further, except to say that there are a couple of great twists that come just at the right time and are as logical as they are surprising. In fact, one of the greatest joys of the novel is that none of the characters have to act like idiots in order for the story to work. While characters may make bad decisions, they are not stupid decisions. I have no idea how accurate the details and settings of this novel are, but it certainly has the feel of authenticity and that Rucka has done his homework. His prose is detailed but doesn't get bogged down, and he can write action as well as the quieter moments. Given that this is based on a comic with which a majority of the readers will be unfamilar, there is a good deal of info-dumping in the first 50-100 pages to get things set up, but it is integrated into the plot and never feels like a plot summary.

A Gentleman's Game also works well as the next chapter for the Queen & Country series. While it is not necessary to be previously familiar with Tara Chase and the rest of the cast from the comic, fans of the comic will find much here to enjoy. Unlike many novels based on comics where the author has to pretty much put things back in place by the end of the book, since Rucka owns Queen & Country he can do whatever he wants, and by the end of A Gentleman's Game things have definitely changed in Tara's world. Rucka uses the opportunities inherent in the novel format to flesh out Tara's world and to give us insight into her internal life and the lives of those around her. This is a both a deeply personal story and a large plot-driven story; and while it would not have been impossible to tell in comic form, it would have had to have been very different, given the difference in the two mediums.

In closing, if you are a fan of spy thrillers, you will enjoy A Gentleman's Game, and if you are a fan of Queen & Country, this novel is a not-to-be-missed installment in the story of Tara Chase.

A Gentleman's Game has to be one of the best novels ive read on the spy genre. Being a Queen and Country fan i was somewhat reticent to read this novel, after some consideration and trusting blindly in Rucka's craft I decided to give it a chance and let me tell you: it was worthy.
Ive read some reviews here and there and ive found two things: the ones who praise this work are totally on the spot and the ones who dismissed it (too Le Carre, Clancy-like) should get stuffed.
Now, I wont bother you with synopsis or insight on this masterpiece, Ill just say that whether you are a Q&C fan or not you should buy this book and read it, trust me is well worth your money.

The author deserves kudos for creating a main character who is not the usual ex-Special Forces guy with a broken heart/shady past. He also has a good ear for British English; there are however way too many scenes of people standing around desks glaring at each other. And the last third of the book devolves into a Clancyesque shoot-em-up against impossible odds. Without giving anything away, Chace's exploits while in Cairo are particularly preposterous.

Better known for his "Atticus Kodiak" novels, Greg Rucka has started a new series about Tara Chase, a female British Secret Service agent, known as a "Minder" in the trade world of spy craft. Chase is just as tough and sexual as James Bond, but much more realistic with flaws that show up under extreme stress, not mention backstabbing by the British bureaucrats.

The first book in this new series is A Gentleman's Game and has Tara Chase still recovering from lost of an old friend and lover. When a terrorist attack on the London underground train system results in the deaths of over three hundred people, the British government decides to strike back in retaliation at the Moslems who planned this death and destruction. Chase is sent in to Yemen to assassinate the spiritual leader (Dr. Faud) of the Moslem terrorist group who instigated the attack. Faud's meeting with one of the main terrorist leaders, plus a Saudi prince, who funds many of the terrorist attacks. Chase is also working with the Israeli Mossad as a favor and has agreed to take out the two main people, if the opportunity presents itself. The mission proves to be a success from the British point of view, but to complete it, Chase had to kill Dr. Faud and the Saudi prince when they were praying in a Moslem mosque. The outrage from Saudi Arabia is intense and turns into a political embarrassment for the British government. To appease the Saudis, the British agree to turn over Chase to them so that she can be tried and executed. Chase's boss, Paul Crocker, has a bloody fit at what his government is doing and decides to save Chase by ordering her run. This leads her to Israel and the chance to win back the favor of the British government by killing the Moslem terrorist who escaped during the first mission and by taking out a camp of eighty Moslem terrorists. Chase turns to the first person she trusts, Tom Wallace, and together they attempt to do the impossible.

