P.E.A.C.E. [Hardcover]

Guy Holmes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 5, 2000

In this gritty cop story in the tradition of Mike Figgis' Internal Affairs, a radical crime-fighting system has just been implemented in Ney Work. With thousands of video cameras mounted around the city- and a special undercover division of the NYPD roaming the streets with tranquiliser guns- P.E.A.C.E. (Police Enforced Anti- Crime Environment) details a future where the intensive monitoring of society is the price paid for safety. Strongly suppported by the public, the new system has dramatically reduced crime, but something below the surface is festering. At the centre of Holmes' futuristic novel is Mac Wells, a cool-headed P.E.A.C.E. Force officer whose steely nerves have made him a legend in the NYPD. But when Wells accidentally "tranqs" his partner and best friend, he unveils the first layer of a shocking conspiracy. Suddenly this champion of the P.E.A.C.E. system becomes its target: he and his wife are hunted down in a world where the truth the public accepts is a lie, where the technology that sets people free is their jail, and where reality itself seems to be slipping away.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Holmes's debut thriller, set in a futuristic New York City, explodes out the narrative gate with a crazy grandma, flashing stun guns and a daring subway-track rescue by an acrobatic policeman. Unfortunately, Holmes fails to deliver on this promising beginning, with dull characters and a colorless setting leaching his tale of drama. Mac Wells, a steely-nerved cop, works for P.E.A.C.E. (Police Enforced Anti-Crime Environment), an agency that operates the Big Apple's newly installed surveillance system. While monitoring the subway one day, the cameras spot an armed suspect. Wells and his partner, boyhood friend Sam Mullane, respond to the call; during the fight, Wells accidentally shoots Sam with his tranquilizer gun. Sam seems fine for a few days, then dies under suspicious circumstances at the hospital. Wracked by guilt, Wells tries to find out why; is P.E.A.C.E. implicated? A secret investigation in a society under constant surveillance by video cameras proves tricky, and as Wells starts getting answers, he quickly becomes a wanted man. The novel's premise is compelling, but it's development feels detached and bloodless. The characters move mechanically and humorlessly, and the plot sorely lacks any element of surprise. Further, Holmes's New York City is devoid of almost all traces of what the future may hold. Most people still get around in yellow cabs, the New York Times is still the paper of record and most of the music seems to be Baby Boom rock. This thriller may have some appeal in urban areas where police brutality is an issue. Agent, Theresa Park. (Dec.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Susan Minot, Robert Hass, and Tillie Olsen, but his debut is real nitty-gritty cop stuff. A crime wave may have hit New York, but there's still P.E.A.C.E. on the streets. In the newly created Police-Enforced Anti-Crime Environment program, undercover cops roam with tranquilizer guns, zapping criminals. But when one cop accidentally zaps his partner, some ugly secrets about the new program start to emerge. The publisher is really excited about this book.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster (December 5, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684870797
• ISBN-13: 978-0684870793
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,281,901 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Totally mind blowing, November 2, 2000

By 

k johnson (Tesuque, NM United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: P.E.A.C.E. (Hardcover)

I managed to get a preview copy of this book, and totally loved it. PEACE has loads of action, and really cool conspiracy/big brother stuff, it's actually a bit chilling at some points. Along with the action and thrills, I really dug the characters and story. I am waiting for a sequel.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Shallow and unconvincing., April 29, 2001

By 

Hiroo Yamagata (Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo Japan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: P.E.A.C.E. (Hardcover)

The problem with this book is that the setting has almost nothing to do with the plot or character. So it's an orwellian world. Surveillance cameras are everywhere, all susupicious moves are screened out by pattern matching and suspects are immediately identified.

And then, the special unit named PEACE will nail the suspect using a tranquilizer gun. The city became safer, less crimes. Fine.

You would imagine that this sort of setting would lead to an Orwellian dystopia, where people's freedom is compromized under a police rule. No. The only problem is that there is some side effects with the tranquilizer and the hero goes after it. and then he uncovers this huge conspiracy...

But even after everything is revealed, I can't really understand the problem. So why not use another tranquilizer??! That's all there is to it. Everything else about this system, according to this story, is just peachy. Really?

The story avoids all difficult issues about this sort of setting, and just does this tough good guy (with a beautiful wife) against a big conspiracy. I don't think the characters and the plot are well worked out. He devotes a chapter about a news reporter's past, you think he's an important character, but he doesn't do ANYTHING. Why bother? The final battle seen, where somehow, the major characters come together, is totally unbelievable.

I regret the time I spent on this story. I wouldn't want other people to repeat that waste.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great police procedural, December 11, 2000

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: P.E.A.C.E. (Hardcover)

The law abiding citizens of New York City welcomed the Police Enforced Anti-Crime Environment (P.E.A.C.E.) system that placed surveillance cameras all over town. Although freedoms were surrendered for safety, most New Yorkers have been elated with the results of their new surveillance system that has dramatically reduced crime.

While monitoring cameras watching over the subway, police officer Mac Wells and his partner Sam Mullane notice a crime in progress. They quickly arrive at the scene, but during the ensuing fight, Mac accidentally tranquilizes Sam, which is a minor inconvenience. However, a few days later, Sam stunningly dies. A guilt wracked Mac clandestinely makes inquiries starting with the so-called safe stun gun, which soon leads the former loyal cop into uncovering something sinister about P.E.A.C.E. Now his former employers assign Mac's former peers to make Mac meet with an accident.

P.E.A.C.E. is a fast-paced futuristic police procedural thriller that will provide much satisfaction to sub-genre fans who don't mind loose subplots. The action-packed story line takes a close look at the issue of safety vs. First Amendment rights with the major advancements in technology making "Big Brother" quite feasible. Although the characters including Mac never quite seem real, the story line packs quite a wallop as Guy Holmes cleverly relates his basic theme of who watches the watcher.

Harriet Klausner