Review: A Necessary Evil

In Shaun Hutson's latest thriller, he moves into the world of what some would say is the most dangerous threat of our time - terrorism. Matt Franklin and his team are on a routine job - they are going to rob a Securicor van. However, the job goes badly wrong when the contents of the van are not at all what they expected and his team are shot dead, Franklin barely escaping with his life. He soon finds that he has pursuers everywhere and his only chance is to team up with the police.

Every day, there is not a news broadcast without the mention of terrorism in some form or other somewhere in the world. As the terrorist threat increases, I am certain that we will see more and more thrillers that deal with it. It is undeniable that terrorists wanting to blow up cities make for good thriller writing. However, authors must be careful that they do not rely too heavily on this for subject material. In this case, Hutson has written an adequate terrorist thriller, but I was somewhat amused to see a very brief cameo role from Saddam Hussein in what felt like an obligatory Iraqi setting.

In 'Necessary Evil', just as in any of Hutson's thrillers, (Time Warner have misclassified the book as a horror novel), violence and gore abound. Hutson sets a fast pace for the novel and never presses the brake, moving from a frantic car chase through the streets of London to a dramatic showdown in the Underground system. His main police character tells Franklin at one point that they are in real life and not Hollywood. At times, you would think that this novel has come straight out of a Hollywood film script, with enough action to keep any director happy.

His characters are quite interesting, especially Franklin as our anti-hero. As a career London gangster, we should be hoping for his arrest by the police. However, within a few chapters and the beginning of the slaughter, Franklin quickly establishes himself as a powerful and likeable presence. I found the ending to be ultimately disappointing and in a way, I wish it could have been more like a traditional Hollywood ending, but this would have gone against Hutson's theme throughout the novel.

Overall, Hutson has penned a fast and exciting thriller which has a suitable mixture of violence, action, police and conspiracy theories to make anyone happy. His short chapters increase the intensity and the book makes for a wild ride.

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Luke Croll - RAM

Book Review: A Necessary Evil