Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Who Was That Dead Man I Saw You With?, August 7, 2006
Tyndale Press has gone through something of a revolution when I wasn't looking. I'm used to thinking of them as a publisher of traditional religious books. Several of which appear on my shelves. I'm not generally drawn to religious fiction, so I never realized that they are the big player in that genre, so I would never have noticed were it not that Mel Odom, who has written a whole bunch of books in genre that I do read a lot (Buffy, Angel, etc.), also has written several books for Tyndale. One, Paid In Blood, found its way onto my reading pile, and I found my nose buried in a piece of military fiction with a bit of a twist.
This novel, which I hope is the first of a series, is the story of a Naval Criminal Investigation Service team, that, in investigating the murder of a fellow investigator follows a series of clues across the world until they are in a desperate chase to keep a psychotic terrorist from starting world war three. The telling is quite well done. While the plot is fairly obvious - Odom drops in on the terrorists often enough to make sure the reader understands what is going on - Odom has a knack for building the story as a police procedural rather than as a sneak and shoot tale. The result is that the story proceeds logically, with time for both some interesting twists and some solid character development. In other words, actually is a plotted novel rather than an excuse for weapon discussions and maimed fatalities.
Of course, the story is more than just another piece of military fiction. Religion plays a part as the faith of many of the team members is tested. A divorce, the violent death of a friend, another marriage in difficulty, all of these things test the individual members of the team. While I would not normally pick up a novel with acceptance and faith as secondary themes, Odom's writing never comes across are preachy, and the troubles of the characters make them much more human and accessible than they would be if they were all Green Berets on steroids. The result is that I finished the novel once again favorably impressed by Mel Odom's talent.
If you like military fiction I suggest you try this. I think you will find interesting and even a bit unusual in a genre that is often guilty of repeating itself.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
NCIS - Paid in Blood Novel One, July 7, 2006
NCIS - Paid in Blood, where to start? First off the spine of the book says `Novel one' which indicates that there are more coming in this series, so rather than repeat a lot of what's been said in the other two reviews lets look at that aspect. I read an average of 4 - 6 books a month, split between fiction and non fiction, balanced between SCI-FI, Finance and Spirituality. That being said I've delved into my share of series books. If this is indeed the 1st book in a new series, as it appears to be, I have to say that Mel has done something that seems VERY difficult in writing. He's made a 1st book very easy to get involved with. Typically many series books start off using the first volume to fill in the entire back story on every primary character being utilized. Although I do agree that knowing the characters past helps you become involved in their present and care about their future, there have been some very good Volume One's that have been VERY hard to get through, due to all the back story. Whether it's LEFT BEHIND, INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE or LORD OF THE RINGS, the stories themselves are great the books are good, but the depth at which most authors seem to subject their readers to detail of history is overwhelming!
Not Mel, he drops you SMACK DAB in the middle of it! There is action and intrigue from page one! Now this is not to say that the characters history is ignored, instead it's fed to you a little bit at a time, in just enough volume to make it palatable and yet still keep it relevant to the story at hand.
Mr. Odom should also be applauded at the amount of precise detailed military information that he relates to each character and their story. Not since Tom Clancy in the early 80's have I read a novel with as much accurate detail in relation to the story and the tools being used. More over this isn't simply a recitation of facts and figures in relation to bullet grains and wind velocity, this information is made integral to the movement of the plotline.
But most importantly I think that any prospective reader should know up front that Mel has brought us back to a method of story telling that seems buried in the past, but that made so MANY books great! His chapters are short, legible and leave you at a cliff hanger at the end of every one! Whether you like Dan Browns Da Vinci Code or not, I believe that the thing that has made it such a HUGE success is that he brought reading back to the average person! The average chapter in Da Vinci was about 4 pages, and it always left you wanting more! NCIS does the exact same thing! The chapters are more than 4 pages, but within each he moves along several different characters, each being left in a situation where you the reader are holding your breath! I'm not quite old enough to remember the Tom Mix movie serials of the 50's but I absolutely understand the concept! Leave your fans for more! Even the END of the book leaves the reader going `Hey wait! What happens NEXT?'
I first read Mel Odom in his `sideline' to the Left Behind Series "Left Behind-Military", and although I am avidly awaiting the continuation of that series, I personally feel that the writing, story, plot and character development in NCIS far outweighs that of the other series. Perhaps it has to do with the investment he as an author makes in characters and a universe of his own creation. Whatever the reason, I for one hope that this does become a series and will be looking out for the next volume. Also a search through this bookstore shows that he has done an awful lot of work with other characters and universes that I'm a fan of. So if, like me, you buy and enjoy this book, I'd strongly recommend you see what else he has on tap.
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8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Technical inaccuracy totally defeats to book, August 21, 2007
As a recently retired NCIS Special Agent, I started to read this book with much interest hoping for an accurate description of NCIS, its mission, and capabilities. Unfortunately, by the second chapter the inaccuracies were such that it totally destroyed any further hope I had for the book.
From the start, it should be noted that NCIS is a civilian federal law enforcement agency responsible for conducting felony criminal investigations specifically involving the Department of the Navy (U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps) and the United States, in general. Its Director and senior management are members of the Senior Executive Service (SES) and the Special Agent corps are Federal Criminal Investigators (GS-1811), with the same authority as the FBI, U.S. Customs Service, ATF, U.S. Secret Service, etc. While there is a small cadre of USN Intelligence Officers and USMC Criminal Investigators and Counterintelligence personnel assigned to NCIS, they are subordinate to the civilian law enforcement personnel. The Director, NCIS reports to the Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV).
The books primary character/investigator, CDR Will Coburn is a former aircraft carrier Commanding Officer, something that would never occur in reality. First, aircraft carrier COs are O-6 - Captains, not Commanders (O-5) and generally on the road to Admiral. In no way are they eligible nor would they take such a position as a NCIS Special Agent. A carrier CO's age would preclude him/her being accepted to the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) - a prerequisite to becoming a 1811. Also, within the USN hierarchy an assignment as a NCIS Special Agent is not career enhancing.
A second major inaccuracy is the fact that NCIS takes over a crime scene out in the local jurisdiction under the notion that NCIS has primacy over all criminal cases involving USN/USMC personnel. In actuality, NIS/NCIS has joint jurisdiction and routinely works with local authorities providing investigative and technical assistance when requested. However, it is not uncommon for local jurisdictions to turn over cases to NCIS particularly when both the subject and victim are military or there is specific federal interest in prosecution. NCIS prides itself on how well they work with local jurisdictions, one reason being a significant number of NCIS Special Agents were recruited from local law enforcement and pride themselves in the relationships they are able to establish and maintain with local law enforcement...NCIS is probably better at this than any other federal criminal investigative agency.
Additionally, it should be noted the requirements to become a NCIS Special Agent. At a minimum , Special Agent candidate must possess a Bachelor's Degree, pass an appropriate physical exam, and be able to possess a minimum of a Top Secret security clearance. NCIS does recruit heavily from the law enforcement and military officer community and also look for college graduates possessing specific language capabilities, area studies, and/or academic backgrounds. Upon hiring they must then complete the FLETC and a special NCIS "add-on". NCIS personnel do not/not attend USN "boot camp".
I realize this book is a work of fiction and while I have no real problem with the plot and its execution, its description of NCIS is so inaccurate I could not make it through the book nor can I recommend it.
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