Wednesday, August 15, 2012

INTERNECINE by David J. Schow

Finished Tu 8/14/12


My post at Good Reads:

Since the novel never actually defines, 'internecine', I'll save you some time, and provide the meaning. The term relates to a struggle within a nation, organization, or group which can be mutually destructive, ruinous, or fatal to both sides, and is characterized by bloodshed or carnage. And, nothing comes closer to the theme of this terrific crime novel. 

When advertising executive Conrad Maddox returns from a flight and finds a mysterious locker key waiting in his rental car, life as he knows it ends. After visiting the locker and retrieving the case which is full of weapons, phony ID, and money, he meets Dandine, owner of the case and former contract assassin for a shadowy organization called Norco. And now, both of them are under the gun. The novel is a fast-paced swirl of action and revelation. It postulates the existence of many competing super-secret intelligence operations which operate below popular consciousnesses. Or as Dandine explains to Conrad, "they are now inadvertently at play in a field of “terrorism, counter-assassination, military coups, dirty tricks, Watergate, spy vs. spy, murky secret organizations, that sort of thing.”

The book requires you to think, and it's not an easy read, but it's well worth the effort. I would highly recommend it. You should also check out UPGUNNED by David J. Schow which also deals with an ordinary man who is thrown into a violent and hostile environment, and forced to 'sink or swim, and the journey becomes a revelation. 




By the author of UPGUNNED which I read in June of 2012, and INTERNECINE has a similar theme. Both novels deal with men who are thrown into hostile environments, and forced to 'sink or swim'. And, the journey becomes a revelation.


 Of or relating to struggle within a nation, organization, or group.
2. Mutually destructive; ruinous or fatal to both sides.
3. Characterized by bloodshed or carnage.
Since the novel never actually defines, 'internecine', I'll save you some time, and provide the meaning. The term relates to a struggle within a nation, organization, or group which can be mutually destructive, ruinous, or fatal to both sides, and is characterized by bloodshed or carnage. And, nothing comes closer to the theme of this terrific crime novel.


When advertising executive Conrad Maddox returns from a flight and finds a mysterious locker key waiting in his rental car, life as he knows it ends. After visiting the locker and retrieving the case which is full of weapons, phony ID, and money, he meets Dandine, owner of the case and former contract assassin for a shadowy organization called Norco. And now, both of them are under the gun. The novel is a fast-paced swirl of action and revelation. It postulates the existence of many competing super-secret intelligence operations which operate below popular consciousnesses. Or as Dandine explains to Conrad, "they are now inadvertently at play in a field of “terrorism, counter-assassination, military coups, dirty tricks, Watergate, spy vs. spy, murky secret organizations, that sort of thing.”

The book requires you to think, and it's not an easy read, but it's well worth the effort. I would highly recommend it. You should also check out UPGUNNED by David J. Schow which also deals with an ordinary man who is thrown into a violent and hostile environment, and foreced to 'sink or swim, and the journey becomes a revelation. 



“Internecine” means conflict, mutual destruction, and slaughter—or, as Dandine tells Conrad, they are now inadvertently at play in a field of “terrorism, counter-assassination, military coups, dirty tricks, Watergate, spy vs. spy, murky secret organizations, that sort of thing.” A world in which being innocent can’t save you, the police can’t help you, and your only hope of getting out alive is to risk unheard-of dangers against opponents with nearly unlimited power. To free themselves from the spider web of black ops, murder, madness and betrayal, Dandine and Conrad must delve ever-deeper into the spiraling, dangerous maze that is Norco, where everyone seems to be in on the most lethal of games…except you.







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