2 out of 4 stars
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Swifty and Conspiracy Control is the sixth installment in the series of books written by Roger F. Greaves. It follows the story of Swifty King and his partner Kyle Faust, owners of Swifty King, Advice (SKA), a company that provides advising and negotiation services for governments and private citizens. In the middle of a case related to a film producer, Swifty and Kyle end up involved with a dangerous and sadistic enforcer who reintroduces them to an old enemy that will put their lives in danger like never before.
With the exception of the protagonists, the characterization work of the other characters is relatively poor. Many of them fall into classic genre stereotypes, and it is difficult to see them in three dimensions beyond some introductory paragraph regarding their background story. As for the recurring characters and events in the series, even if we are talking about the sixth book of the saga, the author could have devoted some paragraphs to refresh these circumstances so that the reader does not get lost in the development of the plot.
While quite fluid, the prose is somewhat coarse and even vulgar at times, especially when it comes to the character of Kyle, the only narrator in the first person in this story. While this tone of writing goes hand in hand with the fast-paced and corny action of the book, it contrasts sharply with the third-person segments and ends up feeling unbalanced. As for the editing work, most errors revolve around the formatting process (ellipses with blank spaces on both sides and wrongly capitalized letters, mostly), so it does not interrupt the narrative and reading flow altogether.
The plot is undoubtedly the strongest point of this book. The author handles the elements related to the thriller genre with great tact, keeping the reader constantly focused on the events that occur throughout the story. The climax is very well built, although the "conspiracy" that the author promises in the title can only be fully understood at the very end of the book. The action moments are gripping and violent, although not as graphically powerful as a torture scene that occurs early in the story, which feels somewhat unbalanced in contrast.
I was left with a bitter taste after reading this book. Although the plot is compelling and quite exciting, I found it very difficult to get involved in this narrative universe. The characters never managed to convince me, and some of the author's political comments that were embodied in them seemed quite misguided. I think the most appropriate thing for me is to give this book 2 out of 4 stars. I recommend it to fans of the saga and to those who look for fun and over-the-top actions stories, although I advise the latter to read the first installments of the series in advance.
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Swifty and Conspiracy Control
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