Artfical Attrition

Reviewer: C. W. Fitch (Vacaville, CA)
Date Reviewed: August 29, 2004

David Epperson’s first novel is a rollercoaster of a suspense/thriller, quickening the pulse in some spots, falling flat in others. Otherwise, it’s an enjoyable read, and teeters on the brink of page-turner status. The main plot involves a super-secret sector of the FBI that specializes in bringing down the most lowlife criminals in the country using the most devious possible methods. The only problem is, once apprehended, they become little more than playthings to the nigh-demonic head of the sector, Roland Krutz. Torture, rape, sadism, and ultimately, death…you name it, it’s all part of the game. One particular prisoner, Lloyd Potter, is brought into this “underworld” by mistake, and his wife and a few close friends race against the clock to rescue him before he becomes another victim of the program. This premise sounds intriguing enough, and once all the characters are introduced, the story takes a sharp left (or is it right?) into a hearty “good vs. evil” story. The team of friends, once assembled, seems less human and more like the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen as the story progresses, with superhuman mental capacity, endless wealth, and seemingly limitless resources. (And let’s not forget the smarter-than-average rottweiler!)

There are a few things that bring this read down a couple of notches, though. First off, the language. There were enough expletives peppering the dialogue to make George Carlin blush, though the author seemed to reserve them for the most evil of the characters in order to magnify their depravity. (Not to say that even the good guys didn’t let one slip once in a while, though.) Also, there were a few parts that were exciting enough to keep the pages moving, some of it read like an encyclopedia. A couple of the characters were quick to flaunt their knowledge of certain subjects, but it served to do little more than show that the author had read up on them and added little to the actual flow of the story.
The characters are endearing. The story, while at times a little ridiculous, is entertaining. The climax of the story is quite unexpected, and one of the final sequences actually had me laughing out loud at the end of it.

Overall, for a first effort, “Artificial Attrition” pleased me. There were a few rough spots in the grammar, and Epperson’s political views were made abundantly clear, but it didn’t detract from the reading. An enjoyable summer suspense.