To Read, Perchance to Dream: Book Review: The Complex by Donald W. Tucker

United States Secret Service agent Wesley Charles is furious when his racist boss forces him to attend a seminar at the new law enforcement complex in Dallas. Wes knows the seminar is a monumental waste of his time; he belongs on the Chicago streets, doing what he does best, which is busting counterfeiters. The presence of Charles old friend Secret Service agent Louis Boron, Seattle cop James Allen, and beautiful DEA agent Wendy Weissman provide a welcome distraction from the mind-numbing classes. The four inadvertently discover that something menacing is lurking behind The Complex's facade of inter-agency cooperation. When their investigations reveal a conspiracy that threatens the very fabric of American democracy, they find themselves up against a powerful, unknown enemy- and running for their lives. The explosion came in the middle of the night, igniting the gas line, engulfing the little house in flames and tossing its occupants onto the floor. Wes choked on the smoke and felt for his piece. He tucked it into the waistband of his sweats, crawled to the bathroom and grabbed a towel from the rack. Somehow, the water was still running. He soaked himself and the towel in the tub thoroughly before attempting to break through the wall of smoke that had enveloped the master bedroom. He could hear Talbot's screams amid the crackling of the flames and the tinkling of glass. And he could hear Gordon calling his name from the direction of the kitchen."Gordon," he shouted, "Can you hear me?"

This book was right up my dad's alley, and since he's retired and reads even more than I do, I gave it to him to read first. He gave me his opinion when he was finished, so I've written up his review.

The Complex was a well-written, fast-moving novel about the security establishment of the United States. However, the plot was severely demeaned by the author's interjection of his own racial prejudice. It seems he feels that all white security agents are against the black ones. The story would have been much better served by allowing the plot and characters to expose any racial injustice in the security system rather than coming from the author.

The actual plot was good, it keeps the reader guessing what's going to happen until the end. The twists weren't predictable, which made for an entertaining read.