Fun and Games by Duane Swierczynski

I must confess until Mulholland Books sent me an advanced copy of Duane Swierczynski’s Fun & Games a few weeks ago I‘d never heard of the author. No stranger to the US, Swierczynski has written several thrillers, written for Marvel Comics and has also collaborated with CSI creator Anthony  E Zuiker – a great pedigree – but until now he hasn’t released anything in the UK.

On the strength of this, the first title in a Charlie Hardie trilogy – and second title to be published by Mulholland following Marcia Clark’s Guilt by Association – he’s about to take the UK (and US) by storm with an explosive and action packed thriller.

NUMBER OF ACCIDENTAL DEATHS PER YEAR

By suffocation: 3,300

By poisoning: 8,600

STAGED BY PROFESSIONALS: You have no idea.

Languishing in self-imposed exile, Hardie has become a glorified house sitter. His latest gig comes replete with an illegally squatting B-movie actress who rants about hit men who specialize in making deaths look like accidents. Unfortunately, it’s the real deal. Hardie finds himself squared off against a small army of the most lethal men in the world: The Accident People.

It’s nothing personal-the girl just happens to be the next name on their list. For Hardie, though, it’s intensely personal. He’s not about to let more innocent people die. Not on his watch.

I found, much to my cost, that once I’d begun to read Fun & Games, I struggled to put it down. It’s such a fun book to read, enough complexity to satisfy the harshest genre critic and an unexpected humour that had me chuckling to myself on numerous occasions.

The house was famous in a minor way. In 1949 a film noir called Surrounded had been set here, as well as parts of a 1972 a neo-noir called The Glass Jungle. This was no accident. The director of Glass Jungle was a big fan of Surrounded, and had spent a lot of time on permissions for the location. Later still, in 2005, they remade Surrounded—this time calling it Dead By Dawn—but left out the house altogether. Hardie hadn’t seen any of them, but Lowenbruck told Virgil there were copies at the house—the sitter should check them out, just for fun. Hardie would check out the first one, but not the others. He had a rule these days. He didn’t watch any movies made after he was born.

The narrative is strong and is a mixture of impressive prose and intelligent dialogue – I couldn’t quite put my finger on it but throughout the read I had an underlying feeling I was reading an old fashioned film noir script from the 50’s or 60’s. There’s no dead air time with Fun & Games – everything included is there for a reason – no filling, just straight from one scene to the next without any thought to the reader, desperate to take a break but unable to! Damn you Swierczynski!

Fun & Games is available in the UK in paperback from Amazon & Book Depository

Despite the dialogue and regular narrative the characters themselves add a third line of narrative, courtesy of an overactive imagination – certainly in the case of the Mann, the no-nonsense group leader – and one such scene had me in stitches. Imagine the scenario – someone has taken a pot shot at Charlie Hardie, he’s on the floor trying to recover when he starts talking to God – who tells him in no uncertain terms to sit up …

Now Sit Up

You’ve got a gun in your hand, sit up and raise your hand.

This isn’t about your life. So sit the fu** up. I could make Lazarus rise from the dead, you think I can’t make you perform one measly sit-up?

Characterisation is excellent and although Hardie, the main protagonist, is an infectious character – despite his dubious and colourful past – the strength in this book, for me, lies in the depth of supporting roles played by Mann and Lane Madden, the B movie actress. Two very different characters they do have one common trait – they are both driven.

There are a few shocks in store and although I had a pretty good idea what would happen towards the end I didn’t quite get everything right! Although a very pacey read, the book appears to quicken up in the last third of the book and I guarantee you won’t want to put it down until its dénouement.

One thing impressed me was the intelligence and determination of “the Accident People” – they appear ruthless throughout with only one goal in mind – to finish the job and move on to the next clean up. It took Charlie a while to come to terms with their ingenuity and savvy and there’s a certain scene in the book when he appears to have an epiphany and realise the group trying to hurt him know really do know what they are doing – it would probably be unfair to say he woke up at that point but he does realise he’s in a great deal of trouble!

A clever and fluid storyline Fun & Games is an impressive introduction title for the Charlie Hardie series, I for one can’t wait for the second title to see where Swierczynski his protagonist. Infectious and highly recommended.

Published by Mulholland Books, Fun & Games is available in the UK in paperback from Amazon & Book Depository