Severance Package

Severance Package by Duane Swierczynski

This was exciting. I like actions stories that begin at the start of the action instead of the true beginning. And Swierczynski keeps the intensity level high throughout. The story did meander for a while around the two-thirds point and the ending seemed headed toward a very loose and unsatisfactory conclusion, but it finished well. A tighter ending would have earned it a B. Worth the read. And a fine introduction to The Company.

C+

OK, I’ve thought about it for a few days, and I’ve changed my mind. I finished the book on December 31, 2011. Today is January 5. I can’t shake that ending out of my head. It was awful. And out of character. The entire book is about how competent and calculating Molly Lewis is. She’s not a deranged lunatic, but that’s what the ending would have you believe. The woman at the end is a different character than the book’s protagonist, and that’s a problem.

C-