Bruce Von Stiers

Greg Rucka has written some interesting things. He has written for graphic novels and does a series about a bodyguard named Atticus Kodiak. The newest Kodiak novel is called Critical Space. It was published by Bantam Books.

KTMH Security has a whole slew of high profile clients. They got that way because of a young British socialite named Lady Ainsley-Hunter. In a visit to the U.S., KTMH had been hired to look after her. Atticus saved her from a would be assassin and his company now has more clients than it knows what to do with.

In a previous novel, readers were introduced to a top female assassin named Drama. Atticus and his friends stopped Drama from killing their client. Now she reappears in this novel.

After having several of these high profile clients, KTMH is now working for Ainsley-Hunter again. She may be in a little danger from an obsessed fan. Atticus and the rest of KTMH are trying to keep her safe. But an incident leaves them vulnerable and Lady Ainsley-Hunter kidnapped. The kidnapper? Drama.

The ransom is that Atticus will protect Drama from one of the members of her group that is out to kill her. It seems that a book about Drama is about to be released. That makes her a target. Drama wants Atticus to help her out and stop the assassination attempt.

From New York to an island in the Carribean, Rucka paints a picture of a ruthless assassin and what it takes to protect one from someone who is just as good and twice as determined.

We find out about Drama’s past and how she came to be like she is. We also find out the vulnerabilities of captor and kidnap victim relationships. There is something called the Stockholm Syndrome that keeps being brought up in the book. This is a condition where the victim ends up being enamored with the kidnapper. Atticus’ friends and associates think that’s what has happened when he resurfaces after being gone for several months.

There are some very graphic scenes of violence depicted in the book. This doesn’t detract from the story, rather it gives credence to the world of the assassin and the personal protection agents who guard against them.

With Critical Space, Greg Rucka shows us a world that we probably don’t really want to know about, where governmental agencies abuse their power and nobody is truly safe from the blade or bullet of a determined assassin.