Equipment

A well-written, thrilling adventure, Equipment takes the reader on a fascinating rollercoaster ride. Two main players, Doctor Howard Charles Foster, CIA agent, and Marek Hussar, a well-connected hitman, find each other in the most advanced game of cat and mouse you could imagine. And although the storyline is intriguing, what I found the most pleasure in while reading this book was the way it was written. The prose felt like a cross between a James Earl Jones narration and a scene out of Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction. The action was exciting, just as it should be, with car chases that not only describe the vehicles but also every detail as the driver shifts gears and the style of road he is on. The reader can literally hear the gears shift as the two vehicles race through the scene.

The characters in Equipment are all very complex. The author is able to describe even the smallest mannerism or move so that the reader can get a full vibe from that character. Being able to be in the heads of each character as they make their move like chess pieces on a board is something that could be difficult to convey, however, Caplinger does an exquisite job of letting the reader feel what each character is feeling in each scene.

The book starts out with four men in a dilapidated apartment building. A bit of dialogue happens between the four, and it’s apparent they are waiting for someone. We just don’t know exactly what. But as one man leaves the room to relieve himself, the action is triggered and although we don’t know who they are or what they are there for, it is very apparent that this is an integral part of the plot. From there, the reader meets Dr. Foster, whose current job it is to use one of his students for coding and programming purposes for the CIA. And then we meet Marek, who in simple terms is just a badass. As players are introduced and then killed off, it is apparent that what the book is leading up to is a standoff between these two powerful players. There are so many excellent characters in this book, including a Russian attorney, a big buff guy from the Special Air Service, the four operatives in the apartment I spoke about earlier, Lilith the Stripper, and Kim, the small Asian girl who seems like she is being used by all sides in this spiderweb of espionage. The book itself is not fast-paced. The author uses his time to describe everything in such minute detail so the reader can sense everything that is going on. I recommend this book for readers of espionage and action who enjoy layers upon layers as the story unfolds.