Customer Reviews

Swastika

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

This is a wild ride of a page-turner that also warrants much thought. Plot and thematic elements include Nazi concentration camps, aeronautics and space, serial murder, Greek myth, and covert government operations to name a few. Slade offers complexity that unfolds one sure-footed (and fast!) step at a time. Intricate plotting is rarely this readable or this entertaining.

New Slade character Dane Winter tracks two serial killers in Vancouver. Unknown to Winter, the murderers share a unique link that traces back to secret weapons developed by Nazi Germany. He's also unaware as hitmen from the Pentagon track his progress, with intent to kill if Winter unearths the still-hidden secret.

This is the eleventh in Slade's Special X series about murderous psychos tracked by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. If you haven't read Slade, normally I recommend starting at Headhunter, Slade's first novel. But Swastika is an enjoyable book on its own. If you've read Slade but aren't sure what to expect, Swastika is a fine-tuned machine that melds familiar elements with jaw-dropping surprises. For anyone who likes exciting and smart reading, Slade gives you the best of both worlds with Swastika.

Slade's novels have always combined great protagonists, nasty villains and a touch of history. The latest, Swastika, brings events in WWII to life. This may seem a departure from past novels to fans of Slade's work, but in reality we are seeing a change of focus. The stronger focus on history and the mysteries of the Second World War gives the reader plenty of surprises and revelations to savor. For anyone who may be questioning whether to give this a go or not I can only say that a great book is often one that not only is a joy to read, but one that appears to have been a joy to write. If you have any interest in World War II and long buried secrets this should be at the top of your reading list. If you are a fan of Slade's past work it already is.

This is a story that has been waiting to be written for more than half a century. I was more amazed by every page I read, and more shocked by each new revelation. I've been reading Slade's work since I found Headhunter during a business trip 20 yrs ago and I have to say that he has topped all his previous work with Swastika. A masterpiece of a thriller and a work of historic significance.

Another gory edition from Slade... more history than normal and a lot of my favorite characters (including DeClerq and Zinc Chandler) are missing! Not as good as some of the early books (Headhunter, Ghoul) which are still the best in my opinion. Felt the ending was weak - it appeared that they got tired of writing and rushed the end... who is it, who is it,then that's it... no more detail just find out and finish!!! Not as good a read as I was hoping.

Slade throws a bit of a change up to all of his readers who love his fast ball. But, it's a pitch that's near and dear to his heart and the evidence of his historical research shines and becomes the story itself. As a reader of all of Slade's work, I have a new favorite in Swastika.

For the fans of the Special X unit, they are still as engaging as ever, but take a bit of a back seat to the story Slade pulls together through decades, generations, and history. A story worth reading and re-reading to catch the small nuances you missed the first or second time through.

Slade knows how to frighten a reader with the little fears we live with daily, but he also engages and challenges his readers to question the reality of history as we are told it. Part of the charm of this author is his willingness to step outside the box and then reach through and pull you with him.

Great Job!

Another good novel from the Slade crew.

Swastika follows Dane Winter of the RCMP as he tries to solve the mystery of the Swastika killer. I believe like all mystery stories the less told of the actual plot lines the better it is for the future reader.

Like all Slade novels this one delves into history to compliment the action that is going on in the present.

Swastika paints a picture of the last days of the Third Reich and the repercussions of that time. One of my favorite aspects of the Slade novels is the backstory. A bibliography is always included at the end of the novel for those who are intrigued and would like to read further into the subject.

Slade novels have the gore/serial killer for the horror crowd, the who done it aspect for the mystery crowd and the backstory for the history buffs. Check out Slade if any of these aspects appeal to you.

If you are anything like me you will hunt down all of the older novels once you are exposed to Special X and Swastika is a great jumping in point for the Special X universe.

I have to agree with some of the other reviewers. SWASTIKA is a great place to start if you're new to the Special X books. While the story is set firmly in the world of Zinc Chandler and company, SWASTIKA introduces a brand new protoganist in the character of Dane WInter. No need to catch up on a lot of cumbersome backstory to enjoy this one.

As a lover of Slade's past Mountie epics and an avid reader of all things WWII, this book was a dream come true. It contains all the hallmarks of Slade's books...factual historical background, fascinating police procedures, gut-wrenchingly gory set pieces, vile and dispicible villains and endearing, enduring characters.

Slade's meticulously researched historical jaunts are a trademark of the series. They're interesting, informative, entertaining and, most importantly, never boring. Every time I've finished a Slade novel, it's lead to more reading on my part. Past novels have prompted trips to the library to find books on such diverse subjects as the RCMP, the Zulu, Jack the Ripper and the history of the guillotine. In this case, it was Project Paperclip, Roswell, and quantum physics. Don't worry, though. Slade, as always, makes it all very accessible to the average reader. And, to the reviewer who referred to the history in SWASTIKA as "concocted", I recommend some further reading before you jump to judgement. There's even a handy bibliography in the back of the novel for just that purpose. While some of the characters (Streicher in particular) are fictional for dramatic purposes, they're based on real people.

