Customer Reviews

The Scope of Justice

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The first in a new trilogy by Mike Williamson (Freehold, The Hero), Scope of Justice is modern military fiction. Better than Tom Clancy on the details (Williamson researches them as well as the experts - as a combat engineer he presumably doesn't *need* to do much research - but unlike Clancy and most of his contemporaries, he makes it interesting and doesn't dwell on the technical stuff), and faster-moving than most military fiction out there, this book is definitely worth reading.

US Army snipers Kyle Monroe and Wade Curtis are sent into the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region on a covert mission (it's Pakistan, US troops aren't supposed to be active there) to take out Al-Qaeda's number three man, a charming fellow who likes to rape and murder American journalists. It's a realistically-drawn country; not many good-guys or bad-guys, but a LOT of neutrals whose allegiance, to badly paraphrase Lehrer, is based on expedience.

There's a minor romantic subplot, logically drawn. Monroe is white, Curtis is black, and there's buddy-cop byplay that wouldn't be at all out of place in a Hollywood movie. The two characters are realistic: most snipers, by the temprament needed for the job, are *not* outgoing kick-ass-and-get-laid Schwarzenegger types. Monroe and Curtis read like snipers, not Rambos.

Worst problem that I had with this book was the slowness of getting started. To be fair, it's the start of a trilogy and the other books presumably get moving a bit faster, but almost half the book goes by before the first shot is fired in anger. Not that the setup isn't interesting, but you read this type of book for action and plot, and there aren't even a lot of significant plot twists in the first half. (Admittedly, the second half moves fast enough to make up for a LOT of that.) And I suppose there's only so much detailed interaction you can *have* when your characters are in a rural part of a foreign-language-speaking country.

Williamson proved in Freehold that he knows his combat and he knows how to write it; the battle sequences in this are as good as anything by Drake, which from me is about as high as praise can get. If you're willing to go through the slow leadup - think of it as an education in the stuff the main characters worry about every day in the field - then this is about as good as modern military action gets.

Williamson is able to put together something that you don't find much in military fiction anymore... something new. Scope of Justice is a top of the line military novel in all the standard respects. He has done meticulous research on the tactics and weapons of his story, and writes some of the best combat scenes I've ever come across.

What sets this book apart from the rest is that the plot is unique and different. Let's just say that not everything goes the way you expect it to. Also refreshing is his deep understanding and portrayal of the society of Afghanistan and Pakistan in which this novel takes place. It's good enough to make you think about your perspectives about the region.

Great read!

This turned out to be a very good book.You are given close up
details of the role of a sniper in wartimw activities.You are
shown the training that Army snipers go through.
In this book SFC Kyle Monroe is given the assignment of killing
the number three leader in al-Quaida,Rafiq bin-Quasim.He and his
spotter Wade are dispatched into Pakistan to locate the terrorist leader and assassinate him.They have to overcome the
various tribal factions that have no loyalty to anyone.They finally find an ally in Nasima,a teacher who serves as their
translator.Then you are given the action of the carrying out of
their assignment.
This is a very good book that you will enjoy.

Mike Williamson did trememdous amount of reasearch when writing this book. His characters are realistic and technical details are almost 100% spot on -- except in a couple of instances where he deliberately used his creative license to make the plot work better. See if you can spot these couple of liberties. "Scope of Justic" is a rousing adventure that would make the reader wish to brush up on languages, landnav and shooting skills!

Now being honest I've always been a great fan of what one reviewer has refered to as "right wing gun porn". I have quite a few hundred examples of the type filling up many a nook and cranny within my place of residence.

I liked this book, more depth then would be expected of this sort serial novel. However I do think Mr. Willimson did try to over reach himself with the main character. This type of book is much to short to realistically have the main character overcome his inner demons in *one* episode - this sort of thing should be underlaying a number of episodes.

But he did handle the book's plotting quite nicely, no slack time as sometimes can be found in this genre, nor was any of the action purely used a page filler.