Though I sometimes got confused with all the long Moslem names, A Gentleman's Game had razor-sharp suspense and crackling action that held me to the end with utter fascination. When Chase is thrown to the wolves by her own government, you feel her hurt and sense of betrayal, and then you loudly clap your hands with glee when her boss and the other agents in her department assist her in getting out of London. Tara Chase also proves to be a most interesting character that instantly demands your complete attention. She loves to drink, to have sex, and to be on the high wire of a mission. She reminded me somewhat of Adam Hall's British secret agent, Quiller. I liked her and was rooting for her throughout the book In fact, I enjoyed the novel so much that I immediately started its sequel, Private Wars, right after I finished it and read another hundred pages in just a few short hours. This is a very compelling series that is sure to bring its author, Greg Rucka, more of the fame he so richly deserves. It would also make a great movie with Kate Beckingsale as Tara Chase. For those of you who are "Atticus Kodiak" fans, prepare yourselves for the newest novel in the series, Patriot Acts, which comes out in August. All in all, a splendid read that had me wanting more!

I'm completely hooked. When I got to the last page, I actually checked the back of the end pages making sure I hadn't missed anything; I just did not want this to end. Especially not the devastating way it did. If you haven't read any of Rucka's wonderful comic/graphic novel series Queen & Country, you'd still be able to enjoy this novel as a stand alone. Some of the histories between the characters might seem a little vague, so if you like reading stories with pictures, don't hesitate to read Q&C. This is a highly sensitive story that starts with a terrorist attack on the London Underground. The counterstrike leads to unexpected consequences for Tara Chace, Minder One for the Special Section of the SIS. And that's all you're getting because any more would be telling.

Because "A Gentleman's Game," Greg Rucka's sarcastically titled spy thriller, begins with an attack on the London transit system, maybe you'll think he's exploiting a tragic event. Not at all. He was prescient. The book predates the attack.

Anyhow, after the attack the British decide to get even, and send their top assassin, Tara Chace, aka "Minder One," into Yemen to take out the mastermind. She does, but also eliminates a Saudi Prince. Upon her return to London, she discovers that the Brits have decided to sell her out to the Saudis for trial and execution so that the Saudis will, in turn, take out a terrorist training camp.

Chace, with the aid of her boss and the other two assassins in her department, escapes, and then things start to get interesting.

The author's efficient prose will keep you reading along. He has a knack for characterization, too. Apparently "Queen and Country" started as a graphic novel, but his characters are far from cartoons. That impressed me majorly. He brings to life not only Tara but also her Muslim enemies, her Israeli friends, and her British colleagues, some of whom aren't sure which they are. And don't be surprised if you read the last 40 pages without managing to take a breath. Then you'll be ready for the sequel, "Private Wars."

Notes and Asides: Yes! I agree with the reviewer who suggests Kate Beckinsale play Tara in a movie version.

I've read a couple of "Queen & Country" graphic novels, and I thought the art let them down. That problem's not an issue here. Rucka writes vivid action scenes and peppers the book with subtle, well-done characterization. He knows how to make pages of conversation interesting and does a great job of disguising infodumps so the reader doesn't have to suffer through encyclopedic exposition. He manages to condense the first "Queen & Country" graphic novel into just a few pages. And there are some great plot twists. In all, an excellent read.

I should mention that Rucka's written some excellent comics over the years (particularly White Out). I'll be reevaluating the "Queen & Country" series as well as checking out some of his other work soon.

Rucka is approaching the quality of the top political/espionage thriller writers like LeCarre, Ambler and Ross Thomas with this novel, which I prefer to his follow-up novel. His view of modern politics and espionage is more realistic than anything Ian Fleming wrote, even though Fleming's writing is way better than the Bond movies (except for the most current one). While still a bit "politically correct"/ moralistic in the underlying sentiment, the novel is showing a very possible reality of modern politics and politicians with excellent knowledge of technical aspects and weaponry as well - without the author boring the reader with too many technical details about weapons.