Bottom line, if you're new to Slade's universe, feel safe in starting with SWASTIKA before moving on to HEADHUNTER, GHOUL and the rest. If you're a long-time reader like myself, SWASTIKA will not disappoint.

Special X Vol. 11 has all the parts that make up a great novel for any fan of just about any genre out there.

There's something for the historical fiction fans, the slasher/gore/horror readers, the crime/forensic geeks, and lovers of the police procedural. Even the people with an interest in WWII will find something to enjoy with this book.

If this is your first introduction to Slade, it's an excellent place to start. If Slade is old hat to you, it's another book that takes Special X to another place and time, with some new twists and turns along the way.

As a person who rarely strays from non-fiction, I despise most of offerings in the fiction genre. But the Slades have a way of turning the fantastical into the plausible, and the fictional into a sense of "real" like no other author I've read.

I highly recommend this book, and every other book authored by Slade previous. It's my new favourite in the series.

Sorry. When you *LITERALLY* rip off your shocking "psycho revealed" scene from Mel Brooks' BLAZING SADDLES - you're FINISHED! THROUGH! KAPUT!!!

(WARNING: Virtually ALL Slade novels are meant to be read IN ORDER. If you read a book in the series out of order, you risk learning the ENDINGS/KILLER'S IDENTITIES of/from previous novels which are probably FAR BETTER than the book you are presently reading! Slade made a fabulous start for about the first four books and rapidly tapered off from there. If you haven't read the original *HEADHUNTER*, BUY IT(!!!) and START THERE! Keep them IN ORDER and you'll do fine - UNTIL YOU HIT EVIL EYE which is simply THE PITS!)

Swastika:

Tightly written. Absolutely pointless. Unlike all the previous novels that switch back and forth between past and present events, this one spends waaaaaay too much time in the past. Sadly, it does so at the near total expense of present day character developement of which there is virtually NIL - cops, supporting characters and psychos alike... Pure cardboard every single one.

Where are the creepy atmospheres? The stark, eye popping violence? Gruesome and inventive ways to die? And what happened to Zinc Chandler who just sorta magically disappeared from the case mid-stream? (One is reminded of Married With Children where the much hated SEVEN went upstairs and was mercifully never seen again. Unfortunately, we LIKE Zinc Chandler...)

Speaking of missing: As per Slade creedo "ANYONE can die at any time" - guess who gets KNOCKED OFF right off the bat? Gee, only the series' recurring character with the most potential to get the entire series BACK ON TRACK... It is my personal belief that Clarke is randomly throwing darts at a dartboard to determine who in the Spec X family dies - possibly weighting Chandler and DeClerque slightly ahead of everyone else in terms of survivability. You look at the death of this particular character and you just roll your eyes and think "WHY????? WHAT were you THINKING when you came up with this???" (I'm guessing they were thinking that they've run out of ideas and it is about time to dump the Spec X series and write historical novels...)

If all this wasn't bad enough, we're treated to a painfully boring course in QUANTUM MECHANICS. This, from an author that clearly nearly forgot to include MURDERS in his murder mystery and seems to take great offense at being drawn away from his historical novel to include them. To that end, never have I witnessed such an ECONOMY OF WORDS both setting up and describing the mayhem. Longtime readers will literally find themselves asking "What the HELL???????"

This will put an end to it. R.I.P. Slade. Clarke and his daughter have hit rock bottom, yet continue to dig.

Sad.

P.S. If you want a REAL MYSTERY, read ALL the "Was this review helpful to you?" numbers. Some VERY STRANGE PATTERNS here - especially if you read the CONTENT of the reviews vs. the number of pos/neg replies. One doesn't have to be a Spec X detective to see that "sumpthin'" ain't quite right... Can ya say "Sladist RINGERS", boys and girls?

With the latest entry into the world of Special X, Swastika, Michael Slade moves away from some of the familiar faces of previous stories and introduces a pair of newcomers to the scene. While fan favorites such as Zinc Chandler and Robert Declerq make brief appearances, they are not the primary characters this time around - and this is okay, because Slade does a wonderful job integrating the new characters into his universe.

The strength of Swastika is its story, which is fast-paced page turning executed to perfection. Slade is a master of using history to create a memorable story, and this book is no different: the action moves flawlessly from World War Two era Germany to modern day and then back again, making for an entertaining history lesson woven in between suspense-filled chapters.

Fans of Slade will not be disappointed, and those not yet initiated into the realm of Special X will find Swastika to be an excellent place to start.