Overall not too shabby (I do think Freehold is a much better work by this authour in all aspects). However for this genre I still think John Ringo's way OTT Kildar/Ghost series set the new standard.

And yes his Irish speach patterns are terrible, really, really terrible and the British speach patterns are worst if that can be believed :).

All told not to shabby for "gun porn".

Michael Z. Williamson, better known as Mad Mike the Knife Builder, has produced a great action/adventure series to compliment his outstanding SF writing in Freehold and The Weapon, and his collaboration with John Ringo, Hero.

In The Scope of Justice, the world of the sniper and the covert operative is exposed. This is not James Bond, and it is not The Ballad of the Green Berets. This is modern military action, with all its faults and successes, as Kyle Monroe battles his demons and al-Qaeda terrorists.

We can all hope that the real Kyle Monroes do as well as the fictional hero does.

You should buy this book if you are trying to figure out what it really feels like to be a soldier in the war on terror.

Walt Boyes
The Bananaslug. at Baen's Bar

When I picked up Mike Williamson's latest work, I expected a bit of light reading for my road trip. Little did I know that I wouldn't be able to put it down until I'd finished it from cover to cover.

I relate to "Scope" in several ways. I am an Army veteran, so the atmosphere described in the book brought a bit of nostalgia to my life for an environment I miss.

I also have the utmost disdain for what we affectionately like to call "airport insecurity" - a mindless jumble of vacuous procedures that make no one safer and inconvenience many.

But first and foremost, "Scope" is a gripping action story, with characters who are very real, painfully so at times. Kyle is a sniper - a troubled man with a troubled past and ghosts that vividly haunt him and threaten to affect his mission - to kill a vicious terrorist, before he causes more innocent deaths. Accompanied by a talented partner, the two snipers wind up in the very heart of the Islamic culture - a culture vastly different from the West - a culture rich in history, bloodshed and tradition unfamiliar to the two Army sergeants.

Rich in detail, technically accurate and meticulously researched, "Scope" doesn't overwhelm with technicalities, but rather uses them nicely to complement the story and make it more real.

The action is quick-paced, but not so fast that it's difficult to follow. Rather, it pulls the reader along to its emotional conclusion.

But the real hero of this book is the characterization. We see these soldiers as skilled craftsmen and strong human beings, but not supermen, incapable of love, anger, frustration or fear.

It's a terrific read, and I highly recommend it.

Sergeant First Class Kyle Monroe is a sniper. I guess the old saying is once a sniper, always a sniper. Of course, he does not feel like a sniper at the moment because he is at sniper school, teaching sniper wannabes. The job is frustrating because most of the candidates are young, with all the energy and enthusiasm of being young, and very little of the patience it takes to be a sniper.

On the other hand, Kyle Monroe is still recovering from what happened in Bosnia. When a shoot goes bad, it can be very bad. Kyle's spotter lost his life because of a mistake. Kyle was not responsible, but he feels responsible. Kyle is unable to realize that he is suffering from survivor's guilt. Kyle needs to overcome his issues quickly, because the Army has a mission for him in hostile territory, the hinterlands of Pakistan.

Kyle initially has misgivings when the Army assigns Wade Curtis to work with Kyle as Kyle's spotter. However, the misgivings are because of what happened in Bosnia, not because of Wade's qualifications. In fact, Wade is a true professional: skilled, knowledgeable and intelligent. Kyle could hardly ask for a better partner.

After too little training and preparation, Kyle and Wade make their way in-theater and wend their way to their target. At first, the mission seems to be going well. However, as has a way of happening, things go downhill fast, and then faster. Things begin shakily when their expected translator does not show up. When Kyle and Wade execute a shoot, the outcome is completely unexpected. Kyle, Wade, and Nasima, a Pakistani teacher, find themselves on the run while still needing to accomplish a mission. The action is intensive and exciting from beginning to end in this fast-paced thriller.

I enjoy military thrillers. Unfortunately, I have had a difficult time finding military thrillers that are believable and written well. "The Scope of Justice" is believable, well written and exciting. The author is clearly well versed in things military. He also expects his audience to have general knowledge of the U.S. military and some of the issues they face.

For example, the author talks about MRE's (Meals Ready to Eat - the replacement for the C and K-rations of the previous era), RPG's (Rocket Propelled Grenades), RPK's (a Russian-made hand-carried machine gun) and more. You can enjoy this novel if you are unfamiliar with the acronyms, but you will enjoy the novel even more if you are familiar with at least some of the acronyms. Of course, you can always look up the ones you do not know on the internet.

The author also has a marvelous knowledge of Pakistan, its culture and its numerous languages. Michael Z. Williamson has fleshed out his novel with such glorious detail that I got thirsty when Wade, Kyle and Nasima did.

Some people seem to find character development beneficial in a novel. Author Williamson focuses on Kyle Monroe, and rightfully so. Kyle's eyes provide most of our perspective and interpretation of happenings, so we see how Kyle is both fearful for his companions, but also how Kyle comes to realize that sometimes bad things happen no matter what you do or plan. I learned a lot about Kyle through the course of 373 pages.

This novel is incredibly well rounded. At heart, it is military fiction. However, the significant amount of character development suggests that this is character-driven military fiction. Many military fiction authors gloss over the details of location. Williamson describes the desert, the towns, the mountains, and even the houses in an appropriate level of detail. Williamson clearly wanted his readers to feel as though they were in Pakistan with our heroes. The culture was the best part of all. Because Wade and Kyle have to interact with several different groups, and because of their interactions with Nasima, I learned a lot about the Pakistani people.

I doubt there is any way I could recommend this book enough. If you like Clancy but think he is sometimes too detailed or too dry, then try "The Scope of Justice" by Michael Z. Williamson. Williamson brought his story, his characters, their actions and their locations to life. I hope I get the chance to read more Williamson books in the future.

Enjoy!

If you like Tom Clancy's older stuff and cringe at Dale Browns cliches and innaccuracies then you'll like this book. It's a bit short for my tastes but the author crams in enough character development for you to care about them. Detail - Good, Characters - V.Good, Attempt to write irish speech patterns - BAD :).
Now go buy his other books, they're better than this one :)

''The Scope of Justice'' is the first book in Williamson's military fiction trilogy series. I've read all three books in the series, somehow in reverse order, and enjoyed each one. However, this book was my least favorite of the three.

''The Scope of Justice'' shows some background of the main character Kyle and Wade, who are highly trained US Army snipers. Most of the character development relates to their military careers and what is happening in the present. In this book they are asked to undertake a highly classified mission to knock-off an al Qaeda kingpin named bin Qasim. Although wary about the mission's chances for success, they can't resist accepting the mission.

After some prep time Kyle and Wade are shuttled off to Central Asia, via an exhausting plane/truck trip through Europe, the Middle East, and finally Afghanistan and Pakistan. While thinking about the details of the mission, Kyle is haunted by a previous mission which his companion did not survive. Does the same fate await Wade?

The story explores how the two infiltrate into the rural/small town environment of Pakistan and rely on locals to help them find their target. What I liked about the book is how the author explores the customs and culture of the region. The two main characters learn to accept how things are done in society that is not as developed as the West where Islamic beliefs influence all facets of the civilization.

Williamson uses great detail to show how difficult the mission is from a nuts-and-bolts perspective. How the Americans disguise themselves, hide their weapons, and travel about the countryside with dangers at every turn was interesting to read about. There are also some technical details about weaponry and very good descriptions of action scenes, including gun battles and chase scenes.

The only reason I don't rate the book more highly is that the plot took so long to develop. It seemed like I was reading forever until the main part of the plot was unveiled. I did like the story and the characters, especially the inclusion of a young woman who accompanied them on the journey, but at times I started to lose interest. Overall I think ''The Scope of Justice'' is a 3.5 star book, but not quite 4 stars due to the slow, meandering plot through the first part of the novel.